VSC-III
By Mike Keville
For hobnobbing with the greats in CL Stunt or simply to enjoy some lighthearted competition, there's no place like the Vintage Stunt Championships. Little wonder that the third running of this annual fun fly drew an even 100 competitors.
Weather and arrival
Forget those rumors you've been hearing—"Control Line is dead"? As far as Vintage CL Stunt enthusiasts are concerned, nothing could be further from the truth. Had you been in Tucson, Arizona on the weekend of March 23–24, 1991, you'd have seen exactly that.
Late March in Arizona can be brutally hot, but that weekend began with the worst winter storm Tucson had seen in five years. By mid‑Friday warm sunshine returned as if by magic. Many fliers joked that Duke Fox had reached down and parted the clouds.
Growth and entries
From its humble origin in Los Angeles two years earlier, this reunion of Control Line Old‑Timer (pre‑1953) and Nostalgia (1950s–1960s classics) devotees has become one of the most popular and well‑attended CL contests in the country. This year's official entry tally was an even 100:
- 46 in OT‑Glow
- 6 in OT‑Ignition
- 48 in Nostalgia
Contest Director JoAnn Keville worried about completing two scheduled rounds before dark, but thanks to the fine work of pit bosses Walter Menges and Kenn Smith—and the attention of the participants—every flight was completed with time to spare.
Why people come
It isn't (necessarily) the competition that draws people. Everyone wins at the VSC because of the fellowship and joy shared with others who respect and admire these classic designs. It's also an opportunity to hobnob with many luminaries in the field—the folks who designed these seminal models and helped grow CL Stunt. The first three VSCs have hosted names such as:
- Bob Palmer
- Bill Netzeband
- George Aldrich
- Ed Southwick
- Jack Sheeks
- Bob Gialdini
- Charles Mackey
- Joe Wagner
…and several others who are household words among Stunt fliers.
Mostly, however, people come because they love traditional construction, finishing techniques, and the designs themselves. As in FAC Rubber Scale and Nostalgia Free Flight, it's the models and methods that attract.
Always wished you could've seen George Aldrich fly the original Nobler? You can—at the VSC. Want a close‑up demonstration of precision flying? Or watch Bart Klapinski put Gordon Delaney's twin Fox .35–powered Two Much through a pattern with his famous down‑in‑the‑dirt corners.
Regg Keyawa, our AMA district vice president, attended with his wife Dorothy. Regg had flown CL many years ago; when Jim Levell offered him a flight in his Super Zilch he discovered the knack was still there. Our local District X AVP, Bob Reynolds, invited Regg down to see some "RC"—Real Control.
Old‑Timer Stunt
Control Line Old‑Timer Stunt originated with John Miske and the Garden State Circle Burners in New Jersey. Its theme is enjoyable, laid‑back competition flying the 1951–52 AMA Stunt pattern. Many participants are RC fliers escaping a world of look‑alike ARFs.
Although appearance points are not counted in the overall OT score, we awarded a prize for the Best‑Appearing OT ship: a replica of Hal deBolt's Stuntwagon '58 built by Floyd Carter of California and accompanied by a signed and framed letter from Hal himself. The award went to PAMPA's first president, Keith Trostle, for his Yates‑designed Dragon.
Nostalgia Stunt
Nostalgia Stunt is intended for designs 25 or more years old—generally the classics of the '50s and '60s, including many with I‑beam wing construction (Ares, Ballerina, Detroiter, etc.) and models of the Nobler/Olympic school. Nostalgia models fly the current AMA pattern and do receive appearance points.
This year multiple renditions of the Sheik, Nobler, and Olympic appeared. Since their designers—Jack Sheeks, George Aldrich, and Bob Gialdini—were on hand, that made things especially enjoyable. One attractive Nostalgia entry was the Veco Hurricane built by Tucson's Robin Sizemore. The Nostalgia Beauty award went to Jim Armour of Los Angeles for his O.S. Max‑powered Sheik—an inverted gull‑winged, twin‑finned, tricycle‑geared classic.
Keeper of the Flame
At our inaugural meet two years ago we had simply hoped someone would show up—well, they did. Among the early spectators was former U.S. FAI team member Ed Southwick, who soon began building and flying again and is now a welcome and respected competitor.
Encouraged by his wife Helen, we made Ed our unanimous choice for the perpetual Keeper of the Flame cup. The sterling silver award was commissioned by Walter Menges of Phoenix and has enough blank nameplates to take us through VSC‑XXIV. "Keeper of the Flame," a phrase coined by Flying Models editor and former World Champion Bob Hunt, denotes someone who embodies the spirit of the Vintage Stunt movement—participating for the joy of recreating and flying these pioneering designs. Competitive prowess is not a requirement, although it's not excluded. The cup also bears the names of De Hill and Jim Lee, honored retroactively for 1989 and 1990.
International and notable participants
Word of mouth, excellent magazine reviews, and admittedly a little self‑promotion expanded the VSC‑II entry list to include participants from far and wide. Ron Prentice and his family came from England; Mr. Prentice, a maker of fine stringed instruments, returned home slightly heavier thanks to a second‑place plaque in OT‑Ignition—and several items of L.A. Gear clothing for his teenage son Stephen.
Sig's Mike Pratt, accompanied by his family, placed with a Veco Chief (one of many at the meet). He also entered his Walker Fireball and exhibited a magnificent Fierce Arrow built by Mike Gretz.
Banquet, awards, and the Spirit awards
Thanks to having a headquarters hotel (the Rodeway Inn) for the first time, the meet took on a mini‑Nationals atmosphere. We filled the hotel to capacity and enjoyed a Saturday evening banquet for 142 attendees. Old‑Timer awards and judges' plaques were presented at the banquet. Unique prizes included the unveiling of the first‑ever Spirit of '46: De Hill of Tulsa spent considerable labor and money restoring an Ohlsson ignition engine; it was presented, mounted on a plaque and in operating form, to "Big Daddy" George Aldrich in recognition of his well‑traveled Go‑Devil Sr. (powered by an Orwick .64).
Several emotional speeches—most notably by Doug Taffinder, "Big Art" Adamisin, and PAMPA President Ted Fancher—filled the night. I am deeply indebted to Ted for his kind remarks concerning my efforts—and to everyone else for their spontaneous reaction.
The VSC emphasizes awards and recognition for those who don't regularly compete, and we plan to expand that. "Spirit of ..." awards ('46, '52, and '64) reward faithful reproductions of designs from the indicated eras. Examples:
- Jim Renkar (Chicago) entered a canard pusher called Can Stunt from an early‑1950s Flying Models plan by Paul Del Gatto. When the model failed to complete an official flight, he humorously rechristened it Can't Stunt—and still won the Spirit of '52 award.
- Rusty Brown of Greeley, Colorado won the Spirit of '64 for his production of a Netzeband‑designed Fierce Arrow.
Community charity effort
Fuel and tank supplier Doug Taffinder's adult son faced a major (and expensive) operation that insurance would not cover. CL Stunt fliers and others sent tax‑free donations to the Taffinder family via a South Carolina foundation handling the arrangements.
At VSC‑III, Art and Bet Adamisin ran a raffle that raised $1,200 for the Taffinders. "Big Art" offered a choice of his stunt‑reworked .40 FP or his SuperTiger .46. Tom Lay of T&L Specialties bought $100 worth of tickets, and Ken Smith (a competitor in the tank business) donated half of his weekend sales to the cause. The raffle winner was New Mexico's Gary Marchand; he chose the SuperTiger .46.
Judging and organization
The meet featured serious judging and first‑rate organization. Judges included:
- Bill Zimmer (District VI AVP)
- Jim Renkar (Illinois)
- Lew Woolard (Kansas)
- Gene Mills (Indiana)
- Fred Brigeman
- Gary Akers
- Kenn Smith (southern California)
- De Hill (Oklahoma)
A last‑minute recruiting effort for OT‑Ignition judges also yielded Bob Hunt and Doug Taffinder.
Special thanks go to the registration and scoring crew and to pit bosses Walter Menges and Kenn Smith. Their work ensured that flights were completed with time to spare.
Event format and spirit
Vintage Stunt Championships are AMA Class C affairs—that is, fun flys. They feature non‑rule‑book events and focus on participation, exhibition, and reuniting the Vintage Stunt family. Little of what goes on at a VSC will be found in the Technical Director's participation analysis. There's official competition, but it's the kind you enjoy whether you place first or 48th.
This atmosphere encourages a sense of humor. For example, when a stray butterfly was ingested into one of the twin Fox .35s of Gordon Delaney's Two Much and caused Bart Klapinski's score to plummet, Bart quipped, "Y'know, Delaney's been flying this thing for 25 years and still hasn't got all the bugs worked out!" Does the term "Mox‑Nix" mean anything to you? Ask me sometime.
Results
Distinctive Arizona‑shaped plaques went to:
- OT‑Glow
- 1st: Kaz Minato (All‑American Senior / O.S. .35)
- 2nd: Darrell Harvin (Barnstormer / Fox .35)
- 3rd: Bart Klapinski (All‑American Senior / Fox .35)
- OT‑Ignition
- 1st: George Aldrich (Go‑Devil / Orwick .64)
- 2nd: Ron Prentice ('47 Box Car / Ohlsson .23)
- 3rd: Jim Lee (Super Zilch / OK Super .60)
- Nostalgia
- 1st: Tom Dixon (Thunderbird II / Fox .40 ABC)
- 2nd: Frank McMillan (Tucker Special / O.S. .35)
- 3rd: Bob Whitely (Olympic Mk VI / ST .46)
Contacts and next year
If you'd like to join the fun, drop me a line at: 6109 E. Ivyglenn Mesa, AZ 85205
For copies of the Old‑Time and Nostalgia Stunt rules, contact Tom Morris: 1019 Creek Trail Anniston, AL 36206 Tom is Secretary‑Treasurer of PAMPA (Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots' Association); ask him for a membership application. PAMPA publishes a bimonthly newsletter that frequently features Vintage material.
Drool over the photos awhile, then make plans to join us in Tucson next March (dates to be announced). And Duke—that was you, wasn't it?
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
