The August 2020 Pirate Challenge (Geneseo) is STILL a GO, but with minor changes.  CHECK THE FLYER (and the FAC calendar).  NOTE:  the State of New York has a required 2-week quarantine for visitors from some/most states (likely you).

The September 2020 Rocky Mountain Champs (Colorado) is a GO.  It is on the FAC Calendar, but right now, I don’t have a flyer.  Its a 3-day event with 10 FAC events and a bushel of AMA/NFFS flying, too.

The October 2020 Texas Scale Champs is a GO.  Check the Flyer (and the FAC Calendar).

The 2020 FAC Postal Mini-Nats are OVER.  No winners have been announced yet.  But if you didn’t get your postcards sent in, TOO BAD, you missed out.  I am sure the mini-CDs will reveal the hat-drawn winners soon.

One note coming out of the Mini-Nats: Wally Farrell notched ANOTHER Minute-Plus JetCat flight!  Dave Mitchell timed his T-37 Tweet to 68 seconds before it came down in some trees.  He has been logged (again!) on the Sierra Hotel list.

The Kanone List ( and the Memorial List) have been updated this morning (some local contest have been taking place).

Since a lot of us are having issues flying this year, some of us tossed together an unofficial fun event for Small Fields.  Similar to Half-Wake, it is 50% Old Timer.  Check out my previous post for details.  Build ’em up, Buttercup!  Let’s see yours!

While the Great Grape Gathering and the Empire State FF Champs at Geneseo were cancelled, the WNYFFS has decided to continue with the 2020 Pirate Challenge, 21-23 August at the National Warplane Museum.  This is an All FAC Contest.

Mark Rzadka has indicated that All POWER Events have been removed from the schedule.  Also the field size has been considerably reduced.

Please read the NEW FLYER – ESPECIALLY the SECOND PAGE!

http://flyingacesclub.com/ContestFlyers/2020PirateRev2.pdf

This just in from Tom Arnold:

Hello Flyers,
The WESTFAC Staff has reluctantly decided to cancel the October 16-18 WESTFAC Warm-up for the not-surprising reasons of the Covid 19 epidemic. We were hoping that things would be looking positive by this time but as you all can see and read, things are the same if not worse in some places. Arizona is actually experiencing a back lash of sorts at the moment.

The supreme irony is that there is probably no healthier place to be than chasing airplanes in the fresh air and sunshine of an Arizona alfalfa field but the travel, hotels, and restaurants that we all would be patronizing for the week is not. Considering that a large majority of the attendees would fall into the high risk categories, to skip the event this year is small price to keep somebody off a ventilator a few weeks later.

The plans for next year are still in flux as we are going to follow the FAC GHQ’s decision on when their schedule will be, i.e. what year will be the next FAC NATS. We will always pick the off-year for WESTFAC.

Sorry guys, nobody is as bummed out as I am as I really look forward to my time chasing airplanes with old friends. One of my great joys as my hair gets grayer. The upside is that we should all have a fabulous fleet of models for 2021, well trimmed and ready to go when the vaccine finally comes out. I was actually thinking of doing a rubber twin of a C-119….is this madness or just having way too much time to pour over old magazines and books? We will keep you informed for next year’s events.
Don’t pick your nose,
Tom

On July 4th, the 2020 Postal Mini-NATS started off with a Bang (from the fireworks)!  You can start logging your flights!  SEE THE FLYER!

Soon the Mini-CDs will send me contestants and times to post on this here web site!

Here is a breakdown of the events:

Event # 36 Jet Catapult
Event # 16 Scale High Start Glider
Send to Rick Pendzick (see FLYER for address)

Event # 1 Peanut Scale
Event # 31 Simplified Scale
Send to Paul Stott (see FLYER for address)

Event #32 Dime Scale
Event #23 2-Bit +1 (Hand Launch OK!)
Send to Ed Novak (see FLYER for address)

Event # 33 No-Cal Profile
Event # 40 National Air Racers (no Greve or Thompson!)
Send to John Stott (see FLYER for address)

NOTE:

• You MUST enter via POST CARD ONLY
• You may only enter ONCE per Event (you may enter two events on one card, but they have to go to the same mini-CD)
• All events are Best 3 of 6 flights, with those three AVERAGED
• No Bonus Points or Scale Points – only flight times.
• Winners will be the flyers that come closest to a randomly-picked time without going over
• KANONES WILL BE AWARDED
• the Contest ends on 31 JULY 2020 (get ’em in the mail!)
• READ THE FLYER!!!

It’s surely disappointing, but the CDs of these two back-to-back Muncie September classics have decided it is better that we cancel them rather than risk our friends getting sick.

Yes, flying outdoors is relatively risk-free (if we cut down on all that hugging), but large multi-day contests require that contestants travel from far away and come in contact with a wide variety of people in many different places, like motels and restaurants, etc.

With any luck, we’ll see you all next year!  Get in some flying locally, if you can.

Frank Scott has asked me to post this:

If you flew your Sky Bunny last Sunday  at 4:00PM (07 June), please let him know so he can tabulate the results in Bill Warner’s memory.  Pictures, times, and stories would be welcome!

send him an email:  eiriktheelder@gmail.com

Calling All Skysters!  Are you down because the Nats were cancelled?  Maybe you can’t get out to fly with your buddies yet?  Well, it’s the FAC-GHQ to the rescue!

As seen in the most recent FAC News, there is a POSTAL CONTEST that will run from the 4th of July through the end of July !!!  Being a postal contest, you can fly in your back yard!  Even if you weren’t going to drive to New York, you can now participate in the 2020 FAC Postal Mini Nats!  Get the full details in the attached FLYER, but here’s the TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) or the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) or just call it “the skinny“:

• There are EIGHT EVENTS
• Each event has its own “mini-Cd” to whom you need to mail your POST CARD ENTRY
• You shall only enter ONE ENTRY per Event per Flyer per Post Card ***
• All events are Best Three of Six, with those three averaged

So I know what you’re thinking: “why should I/I’m not the best flyer/I always lose to those guys”  Well, bucko, stop yer sobbin’…

• For ALL events, a winning “target” time will be drawn from a hat at the end of the contest.  The flyer that comes closest without exceeding that time WINS (and gets a Kanone)!!!

So, read the FLYER for full details †††, grab your favorite ships (and a notebook!) and head to the flying field.  FLY IN JULY!!!

*** – technically, you can write TWO events on one card to the same mini-CD

††† – the FLYER is loaded with details, include the names/addresses of the mini-CDs – don’t get your entries mixed up!

Here’s the FLYER

This just in from Frank Scott: