Category: Club News Page 2 of 9

We asked Tom Hallman to develop a model for the next FAC One-Design.  He chose the 1946 Schweizer SGU 2-22 for FAC hi-Start/Towline Glider.  This is a 36″ wingspan glider and will be kitted (short kit, likely with canopy) and provided in the 2023 Flying Aces Outdoor Champs Registration package – to be flown as the One-Design in 2024. The short kit will be available for purchase after the Outdoor Champs (but not before).

Hopefully, this will get more people into the Hi-Start/Towline Glider event.

Here is a video of Tom’s construction of the prototype model.

Thanks to Don DeLoach, Rick Pangell, Thayer Syme, and Tom Hallman, I read – oh wow – FIVE FREE FLIGHT ARTICLES in the Nov 2022 issue of Model Aviation!

And, in case you didn’t know, Tom Hallman has picked up the Free Flight Scale banner (column) in MA that Dennis Norman carried for years.

Thanks to the authors and photographers that made this issue possible, BUT it wouldn’t be possible without all of you modelers!

In case you missed it, the 2022 FAC NATS are a GO!

13-16 July 2022 at the National Warplane Museum Field in Geneseo, New York!

Find your event list and registration package HERE.

See you there!

The biannual review and update to the FAC Rule Book has been completed and the new Rule Book has been posted online.

You can find the new Rule Book in the same location as before; here is the LINK  (your old links will work just fine).

There are a couple of minor changes, but the major news is the formal addition of TWO popular events to the Official Rules and Events:

BLUE RIDGE SPECIAL and SCALE GLIDER have moved from Provisional to Official Events, based on their popularity.  Note that for Scale Glider, the launch may be acheived by a Hi-Start OR a Towline Reel – even at the same Event/Contest.

Enjoy!

Looking for a challenge?  GHQ has approved the Comet Nickel Series for Kanones!  Fly any of the qualifying 11 models in TOTF or Mass Launch, Indoors or Outdoors for lots of micro-fun!  These 10″ span models make the cutest subjects!

Read the Rules right HERE!

All plans are available for free download on the FAC Plans Page #1.

The FAC’s Information Technology (IT) Guru, Rick Pendzick was awarded the FAC Blue Max at the September Outdoor Contest at Pinkham Field in Connecticut.  Of course, Pinkham Filed is the birthplace of the modern-day Flying Aces Club and John Stott presented the medal to Rick.  These photos are by Tomm Nallen II and in a recent Facebook video posted by John Koptonak, the awardee was serenaded by Vance Gilbert and the rest of the Pinkham Field Irregulars with a chorus of “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines”.  Congratulations, Rick!

Curious about the FAC Blue Max award?  Read HERE.

Rick (on the right) with Phineas Pinkham

John Stott and Rick Pendzick

Dohrm Crawford from Georgia was awarded his Blue Max at Muncie.  He is currently at 20 wins.

Rick Pangel/AMA photograph

AMA Indoor Nats News!

EasyBuilt Models presents Pres Bruning with the FIRST Production kit of his famous Flying Fish!  Pres has been flying this model for several years.  We did not include the plan in the Free Pres Bruning plans that are online because we knew Dave was working on the kit.  This presentation was made as a surprise for Pres at the Indoor Nats last week in Pontiac.  His family brought him up and I think he was suitably surprised!  This is a fitting honor for Pres, whose plans have inspired so many around the world.  Here is the write-up by the AMA staff (the text was likely written by Mike Welshans):

July 22, 2021: Designer Receives First Production Kit at Indoor Free Flight Nats

(photo from the article)

Flying season (and contests) are back and people are itching to fly.  Wally and Julie Farrell traveled from Virginia to Muncie, Indiana to fly in the windy McCook Meet over the weekend.  He won 10 of 19 events, leaving everyone else to fight over the scraps.

Wally also made a deal with Hung and logged TWO Sierra Hotel JetCat flights (any official JetCat flight 60 seconds or more)!  Truly Impressive!

In all seriousness, it was great to get back out flying on big fields and with friends from far and wide (Dave and Ann Niedzielski from Alabama also came up to Muncie)!

–george