I’m writing this to express my appreciation to the Norfolk Aeromodelers.
At the Carolina Classic in Huntersville earlier this month, while the awards for the various control line contests of the past three days were being passed out, I was called on to receive an unexpected award. I stood front and center as John Tate emerged from the crowd with a Sig Magnum, a huge red and yellow plane that looked to have a wingspan almost as wide as I am tall. He explained that it had been built by a Norfolk club member, the late Mike Garmon, and that they wanted to pass it on and help preserve memories of Mike and his contributions to our sport. Since shortly after Mike passed away in 2001, the plane has been in the possession of Mikes flying buddy Howard Shenton of the Metrolina Control Line Society, the Huntersville “Carolina Gang.” I was somewhat stunned and rather than saying something eloquently appropriate, I just stood there with a dumb grin on my face. I kind of worried about that, so now that the words come more easily, I take the time to write this open letter.
When Mike’s inventory of modeling equipment was being distributed among friends and fellow modelers, Howard remembered having watched the Magnum fly and felt a connection to it that he didn’t want to let slip away. Since then, it’s been flown occasionally, but over the years developed some hangar rash and was in danger of becoming another forgotten bit of history. I suppose that’s where I come into the scene.
After a lifetime of hacking out 1/2A planes and terrorizing the neighbors as a lone flyer, I outgrew my field and joined a club near my home at Fort Jackson, SC. I was again the lone CL guy until I hooked up with my club president’s friend, Wayne Robinson, another CL flyer and also a member of MCLS with Howard and company. A year ago as I write this, I didn’t even know competitive control line of any sort existed. To make a long story short, I’m in it deep now, and have two contests in H’ville under my belt, and have immensely enjoyed the company of everyone in the hobby. Not only the company but the spirit of sharing and helping that defines this sport, and the determination to keep it going, remembering who got us where we are, and most importantly to pass it on to future generations. I never imagined being a part of something as great as this.
So, in the spirit of passing it on, though I’m not exactly all that future generationish… I’m honored to be chosen as a worthy recipient of this airplane, and will give it a good home and a useful life at the field. Howard has shored up the internals and I will treat the hangar rash with a good looking new paint job while preserving Mike Garmon’s original color scheme. On the wing there is a message that says, Built by and flown in memory of Mike Garmon, 1947-2001. And that, I promise I will do. And when the time comes, I will make sure it’s passed along to the next deserving and upcoming modeler along with all of the history I can document which I will make sure stays with it.
Before being committed to maintenance, I figured I should take the old girl out for a few flights. So I taped up the bare spots as best as I could, grabbed my camera and my flying buddy and headed out to the field. Before my first flight of the Magnum, I’d never flown a plane with flaps, except for a few trim flights on my little and new Yak-9. Nor had I flown anything larger than a Skyray 35, my current stunter. But I ain’t afraid. Wayne and I get it cranked and I wave it off to try a few low wingovers, make sure the engine hangs in there and see if the wings are level. It pulls harder than I ever imagined. Once I knew it would hang in there, I only did a couple of wingovers and loops, but it was pulling my 125 pound frame off of my center spot on the downwind side of every lap. I’m thinking, Oh hell what have I gotten into now, but I hung in there until it ran out of fuel and I iced it in for a nice landing. We put it up for one more to get it on camera and I managed a passable beginner pattern, still learning how she turns and reacts to my inputs and managed to grease another nice landing, something I’ve always struggled with before. But this one slides in like a figure skater on fresh ice.
Over lunch, we were talking props and trim and realized the prop I brought it home with is
not the one Wayne and Will had been testing with. Somehow it had gotten a 12x6 on it and I had been flying in the mid 4s. So I put a 12x4 Zinger on and we put up another flight. A completely different animal now, low 5s and no more pulling me around, even in the higher wind of the early afternoon, and now
I was the boss! Wow, I can fly this thing. I put it through the paces as slick as I’ve ever done. This time when I greased yet another landing, I was grinning like I’m supposed to be after a flight. So now I can fix it up knowing I have a superior stunter and that it’s a really good fit for me. I had been a bit worried about that after the first two flights, but now I’m ecstatic. Very comfortable for me to fly. Thank goodness I tried that other prop, it was the magic. So every time I fly it, I’ll try to mention Mike Garmon’s name quietly to myself as I move up through the classes of Control line precision aerobatics. As of this last contest, I’ve been ceremoniously kicked out of beginner, and next time you all see me, I’ll be flying on a different circle at Huntersville. I’m not ready to fly the Magnum in contests yet, more likely still a Skyray or maybe my new Oriental. But if I ever know some Norfolk guys are going to be in H’ville whenever I’m there for a fun fly day, I will certainly bring the old girl and we’ll put one up for Mike.
Of course the camera died… I swear…
just in time for my crown jewel of the day, but at least I got my first full flight on record. The video and some pictures are posted below. I recommend watching directly on Youtube, and if it’s jerky, click the “Gear” icon in the viewer and choose a lower resolution like 480p.
Thanks John Tate, Howard Shenton and all of the Norfolk Aeromodelers.
Rusty Knowlton
Topic: Words of appreciation to the Norfolk Aeromodelers (Read 2201 times)
