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Author Topic: MEL WINTERS REMEMBERED! Delta Day memories  (Read 900 times)

Offline Shultzie

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MEL WINTERS REMEMBERED! Delta Day memories
« on: February 20, 2007, 12:26:55 PM »
MEL WINTERS...
I am safte to say...when Leo Mehl and I remember our beloved brotha' in balsa, the late Mel Winters, we can't help but think of the great stunt flying sessions that took place.
Check out these photos of Mel and our toys. Although in those days...if my pee-brain remembers...Mel was the "new older kid at Delta Park. He was taken away with the sport of stunt flying and with unbelievable passion and thirst for building and flying stunt, he was flying and building with the best in the NW.

In those days...My ICON stunt grunt was Bob Gialdini and his beautiful twin tailed Olympic series models. Mel and I took our Noblers and chopped the tail feathers off and installed twin rudders on our Gobblers.
Although Mel's plane flew much better than my twin Nobler...I still was amazed at just how steady both these models flew  and stayed out on the lines with twin rudders. As you can see, Mel loved Tim Dunlops beautiful modified Thunderbird airplanes and it wasn't long before Mel had a beautiful T-Bird of his own..(showed here in red)

Although both Delta's beautiful circle and our dear friend Mel Winters has passed. Leo Mehl and I surley think of Mel and his rabid-passion and love for modeling. He was such a tribute to what stunt flying and the sport is all about.
He will be sorely missed until we meet again...as promised.

Leo....Thanks for posting that beautiful photos of both Delta and the good friends and memories that linger there and how bout' sharing some of your memories of MEL WINTERS..GRUNT OF THE DAY!
Don Shultz

Offline Leo Mehl

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Re: MEL WINTERS REMEMBERED! Delta Day memories
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2007, 01:20:50 PM »
Mel Winters was one of those guys that was always neet to be around. He  was always smiling and had a story to tell. When I first met him he was flying a profile of somekind but his engine run was perfect and nothing turns me on more than a very good engine run. So I went over and introduced myself and of course asked him what engine he had in his plane. It was a McCoy 40 that was all crusty and had had a lot of running time on it. So I told him that if he ever decided to get rid of that old McCoy that I would buy it from him. I liked the power and I had an airplane design in mind for that size engine. He finnaly sold it to me and I built my second Rebel around this engine.
  Mel drove logging truck and he was always at the flying field when fire danger was up. One day Gene Matheney told me Mel had died of colen cancer and his wife wanted us to come to his home in Ridgefield Wash. to see if there was anything there that we could sell that Mel had. It was a sad day for me for he was a good friend to all of us and also one of those guys who helped me to know what an engine would do. He was also very good at making his own tanks and letting me know that is the most important part of a good engine run. I still think of this friend of mine that was called home before we wanted him to go. I will always remember his smile

Offline Leo Mehl

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Re: MEL WINTERS REMEMBERED! Delta Day memories
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2007, 12:57:08 PM »
Don, do you remember a flyer at Delta field that had a real Boston accent. I do not remember his name. And most of the guys who might are gone now. I have some supper good buddies that I fly with now but there are times I think about the old days and they are filled with nothing but good memories.


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