stunthanger.com
General control line discussion => AS TIME GOES BYE => Topic started by: Bill Little on December 27, 2007, 07:30:08 AM
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Hi fellas,
I don't know if we have honored Mike before. But at this time of the year, I often become a *little* too nostalgic for my own good and lose myself sometimes in thoughts of friends who left us too soon (at least in my own selfish opinion).
Mike was an old Navy Chief. Better than the salt of the Earth! A helping hand (sometimes to a fault, almost) to any and all. I never knew quite as well as many since I met him rather late in his life. I had the great pleasure of spending much time with him at the "Stunt Hotel" (William Davis' home!) during the Huntersville meets often 'til 3-4am on days where we had to fly at 9:00am! LL~
Mike was a multifaceted gentleman who had a true love for model airplanes. He was responsible for several of the original Brodak offerings including the very successful original Warbirds. Some of his published designs were the All American PHD, Fancy Pants 40, and the profile Wendell Williams racer stunt plane for the ST G51. There were 3 or 4 Profile Golden Age racers, and I know he had more............. He could make engines, that few even considered, like a Blue Bird 28, and a K&B Sportster 45, run perfect. Always trying, and making work, a new idea, engine, or model.
Mike was a friend who flew pretty darn good, designed with simplicity in mind, and always had a huge grin on his face. A Southern Gentleman the likes of which are disappearing. Mike lost his beautiful wife and things were never quite the same.
I raise a toast to Mike Garmon, the World should have more men like him. I know the winds are always perfect, and his bottoms are, too, in the great C/L circle beyond. A toast to the great memories of Mike Garmon!
God, I miss him.
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Hi fellas,
I don't know if we have honored Mike before. But at this time of the year, I often become a *little* too nostalgic for my own good and lose myself sometimes in thoughts of friends who left us too soon (at least in my own selfish opinion).
Mike was an old Navy Chief. Better than the salt of the Earth! A helping hand (sometimes to a fault, almost) to any and all. I never knew quite as well as many since I met him rather late in his life. I had the great pleasure of spending much time with him at the "Stunt Hotel" (William Davis' home!) during the Huntersville meets often 'til 3-4am on days where we had to fly at 9:00am! LL~
Mike was a multifaceted gentleman who had a true love for model airplanes. He was responsible for several of the original Brodak offerings including the very successful original Warbirds. Some of his published designs were the All American PHD, Fancy Pants 40, and the profile Wendell Williams racer stunt plane for the ST G51. There were 3 or 4 Profile Golden Age racers, and I know he had more............. He could make engines, that few even considered, like a Blue Bird 28, and a K&B Sportster 45, run perfect. Always trying, and making work, a new idea, engine, or model.
Mike was a friend who flew pretty darn good, designed with simplicity in mind, and always had a huge grin on his face. A Southern Gentleman the likes of which are disappearing. Mike lost his beautiful wife and things were never quite the same.
I raise a toast to Mike Garmon, the World should have more men like him. I know the winds are always perfect, and his bottoms are, too, in the great C/L circle beyond. A toast to the great memories of Mike Garmon!
God, I miss him.
I never knew Mike personnaly but had to talk to him abouy his use of K&B 60 engines. He was a real gentalmen and I also built his All American PHD. This plane was a great flyer. I first saw it when Roy Decamera showed up at the field with one. It was a Great design. Most strait square winged planes would buffet in the cross wind but this plane did not. His stint with the Power Train in stunt news was always interesting. I was saddened by his early death and I new we lost another dedicated modeler that liked to keep things simple and enjoyable. I am sure we all miss him and I too often think of his accomplishments.
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I found some info..by typing "Mike Garmon, control line model airplanes"
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Hi Guys
I never knew Mike Garmon, but I would gladly second a toast to him. I have the privledge of owning one of
his planes, the Simpler .61, along with his original K&B .61. I absolutely love to fly this plane and have never
owned an engine that preforms like his old K&B. He was definately a talented designer and I have learned from
other C/L people who knew him that he was a great personality.
Dalton H.
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Hi Bill
I’m setting here with tears in my eyes thinking of my old friend Mike. I’ll make that toast with you.
Willis
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Mike Garmon loved model airplanes. He was one of the best when it came to Monokote.
He was one of those guys that wanted to know what made things tick and also liked to try new things. One day Mike asked me what he needed to start drafting. He wanted to start drawing model airplanes. I tried to talk him out of it. The next thing I knew Mike had a drafting table and had started to work. After a short learning curve Mike got pretty good at it. Then Mike wanted to modify engines so they would run better for stunt. Before you knew it Mike had some great running stunt engines. Mike donated a new Tower 40 to be used as the prototype Brodak 40. Mike would go to a contest and come back to our club meetings and could tell us who was there and their scores. Mike never met a stranger. Mike also would wear us out at our flying field working on trimming out airplanes and setting up engines. By the end of the day we would have some great flying airplanes. Mike was the Vice President of the Norfolk Aeromodelers when he passed away. We miss Mike everyday.
John Tate
Norfolk Aeromodelers
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Dalton, Willis, John...
Hey you guys, Thanks for responding and honoring the memory of Mike...but I keep hopin' some one must have a photo that they can scan and post a picture of Mike his planes etc?
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Here is a couple of old pictures I have handy the first one is of me and Mike. Mike is on the left .
Willis
PS
Mike was Master Chief of the year while He was in the Navy. I always thought that was a big deal. He never bragged or even talk about it . I happen to see a picture of him being handed an award from an Admiral and asked him what the award was. That is the way I found out.
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I new Mike for a long time and always enjoyed his company when he came to contests in Florida.
Ed Ruane
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Hi Willis,
Hearing that Mike was Navy Chief Petty Officer of the Year doesn't surprise me at all. And the fact that he told no one is also a fact that does not surprise me. He was very unassuming, but very intelligent! Mike has never really gotten the respect and honor that he deserved. A friend I had for all too short a time.
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Mike Garmon epitomized what is the very best of the people in our sport. Mike and Willis came up to Brodak on an October day in 1997 and much to my surprise Willis called me up to see if I might come down to visit and catch up on old times. I went and wrote an article for Stunt News about that wonderful afternoon. The piece was published in the January- February Issue of 1998.
In April of 1997 Gil Reedy and I went to Fentress, Va to fly in the annual "Rain Maker" Contest Sponsored by Mike's Club. We had a ball but the high point of the trip was when Bill Little took me along over to Mike's house where I met Him and his lovely wife. Mike showed his planes many of which were his own designs. He gave me a copy of his Sea Hurricane, now manufactured by John Brodak.
What impressed me most about Mike was his absolutely unselfish manner and willingness to help and to explain anything needed to an almost perfect stranger! Later Willis and I sponsored Mike as a viable candidate for the PAMPA Hall of Fame. We were denied that mission for Mike and that has never been something which I have been able to accept from that group. As I recall the basis for denial was the Mike had not been a successful competitor on the National scene, nor had he been a candidate for the US World Teams over the years! Well La te da! Apparently the good men do just plain doesn't count or at least not to join the list of that group's elite. Perhaps Mike will make the Brodak Hall of Fame when as and if one is established! Phil
Spillman
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That is one if the ironic things about our modeling fraternity(AMA). If you are not a NATS or World Champian or designer of such who cares. I have heard of and known of individuals that stayed close to home and helped so many people improve their skills. Has anyone put him in for the Brodak Hall of Fame or is there one yet? Later, DOC Holliday
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Mike Garmon epitomized what is the very best of the people in our sport. Mike and Willis came up to Brodak on an October day in 1997 and much to my surprise Willis called me up to see if I might come down to visit and catch up on old times. I went and wrote an article for Stunt News about that wonderful afternoon. The piece was published in the January- February Issue of 1998.
In April of 1997 Gil Reedy and I went to Fentress, Va to fly in the annual "Rain Maker" Contest Sponsored by Mike's Club. We had a ball but the high point of the trip was when Bill Little took me along over to Mike's house where I met Him and his lovely wife. Mike showed his planes many of which were his own designs. He gave me a copy of his Sea Hurricane, now manufactured by John Brodak.
What impressed me most about Mike was his absolutely unselfish manner and willingness to help and to explain anything needed to an almost perfect stranger! Later Willis and I sponsored Mike as a viable candidate for the PAMPA Hall of Fame. We were denied that mission for Mike and that has never been something which I have been able to accept from that group. As I recall the basis for denial was the Mike had not been a successful competitor on the National scene, nor had he been a candidate for the US World Teams over the years! Well La te da! Apparently the good men do just plain doesn't count or at least not to join the list of that group's elite. Perhaps Mike will make the Brodak Hall of Fame when as and if one is established! Phil
Spillman
That is one amazingly beautiful model....what a beautiful color and paint scheme.
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Mike was a prolific talker as well as a great modeler. I remember sitting in a van with him and Willis Swindell waiting out the rain at Huntersville. Believe me, there was never a moment of silence or an uninteresting moment.
On another occasion we were reembering our our experiences on the F-4 Phantom. I was a flight line maintenance officer in the Air Force and he had been what I believe was the equivilent of a "line chief" in the Navy. I recalled having to call the engine field shop guys to change an engine. He let me know in no uncertain terms what he thought of that. In the navy, he and his crew changed the engines themselves. Maybe that is where he got his total hands on approach.
I think of Mike often. He is always missed at the Huntersville contests.
Bill Francis
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I have never attended a Major contest in the Southeast , when sometime during the weekend that Mike Garmon's name or one of his adventures is not mentioned.
I think that tell's how much his friends miss him , I do.
Will Davis
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Hi fellas,
I don't know if we have honored Mike before. But at this time of the year, I often become a *little* too nostalgic for my own good and lose myself sometimes in thoughts of friends who left us too soon (at least in my own selfish opinion).
Mike was an old Navy Chief. Better than the salt of the Earth! A helping hand (sometimes to a fault, almost) to any and all. I never knew quite as well as many since I met him rather late in his life. I had the great pleasure of spending much time with him at the "Stunt Hotel" (William Davis' home!) during the Huntersville meets often 'til 3-4am on days where we had to fly at 9:00am! LL~
Mike was a multifaceted gentleman who had a true love for model airplanes. He was responsible for several of the original Brodak offerings including the very successful original Warbirds. Some of his published designs were the All American PHD, Fancy Pants 40, and the profile Wendell Williams racer stunt plane for the ST G51. There were 3 or 4 Profile Golden Age racers, and I know he had more............. He could make engines, that few even considered, like a Blue Bird 28, and a K&B Sportster 45, run perfect. Always trying, and making work, a new idea, engine, or model.
Mike was a friend who flew pretty darn good, designed with simplicity in mind, and always had a huge grin on his face. A Southern Gentleman the likes of which are disappearing. Mike lost his beautiful wife and things were never quite the same.
I raise a toast to Mike Garmon, the World should have more men like him. I know the winds are always perfect, and his bottoms are, too, in the great C/L circle beyond. A toast to the great memories of Mike Garmon!
God, I miss him.
Roy DeCamera was at our field last week withe one of Marks designs. the All American PHD. I think it was one of his best designs and if I recall it was published in Flying Models. Roy's is powered by a LA46 turning a 11/4 Zinger pro prop. it's a winner!
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LEO....LEO~~~ LOOKIE! He too flys bass-akkkward too? Mike-n-Mehl!!! "Birds of a feather!"
Nice stories about Mike Garmon and thanks for posting these...
Really enjoyable stuff.
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LEO....LEO~~~ LOOKIE! He too flys bass-akkkward too? Mike-n-Mehl!!! "Birds of a feather!"
Nice stories about Mike Garmon and thanks for posting these...
Really enjoyable stuff.
This is Roy DeCameras PHD. Mike flew counterclockwise. HB~> HB~> HB~> HB~>. Is it just starting or did they mix up the transplants. LL~ LL~ LL~