While on the subject of GEORGE LIEB...one day Bruce, Mikey and I were out testing our brand new "combat airplanes" ( Hey Bruce..Check the attached photo) isn't that George's Red stunt-combat model with that little dieslleee' engine that he often would do the stunt pattern in about 50'seconds or so after he would CUT THE CRAP OUT OF BOTH THE STREAMER AND THE ATTACHED STRING?

That is my old #16 BIG IRON...with that Fox 36X up front on a baby Passifier that George showed us how to work with
(Gads I waisted more fuel and shot myself & all bye standers  in the eyeballs...so much it is a wonder none of us can still see.)

U Guys remember this morning when this photo was taken?
At the same time George was conducting our combat class flight demo ....

In the far distance we saw this Ghost like figure of a man that  slowly appeared out of the far side of the flying field that was SHROUDED IN FOG!
As that Ghostly figure...turned from that spooky-ghost and into a young man...who smiled as he approached us and   with a deep texas draaaaawwwlllll, he uttered this question?

"YAAAA'LLLLLL FLAAAAAAA COMBAT UP HERE IN THESE NECK OF THE WOOOOODS!  He stuck out to shake our hands and with that "BIG IRON  MAAA' NAMES...RILEY WOOOOOTEN'S THAAA NAME AND AHHH'S PLEEEEEEESED TO MEET YA-ALLL' 

At least for me.....I WAS TOTALLY STUNNED!

He looked over and saw a line up of some pretty prop rashed lookin' combat models...but then took notice of my newly finished BIG IRON. Then came the million-dollar question by asking me how it flies? I answered...

Uhhh? Purty-good and that man out there flyin' named "George Lieb" and he's out here today in this fog, teachin us bunch, how to "FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAACOMBAT!!!

Riley gave that big smile and said somethin like:

I've heard from a bunch of you NW fellers' that yaaaa'lll' fly kinda safe up here....CUZZZZZZ Down there in Texas.....
we only use one side of the circle cuzzz' the combat is sooo fast n fruuuuuuueeeeeuuuuus' n' the wind is so strong we just stay on downwind side...and just plain go at it...until the match is either wuuuuuun' or both planes look like an aftaaaa math of a piller' fight!

Shucks...Often we don't even tie a streamer....we just go for that tail or staaaaabaaaalator tail thang'?
After George landed his beautiful pristene combat model..and after a bunch of gettin'taaa know ya talk.
Was it you Bruce...that asked he would care to show us how the boys from The Big Star of Texas fly combat? THANKS A WHOOOOOOOOOOOLE LOT FOR OFFERING MY NEW MODEL for Riley to use in the demo.
 Just razzzin because I was more than pumped to offer my brand new Big Iron to Riley.

Also it took of "gamesmanship" from us to get things started but at last.

(GEORGE AND RILEY, took to the Fog shrouded sky and GAVE ONE  HECKITY-DIDDITY DARN GOOD DEMO OF A  COMBAT MATCH for us.
 Just like Riley had promised us...after the hand launch...he flew to the downwind side of the circle and began his wild crazy 8 and ziggity zaggg downwind wild stuff, waiting for George to get started.

 Riley even cut part of his own streamer that I had tied onto the B-IRON waiting for George to launch.
Finally, GEORGE FIRED THAT DEEEESIELLL' POWERED COMBAT PLANE and took to the sky.

FOR A FACT! BOTH GEORGE AND RILEY after all was said and done...both had used only half of that circle for virtually the entire flight. Neither George or Riley landed with either the streamers or string attached? WOOOOOW!
WHAT A DEMO "TEACHER GEORGE LIEB AND COMBATMASTA RILEY WOOOOOTEN put on for us that morning.
(I can't believe that both combat models survived that morning.) After that combat demo was over...
Riley mentioned that he was just visiting folk here in Lakewood...and when he went outside the fog was sooooooo dense he couldn't see the airplanes...but like the Pied'Piper of combat, Riley just followed the sound of screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeamin combat engines....and the rest is history!!!

Bruce, Mike....JUST LIKE A GRADE B GUNSLINGIN' MOVIE...

RILEY SAID "BYE YAAAALLL!" If you evern' down Texas way...Fire up n' engin and I'll be seein' ya! He gave that big grin ...and slowly disappeared again...back into that foggy morning. Like the hero in the movie.
Last scene:
Just the final song (of screaming Fox 36XBB's) the movie credits began to visualize in my head for EVER MORE!!!

The time I remember, George was running a 36x on Fox Blast with an *x* prop. He didn't have the prop nut quite tight enough and about half way through the flight that old fax started screaming faster and faster. When he landed, the drive washer had eaten 1/2 way through the prop hub. I think it was the Voodoo in the picture.

Bruce

Uhhhh? That was my combat plane...I did have two for a while....A VOODO DA DAY...AND A BIG IRON! Bruce...see what happens, when the memory starts to fade? 

THANKS JOHN...GIVE HIM OUR BEST...FROM THE GREAT NW! IN THOSE DAYS..HE WAS QUITE AN ICON FOR ALL OF US COMBAT GEEKS!  (from the days of BIG IRONS AND VOOODOO DANDY'S 

I related the story to Riley today.  Is there another George Lieb?  Riley does not remember the incident and he seldom gets on the internet sites, but, maybe he will for this one.  DOC Holliday

Hey...that was a very long time ago...I think the slide frame was marked 1963. He was visiting friends or relatives in Lakewood. He heard the sound of combat engines...and stayed with us for a short time...talked with us a while...and then the  the invitation to fly...with George Lieb.

We were really impressed at how he could handle those high speed turns with such precision. His reflexes were waaaaaaaaaaay above and beyond our expertise.
 I do know that our friend and mentor, George Lieb and the rest of us were really impressed with Riley and his flying skills and talked about that meeting for years afterwards.

Gads...we loved to fly those BIG IRONS AND VOODO'S. I built one Voodoo and two Big Irons but in those days....I flew slow combat..but never had reflexes good enough to compete with the main stream combat kings here in the NW.