Hi all:
This one is near and dear to my heart. I spent over an hour and a half yesterday writing a response to this thread only to have it disappear into cyberspace as I tried to post it. I will from now on write all of my responses to all forums in Word and then copy and paste onto the forum. Probably a good idea for all to follow…
Where to start? I could go on and on and on and on… and on about Bill Simons and the times and experiences we shared together. Bill is not just a friend, he’s a combination of friend, brother, father and all-around good council to and for me. Aside from my father, Bill is the one above all others who is responsible for any and all successes and accomplishments I have achieved in stunt in particular, but also in modeling and life in general. Simply put, I owe him my life, and that is not an overstatement. There are many things that Bill did for me that literally saved my life, and many of those will remain in confidence between us…
There is no way I can pay proper tribute to Bill in this short post. I have begun writing a book about my life in modeling. It is a sort of autobiography, but the real focus is on the people who most influenced my path and, next to the chapter on my father, Bill Simons will get the most “ink.”
Bill introduced me to competition Stunt flying. Bill taught me how to build accurately and cleanly. Bill honed my skills constantly as a coach for many years. Bill gently pointed out my many character flaws and then helped me to not be such a jerk! (Yes, that is still a work in progress…) And through it all he nurtured and protected me in ways that I simply cannot put into words. If it were to come out in the future that Bill was indeed my guardian angel I would not be a bit surprised!
The following is an excerpt from my Caprice book (Which is nearing completion). It deals with the day Bill and I were cosmically brought together as Stunt Buddies:
>I actually had been focusing on trying to learn to fly Stunt for a couple of years at that time. I built a Veco Mustang and a Veco Chief in an effort to better learn the pattern maneuvers. The Mustang was the first of two that I would build, and it was a pretty good round maneuver machine, but it just wasn’t capable of a competition type corner. I learned a lot about wing loading with that ship! It had a smallish wing (405 square inches as I remember), and weighed in the 38-ounce range. It would stall if I tried to turn it abruptly.
The Chief, on the other hand, had a huge wing, and it also weighed around 38 ounces. It could really turn! Unfortunately, It was not the most accurate model that I ever built, and I had to use a trim tab to get the wing level. I had messed up in building the wing in several ways on that particular model, and it came out finished with pronounced anhedral. I think it actually looked cool in a way!
I had added large built-up, round wing tips that were made up of about a million small parts each, and also installed wing type landing gear in place of the normal fuselage mounted gear supplied in the Chief kit. A new fin and rudder with a rounder shape was installed. I had intended to add a canopy on the top block, but never got around to that. I finished the model in all Aero Gloss Stearman Red with a bit of black trim. In thinking back now, that was an awful looking model, but I was very proud of it. And, most importantly, it didn’t fly too badly!
I began practicing with the Chief, trying as best I could to emulate the patterns that I’d seen flown at the contests. Naturally, I tried to “hammer” the corners, just like Gene!
In the late summer of 1965 I remember practice flying at my club’s field in Dumont, New Jersey. It was actually a baseball field that we had gained permission to use. There were no competition fliers in that club, and I was the only member who could actually fly the entire pattern. We had a lot of fun, however, and I looked forward to our weekend flying sessions.
I had just finished a flight and had landed. One of my fellow club members retrieved the model and we walked back to our roped-off pit area. I was busy wiping the fuel residue off of the model when I heard a voice say, “Looks like there’s someone here who wants to fly Stunt.” I turned to see who had made the comment, and nearly dropped the model and my jaw when I saw that it was Bill Simons.
Bill was the top northern New Jersey Stunt pilot, and was also among the top fliers in the entire eastern area. I had watched him fly locally many times, but didn’t dare bother him while he was “working.” He did once let me launch his model at a field where he was putting on a demonstration. I think everyone else was afraid to even touch his model, so I actually volunteered on that occasion. Bill’s models were absolutely stunning. He was generally acknowledged as one of the very best builders and finishers in the East, and just the thought of putting a ding or dent in one of his models was enough to keep most far from the risk of launching them!
Apparently Bill had been out practicing at one of his “secret” practice fields and stopped by just to see what was going on at our club. He had watched my entire flight, and came over to make a few encouraging comments and offer any help that he could.
I was at once both stunned and elated. I actually flew a pattern that was recognizable enough for Bill to watch and then make a favorable comment about. I gathered up all my intestinal fortitude, thanked him, and then took a chance and asked him if I could take a few minutes of his time and ask a few technical questions. He said to fire away, and I guess I must have overwhelmed him with a barrage of stuff. In retrospect, that outpouring of questions from me must have convinced him that I was more than just a bit serious about giving this Stunt thing a try.
Bill wrote down his phone number on a matchbook cover and gave it to me. He said that if I had any additional questions I should give him a call sometime. I kept that matchbook cover for several years, even long after I had committed his number to memory. I even wrote his number in several other places at my home, just in case!
I waited all of about 16 hours to call Bill (Didn’t want him to think I was too anxious!) and begin asking more questions. We lived about 10 miles apart at that time, and he suggested that I come to his house for a visit one evening that week. I remember not getting much sleep the night before that visit!
When I got to his house, Bill took me to his upstairs shop (a converted bedroom). What happened next is probably as much to blame as anything else for my lifelong love affair with the Stunt event and Stunt models.
Sitting on one table in the shop were the pieces for Bill’s next new Stunt model. The wing, fuselage crutch, rudder, fin and stabilizer and elevator assemblies were sitting there squarely arranged in absolute pristine beauty. I mean, man, those components looked perfect! No gouges, no glue stains, no smudges, just pure clean balsa parts that were perfectly sanded and shaped. Artwork!
I guess I went into a state of shock when I saw those pieces. I suddenly felt that I’d been thrown in the deep end of the Stunt craftsmanship pool, and I was about to drown. I had no idea that building could be done at this level. I think my reaction pleased Bill.
I wanted to build like this immediately. But the thought of how much valley was between the peak I was at in my building and flying, and the peak where Bill was, seemed daunting. Bill sensed all of this I think, and offered to mentor me as I built a new model. He suggested that I build a “Simonized” Nobler, and gave me all the secrets of what to use from the kit and what to change and make anew. I left his house that day with renewed focus and a sense of purpose. I was beginning my journeyman period, and Bill Simons was going to be my teacher! How great was that!
Bill and I went on to become extremely close friends – brothers really. He was even the Best Man at my wedding. I can never repay Bill for the things that I learned from him, and there are a lot of stories that I would like to relate. I’ll save them for the book that I’m currently writing about my life in modeling and all of the wonderful people that I’ve met through modeling.>
As I said at the beginning I could go on and on… But the message is clear about Bill Simons: He is a giving, gentle man whose gifts of the spirit are far more valuable and impressive than any mere talents for building and flying stunt models that he possesses - and those are/were impressive in their own right!
When the final chapter of my life is written, one of the most obvious things will be the overwhelmingly positive influence of Bill Simons. He was and is for me a Godsend.
Billy is now living in an assisted living facility in Goshen, New York. He had been living in Palm Bay, Florida for the past 10 years or so, but health issues for both him and his wife, Tootie made the move back north essential so his daughter, Debbie, and her husband, Russell could watch over them. And I’d like to say how impressed I am with the job they are doing.
I’m happy to report that Bill and Tootie are doing much better. I went to visit them recently and their spirits are good. I’m going to get Bill out to some local meets this year, as he still has great interest in Stunt even though he cannot actually fly anymore. He would be a great judge and/or coach, and I think that he might enjoy being involved in these capacities.
Bob Hunt
Topic: WILLIAM A. SIMONS Stunt Grunt Master of the Day! (Read 2512 times)