At the 1993 Nats Jack helped Grant and myself with some tips about scale and flying at the Nats. He was kind soul and he will be missed
Fred
Fred,
Thanks so much for posting the pics of Jack. The first of which somehow made him look curmudgeonly...which he "never" was!
The second is the proof of the last four words in my last sentence; the twinkle in his eyes peeking over the rims of his glasses is the way each and everyone who ever met Jack will remember him...and miss him.
My Jack story I've told before but it is perfect for a thread dedicated to the remembrance of this fine man and modeler, thus I'll share it again.
My first memory of face to face time with Jack was at the 1974 Lake Charles Nats where I was, deservedly, an unknown relative new-comer flying a modified jet styled Nobler kit bash irreverently known as the Moby Dick for very valid reasons...it was white and fat! Jack was, as always, helping out by judging that year.
Somehow, despite it's grossness, the Moby Dick managed to qualify for the finals (pre modern Walker fly-off the finals were a separate contest of the top 20 [IIRC] open qualifiers; two rounds, single best flight counts). Jack was one of the finals' judges.
In my first flight I somehow managed to forget to "perform" the triangles and, thus, any chance for fame and fortune rested on the outcome of the second round flight.
Alas, in the mid-afternoon Louisiana heat and humidity my attempt to perform flawless sharp cornered triangles for Jack and the others' benefit resulted in four kinda soft first two corners and two, count 'em, near crash and burn stalls in each bottom right corner. Utter humiliation and a score to match ensued.
I nonetheless hung around to the finish and after all the flying was done I was walking across the circle toward the parking lot with the Moby Dick in one hand and the slightly lighter tool box in the other when Jack came hustling up behind me and put his arm around me as we continued to walk (I had never met Jack although, of course, knew exactly who he was).
In a somber tone Jack commented that the judges were all sad that I had left the Triangles out of the first flight 'cause it hadn't been all bad otherwise which kind of brightened my day a bit.
Jack then went on to say...and this is almost verbatim as I've never forgotten it... "...and then we saw you fly your triangles in the second flight and thought you had left them out of the first flight
on purpose!".
He then squeezed my shoulders, gave me a great big smile and said something like "...better luck next year, you need to come back."
And, by George, I did. Or, maybe, it was "by Jack"!
Shareen and I will miss him.
Ted Fancher