Alden Shipp Gone West

[Bruce Shipp]

  

My dad, Alden Shipp, went West about 1310 Tuesday afternoon.  He taught me how to build and fly control line models as a young boy, and soloed me in a J-3 on my 16th birthday. I had the privilege to be with him when he took his last breath.  All that afternoon and evening I was filled with an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude.  The gift of his passion for flight has defined my life.  I will always be in his debt.

Several of you knew dad from various modeling disciplines.  He flew control line in the 50s in Eastern Kansas and dabbled in RC in the late 50s/early 60s in Columbia MO. We flew sport control line for years but he never competed.  Beginning in the late 70s he began a 50+ year adventure in RC soaring.  He was the soaring Event Director at the Nats for several years in the 90s and ran the Midwest Slope Challenge at Wilson Lake, KS for many years after that.

Like so many of us, my father gave me the gift of this wonderful hobby and for me a career.  Thanks Dad.

[Paul Wescott]

My condolences on your loss Bruce.  It sounds like it was great while it lasted.

[Paul Taylor]

Our condolences to you and your family. 🙏🏼

[Dave Hull]

Wonderful to have a Dad like that. You were blessed...and the good memories remain.

Dave Hull

[Bruce Shipp]

Thanks, guys. 

Back in the 80’s Bob Rodgers ran a contest in Quincy IL.  The flying sight was the airport ramp in front of my Dad’s corporate hangar. His company always flew Beechcraft products, King Air 200s. One year Beech was selling them pretty aggressively to buy a Beech Starship. Dad and the salesmen brought a Starship back to give a demonstration and sales pitch to the company execs.  They arrived at the hangar Sunday during the contest.  I don’t think anyone objected. 

[Dan McEntee]

   
      This has been hard news to hear. I knew Alden through R/C Soaring competitions long before I knew Bruce. I flew in many contests he ran in Quincy, and with him at other contests around the midwest, and the Great Race. I never did get to the slope soaring events in Kansas and I wish I had but something got in the way I guess. Then when I moved into C/L stunt, the stunt contest in Quincy was held on the ramp and lot next to the company hangar that Alden was a corporate pilot for. The CD for that contest was Bob Rogers, and he always has some kind of special surprise or event along with the usual stunt contest. One year, he announced that the surprise for that year would be arriving about noonish, and we would have to take a break at that time. When the clock struck noon, we heard an unusual engine sound over head and it was a Beech Starship. Bob Rogers finally told us that the company was looking to upgrade it's corporate aircraft from a King-Aire and had arranged a demo flight for Alden from Kansas City, MO to Quincy, IL. This was the first one I had ever seen in person. It entered the landing pattern, touched down and began to taxi back to the ramp where we were flying. It's got quite a wingspan so it was a tight squeeze! It swung around, engines shut down, and in a few minutes the door/stairs dropped open and Alden came down the stairs, got on his knees and kissed the ground! I walked up and asked him if he thought he was the Pope or something, and he said he was just glad to be back on the ground. he had never flown anything that was so heavy on the controls that it about wore him out!! Alden was a great guy and those years flying with him and some of the other Quincy group will be long remembered. I think you were still in college then, maybe, and it would be a while before our paths crossed, but I was very glad to see you both at the SIG contest that one year. My sincerest condolences to you, your family, and please pass on my deepest sympathies to your Mom.
  Best Regards,
  Dan McEntee and Family

[Jim Hoffman]

Sorry for your loss Bruce.  He sounds like quite a fine man and certainly had a large and positive impact on you. I recall you speaking highly of your father.

[Ty Marcucci]

I am sorry for you., Your Dad sounds a lot like mine.. To this day I do things his way and I miss my Dad every day.

[Bruce Shipp]

Thanks Jim, Dan and Ty.  Yes, he was a good man and will be missed.

Dan, Mark Nankivil provided some wonderful pictures from the Earth City days.  I made a few of those contest during college but headed off to married/Air Force life soon after. Those were fun days.  Great pictures of dad and Kent Pyle and you were included in the group shot from the  Carl Goldberg Memorial Gentle Lady contest.

One of the best modeling gifts he left to me is a big RC sailplane sized kit box of very light balsa.  Enough for several planes. I look forward to using that wood soon.

[Bruce Shipp]

Thank you, Bob.

[Will Hinton]

Aww Bruce, I am so sorry for your loss, but rejoicing for Alden as he has now received his great reward!  My screen is a bit foggy right now as I type this, because he played a huge part in the establishment of FCM in its early days and I grew very fond of him.
I had so many meaningful and joyful conversations with him at one of the nats, I forget which one but it had to be around the mid '90's.
A good and Godly man is the best label to put with Alden Shipp's name, he will be missed down here, but is singing up there!

I would love to see you again, Bruce, maybe we'll bump into one another one of these days, I hope so.
You take care of you and the family, know you are loved,
Will

[Bruce Shipp]

Thank you, Will.  I’m glad you found this thread

[Chris McMillin]

Dear Bruce,
So sorry to hear about your dad. He seemed like a real nice guy when I met him at Quincy. Great picture of you and your dad in the Cub. I know the feeling of that big part of your life changing and you realize that the old guard is now you.
Funny it’s been so long we’ve known each other on the internet, we need to get together. I plan Blakesburg, Brodhead again next year…
Chris…
P.S. send my your contact info.

[Bruce Shipp]

Thank you, Chris. 

I keep looking for a TUS overnight but they are few.  We are at Poplar Grove, C77.  Only 29 NM southeast of Broadhead.  We will for sure get together next year👍

I had a trip this year and didn’t make it.

[Chris McMillin]

I was staying at DeKalb in Eric’s motor home, Lon Deinst gave me the tour of Poplar Grove the week before Brodhead!
Chris…

[Bruce Shipp]

We were so close. I looking out my den window at Lon’s hangar as I type. Next time👍