Upstate New York Nostalgia

[Robert Zambelli]

After reading Eddy R's great thread, it got me thinking as to the start of my model aviation interest.
In 1956, we moved to Tonawanda, NY, a suburb of Buffalo.
I had made a few successful flights but nothing of note.

Buffalo was truly a hub of model aviation. Since most stores were closed on Sunday, just about every large parking lot was occupied by CL modelers.

As I recall, there were around ten hobby shops in the area.

That Christmas, my Dad bought me a DeBolt Continental. For some reason, it didn't appeal to me so we went to a hobby shop to pick something else.

The place was Burd's Hobby shop, on Delaware  Avenue, owned by Ben Chidester. He traded us even, the Continental for a VECO Chief (polliwog version).

Dad also bought me a Fox Combat Special. When detuned with the venturi insert, it was perfect for the Chief. After flying the Chief, I was hooked for life!!!

Enough about me - more to come later.

Since I had nobody to fly with, Ben suggested I join a club. Right in my neighborhood was the Tonawanda Hornets. I became a member. They had a flying field at the corner of Brighton Rd and Colvin Blvd.
The town paved circle centers and take-off strips.

There were many CL flyers in the area.
Naming a few:
Bob Matusiak - speed and combat
Warren Guerr - top notch speed flyer
Hal DeBolt - everything flyer
Johnny Volk - RC and CL
Jim Kostecky - his huge Lancaster club flew EVERTHING CL
Dave Gierke - world class builder and flyer
Isidore DePietro - stunt flyer
Dave Aldrich - sport flyer
Calvin Pabst - sport flyer
Randy Max - sport flyer
Nick Trubov - sport flyer

AND, I'm sure, MANY more.
Are any of you from the Buffalo area? And, if so, is there any CL activity left there?
Do you recognize any of the names?

Bob Z.

[Les McDonald]

Yup, I certainly recognize a couple of those names.
Since I was a teenager I always wished I had been born ten years sooner.
Now, at 74, I'm glad I wasn't but for many years I wondered what it would have been like to be involved with a group like that in a place like Buffalo or maybe even Cleveland.

[Bob Hunt]

Can't forget Greg Zajack! He was a protege of Dave Gierke and Jim Kostecky. He was also a fantastic builder and finisher. He's now living in California.

Bob Hunt

[Jim Hoffman]

Greg Zajack made an appearance as a spectator at a contest in Southern California about a year ago.  We were thrilled to see him

[Warren Wagner]

Bob Z,   

Warren Wagner here.  You stopped at my house in Liverpool, NY ages ago.
As a youngster in Avoca, NY, my stunt hero was a gentleman from Dansville
by the name of Carlton "Red" Randall.  While I was just learning to fly
controline, "Red" was a top competitor in the Rochester area.

"Red" was from Dansville, just south of Rochester, and I only know of two
contests that he entered, and that was in Hornell, NY, and at the Hylan
Airport on Rochester's south side.

The only two planes that I remember "Red" flying, were the traditional
"Nobler", and a "Super Sabre".  I'm sure he flew many more than that.
He most certainly would have had his share of deBolt "StuntWagons".

"Red" was a rather short fellow, but to my eyes, he was a giant when
he was flying a stunt aircraft.  He did have a heart issue, and had a cot
in the back of his pickup truck (?) where he could go and rest occasionally.

In your stunt travels, did you ever have occasion to meet "Red" or maybe
just see him fly?

Meeting "Red" and looking at his planes, and watching him fly, is one of
the fondest memories from my youth.

Cheers.

Warren Wagner
Clay, NY

[Dave Gierke]

Hi Bob,

It's been a long, long time!

West coast speed flier extraordinaire, Luke Roy notified me of your post concerning the control-line fliers of Western New York. After reading your line up of people who built and flew back then, I had to write in with the names of a few others: Warren DuBuke of North Tonawanda comes to mind as a very proficient stunt and combat flier. Wally Krull of NT also fell into that category. Norm Dion, a good friend, helped to promote and sponsor many of the early '60s stunt competitions in our area, including the New York State Stunt Championships. Not a flier himself, Norm was a superb builder, who helped to develop many of our young CL fliers.

Lady Lundy of nearby Lockport, NY was another of control line's founding fathers, right along with one of my mentors, Harold "Pappy" deBolt. Harold Keller, a rival and competitor of deBolt—primarily in speed competition—should also be mentioned in this dissertation. Howie Thomas, a fantastic builder and flier of both CL and RC models, would receive my vote of the most talented of WNY modelers. Not the best flier...but you should have seen his models!

I worked for deBolt during the summers, while attending Buffalo State Teachers College. In between cutting kits, I was privileged to meet some of our sports most exalted personalities, including: Goldberg, Maloney, Kraft, Worth, Winter, Schroeder, Kreihbiel, Dunham and many others. inevitably, Pappy would invite these visitors to the local flying field for impromptu flying sessions. As a 17-21 year old (at the time), I had the opportunity to witness many of the "greats" as they flew their models—both CL and RC—and I also queried them as to their building and finishing techniques...the later of which was invaluable.

There are many more individuals that should be mentioned here...but my recollections are growing dim. Thanks for the opportunity to recall some of my memories, Bob.

Dave Gierke     

[Crist Rigotti]

All I can say is wow!

[Will Hinton]

I have to echo Crist! I lived in Liverpool from Oct. of '62 til Oct. of '63 and if I could have run into a couple of these fellows it might have kept me out of trouble a bit!  Flying and building would have kept me busy at the right things instead of.........

[Robert Zambelli]

Hi Bob,

It's been a long, long time!

West coast speed flier extraordinaire, Luke Roy notified me of your post concerning the control-line fliers of Western New York. After reading your line up of people who built and flew back then, I had to write in with the names of a few others: Warren DuBuke of North Tonawanda comes to mind as a very proficient stunt and combat flier. Wally Krull of NT also fell into that category. Norm Dion, a good friend, helped to promote and sponsor many of the early '60s stunt competitions in our area, including the New York State Stunt Championships. Not a flier himself, Norm was a superb builder, who helped to develop many of our young CL fliers.

Lady Lundy of nearby Lockport, NY was another of control line's founding fathers, right along with one of my mentors, Harold "Pappy" deBolt. Harold Keller, a rival and competitor of deBolt—primarily in speed competition—should also be mentioned in this dissertation. Howie Thomas, a fantastic builder and flier of both CL and RC models, would receive my vote of the most talented of WNY modelers. Not the best flier...but you should have seen his models!

I worked for deBolt during the summers, while attending Buffalo State Teachers College. In between cutting kits, I was privileged to meet some of our sports most exalted personalities, including: Goldberg, Maloney, Kraft, Worth, Winter, Schroeder, Kreihbiel, Dunham and many others. inevitably, Pappy would invite these visitors to the local flying field for impromptu flying sessions. As a 17-21 year old (at the time), I had the opportunity to witness many of the "greats" as they flew their models—both CL and RC—and I also queried them as to their building and finishing techniques...the later of which was invaluable.

There are many more individuals that should be mentioned here...but my recollections are growing dim. Thanks for the opportunity to recall some of my memories, Bob.

Dave Gierke     

Wow!!!!
Talk about a voice from the past.
I remember flying with you in the late 50s.
We also put on a demo at the CNE in Toronto in the 60s.
You mentioned quite a few flyers with whom I was not familiar.
We moved from Tonawanda to Syracuse  in late 1959 and with nobody to fly with, I pretty much quit model aviation.
In 1961, we moved to Italy for three years - still no model flying.
Moved back stateside and attended Rochester Institute and received my BS in mechanical engineering.
I met Mike Haravitch and started flying again.
Went in the military - quit flying.
More to come.
Bob Z.

[Les McDonald]

Wow Dave, it's great just knowing you're still out and about.