While reading a Leo Mehl postings of memories lost, he mentions a Junior that built a scale plane to compete with at the NATS. My first NATS was 1964 Grand Prairie NATS between Dallas and Fort Worth. First time I had ever been in Texas and first time away from home for any length of time. The joy of seeing all the people I had just read about and the thought I was actually at a model airplane nationals. The barracks we had the privalage of sleeping in and the use of the work hangar. Watching people build or repair models and seeing Jim Dunkin sleeping under the work bench that him and Bill Wright had staked out. Across from my area was a young Junior that had started cutting and gluing combat planes. He built six of them including the covering and dope. If I remember right he took a first and only used one plane. I managed to make second round in open combat before Riley Wooten put me out. Navy Carrier I think I finished in the middle of the pack. Slept all the way home while George Watkins did the driving. George and Dorothy were my adopted parents(I adopted them as they seemed to be watching over me when Mother wasn't there). I also know from personal experience that some planes were not built by the competitors in certain age classifications. At that time I don't see how the various champions could have done it, including the younger champions. Of course I could not protest as I did not compete with them at the national level, I was an open competitor. Even back home we didn't complain as we needed entries for contests. This was in the days as far a racing, in which the competitor only had to hang onto the model while someone started it and someone else flew it. I finally got to where I could either beat them with someone flying for me while I started my own engine. My big disappointment was in 70 when an emergency ruling prevented me from starting my own engine. Five minutes of agony watching my brother trying to get that Fox started. We finished in the middle of the pack in AMA Scale Racing that year. Anyway after reading this you probably can figure out my stand on the BOM, but, I will vote as the people tell me vote. I really do like Warren's proposal. DOC Holliday
Topic: BOM Memories (Read 990 times)