Field Layout for Golden State Contest in the 80s

[Gary Anderson]

Hi guys,

Here is a sheet of the Golden State Contest when the Clovis Control Liners used to run the contest. I ran across the sheet in some of my old papers, wife says I keep everything, ha ha. I have a lot of memories of those days. I can still see most of these guys flying, in my head, wait a minute most of them are still flying, ha ha. Problem is, this great bunch of guys still are the top fliers. Gid ran the club with the help of Bob Ellis and of course a bunch of great guys. Had a lot of fun with the contest. If you've ever helped with a contest you can understand how much work there is to do. I remember mowing all of the circles and different areas. Marking out all of the different areas. Seemed like a lot of hard work in short order. I appreciate all the different people that dedicate their self to putting on a contest and all of their helpers, Gary (The location is Clovis High School)

[Steve Helmick]

Gary, Have you got a date and place for the '09 version of the GSSC yet?

Had fun last year...the AP Judging was really special. Tho we thought the JCT needed trumpets to usher them into the room. I don't have a trumpet, but do have my G'pa's cornet. Can't play it a lick...perfect! I'll bring it along...    Steve

[Howard Rush]

Trumpets.  Why didn't I think of that?

[Derek Moran]

Gloria Strickland told me a 2009 GSSC is in doubt.  Obe Wan Fernandez may be our only hope.  I suggest some serious sucking-up.
Derek

[Rudy Taube]

Hi Derek,

That is not good news about the GSSC. Your right, we need to bow down to Obe Wan Larry and his famous Uncle, Jimby (both AKA: two of the nicest guys on the planet!). They did an excellent job as the co CDs of the 2007 GSSC at the "alternate site".

If it is a site issue, we have two outstanding sites down here in SoCal. I know this is not geographically in the center of the state, but it is dead center in the middle of the population distribution,......... but admittedly NOT in the center of the CL population! ;-) If it is a CD issue, I am sure one of us could step in and get er done.

Please give us more details if you have them. I would hate to not have a GSSC in 2009, it is the one contest I look forward to every year.

Regards, 

[Gary Anderson]

Hi guys,
I don't know anything about the contest anymore. Isn't Mr. Jerry Silver and his crew in charge of the contest?? We offered our flying site to hold the contest but being a church they don't want us to hold a contest on Sunday. I know Steve, Mike, John, Phil and Gordon and few others came bye before the contest and played on our circles. Some feel it wouldn't work not flying Sunday but I bet if the fliers knew in advanced they might come. Our field is like any other site, you have to plan in advance and would probably be to late to have one there this year??? Our club doesn't have the proper man power to put a contest on, would have to have the proper people to run the contest. Being a church they have a cafeteria area, parking area, restaurants close bye, most anything that would be need to put on a contest. When I checked with the church before, they told me it would be alright to park trailers over night in the parking lot, no hook-up. I believe we had a lot to offer, just no Sunday? I really enjoyed having the fliers come and give our field a try, it was a lot of fun. At the moment the church has water issues with the city, so our field is getting nice and dry. No more pillow effect when you hit the ground, sorry!! I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I'm flying the OS 46 SF once again. Darn thing runs seventeen minutes on six ounces!!!! Talk with ya later, Gary

[Steve Helmick]

Gary...For those of us that come 1,000 miles or so, it doesn't matter much...just start home Saturday night or Sunday morning instead of Sunday night. Another day off work the week prior, but one less the week after. Not a big deal. For those nearby, it might be a problem, especially the worker bees.  Steve

[dave shirley jr]

I too hope there is a golden state contest, its usually a two day affair so i'm not sure about cramming it into one day.might be difficult unless old time and classic was dropped.
Oh and by the way, according to the state of california the center of the state population since the 1960's is about an hour or so south of the center of the state geographicaly there is a monument at the buttonwillow rest stop. its been shifting south since the gold rush days but it's no where near L.A. yet.
Dave jr.

[Gary Anderson]

I too hope there is a golden state contest, its usually a two day affair so i'm not sure about cramming it into one day.might be difficult unless old time and classic was dropped.
Oh and by the way, according to the state of california the center of the state population since the 1960's is about an hour or so south of the center of the state geographicaly there is a monument at the buttonwillow rest stop. its been shifting south since the gold rush days but it's no where near L.A. yet.
Dave jr.

Hi Dave,
If most people knew that we had to fly Friday and Saturday, instead of Saturday and Sunday?? When my family was in racing they would travel clear across country to attend some events? Whats the different, wife going to kill ya anyway, might as well take a day off of work. The CA Gov. would thank you, ha ha (Just tell your wife, Theres Gold in them Hills)

[Rudy Taube]

I too hope there is a golden state contest, its usually a two day affair so i'm not sure about cramming it into one day.might be difficult unless old time and classic was dropped.
Oh and by the way, according to the state of california the center of the state population since the 1960's is about an hour or so south of the center of the state geographicaly there is a monument at the buttonwillow rest stop. its been shifting south since the gold rush days but it's no where near L.A. yet.
Dave jr.

Hi Dave,

I agree with you, any schedule other than Sat/Sun would be very difficult for most CL flyers and contest workers.

I know that SoCal is a long drive for some, but I think it would be better than not having the contest at all?

RE: Pop center of CA:

My guess is that you have not been to LA in a while. Our population growth down here is out of control.  We have been invaded from the south and we have groups that, unfortunately, routinely have 5 to 8 kids per family. If the census counted everyone down here the center would have been in LA in 2000!    It was 9 long years ago (2000 census of US citizens) that the center was about 125 mi. north of the LA area in Buttonwillow. The next census (next year) will show the center to be in the LA area, and that's only counting the US citizens. We don't look at this as a good thing, we wish that plaque would stay right there in little Buttonwillow, or move back North even!   

Regards, 

[anderson-ron]

Hi if you have the contest on friday and saturday I think most will come, some may not be able to but, the rest will.
With flying fields being hard to come by these days, I think we should make every effort to have where and when ever we can!! Just so we can keep this wonderful sport going that we all love very much! Thank you!  Ron

[dave shirley jr]

the best way to find out if the friday saturday scedule will work is to have the contest and hopefully it will be well attended.
I'm sure it doesn't make that much difference for the travellers as was stated before. if there is room for three circles you might be able to get it all done in one day but finding help to run that many circles at one time might be a problem.
If the choice is no contest or us north guys having to drive all the way down south i would vote for friday saturday.
if you are going to do it you need to get started right away.

Rudy: i go down there severall times a year. Last weekend we were at my daughters in san clemente.
we have had a pretty big housing boom up here in the last 9 years also .allthough half of those houses are forclosed now.
 My wife is from The glendale burbank area and a lot of her family is still down there. so we diffinitely know the area.
Dave.

[Gary Anderson]

Hi Dave,

I agree with you, any schedule other than Sat/Sun would be very difficult for most CL flyers and contest workers.

I know that SoCal is a long drive for some, but I think it would be better than not having the contest at all?

RE: Pop center of CA:

My guess is that you have not been to LA in a while. Our population growth down here is out of control.  We have been invaded from the south and we have groups that, unfortunately, routinely have 5 to 8 kids per family. If the census counted everyone down here the center would have been in LA in 2000!    It was 9 long years ago (2000 census of US citizens) that the center was about 125 mi. north of the LA area in Buttonwillow. The next census (next year) will show the center to be in the LA area, and that's only counting the US citizens. We don't look at this as a good thing, we wish that plaque would stay right there in little Buttonwillow, or move back North even!   

Regards, 

Hi guys,

I guess I just an other education, I thought center was bye location not population?? I guess I'll never get anything correct, just me, Gary

[dave shirley jr]

Hey fresno is close enough to the center of california for me.
are you going to try and do the contest?
Dave.

[Brian Massey]

Maybe I'm biased because I'm reitred, but a Friday/Saturday contest works fine for me. Even when working, I could arrange a Friday or Monday off to attend something I wanted to do, so the only difference here would be to take off Thurdsay (if a day's travel is called for) and Friday; two days is still two days.

I too would hate to see the event "pass on". Once dead, an event like this is very hard to resurrect. 

The Church grounds Gary speaks of could easily accomodate 4 or 5 circles; giving everyone ample opportunity to practice. As Gary mentioned, there are many restaurants and fast food joints within a 5 minute walk. As a bonus, the field has good visibility so passerbys could see our beloved hobby is not dead!

The PC Flyers is not a big club however, so manning and staffing would be an issue. 

Brian

[Howard Rush]

I hear we have permission to use the school in Clovis as usual.  I'm looking forward to the contest.  The last three times we went to Clovis we stopped by Yosemite on the way home.  It was a great trip. 

[john e. holliday]

Hey fellows go back to a one day contest and fly only PAMPA classes.  Years ago when I was getting back into flying competition a club in Lawrance KS used to have monthly contests.  It was always on Saturday.  When the CD was asked about it, he stated, " Sunday is for family and Church".  DOC Holliday

[Jim Pollock]

Just wondering here,

Did the Fresno Control-Liners die out and get reborn as the Clovis Control Liners?  When Lon and I would fly while I was living in Fresno, we would go fly on Clovis High School during the weekends.  If you don't remember Lon was
Lon Cooper Jr.; he was a machinist.  He was stricken with Lukemia and pass from this earth much too soon!
Oh yeah, when was that anyway, 1970!

Jim Pollock   

[Gary Anderson]

Just wondering here,

Did the Fresno Control-Liners die out and get reborn as the Clovis Control Liners?  When Lon and I would fly while I was living in Fresno, we would go fly on Clovis High School during the weekends.  If you don't remember Lon was
Lon Cooper Jr.; he was a machinist.  He was stricken with Lukemia and pass from this earth much too soon!
Oh yeah, when was that anyway, 1970!

Jim Pollock   

Hi Jim,

I don't remember Lon, in the seventies I was busy making a living for my family.
I have a list of some of the fliers that was involved with the club, at that time.
Jerry Chaney
Ron Cawell
Norm Gayer
Roger Anderson
Bob Ellis
You might remember some of these fine people, Gary