The 35 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The Carolina Criterium was a complete success with great weather, record attendance in several events and a nice awards presentation Saturday night at BUBBA'S BARBEQUE. Lunch Saturday was a catered buffet from Mama's Italian Deli with drinks and chips supplied by MCLS. Everything went very quickly.
The awards were some of the best we have presented at any previous contest.
All dinner all attendees received a navy blue hat with gold MCLS lettering as a gift for attending our celebration. Thanks for coming.
1st place Stunt awards were Tom Morris line wrapping jigs or Red, White & Blue ribbon Plaques. 2nd & 3rd place Stunt received engraved glass plaques. Carrier awards were branded a NC/SC State wood plaque. Combat awards, passed out at the field, included Speed Limit models, Engine mounts, Engine, Glow Driver and 1/2A Eagle trophies for 1st thru 3rd. Eagle clock trophies for Speed Limit, 1st thru 3rd, were passed out at the dinner.
Sam Londke received a new TF Nobler ARF which was donated to MCLS by Graham Webster, a new MCLS member and friend of mine. After the awards dinner the traditional ice cream social continued at the motel.
There were 92 individuals that I know with at least 20 to 30 additional family, friends and spectators attending from 14 states and Canada. Included in the spectators was Jay Marsh, AMA Dist. IV VP, who visited each event. The Canada and Nebraska contestants traveled the farthest. Jared Hays from Nebraska finished 1st in Profile Stunt.
Ten new contestants made their first trip to our contest and we welcome them and invite them back to participate with the rest of contestants who come back each year.
We missed Charlie & Nancy Reeves and daughter Charra with her service dog. Charlie is recovering from an operation. This is the first contest he has missed since October 2003. Maybe even more as 2003 is as far back as I have info. A get well card was signed by everyone at the awards dinner.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Mecklenburg County Park North Region & Director Chris Hunter for their support and funding to provide maintenance of the field. This included:
- The effort to provide the extra Porta-Johns as they did for the May contest but none were available as they had been sent to the coast in support of the hurricane and flood relief efforts.
- DC power stations for the growing number of electric powered models. Flying Aces President Trey Chanter worked with Chris on this project and designed and built the charging station, Charging bench and outlets.
Tray and Evan Doughty: Implemented the walkway and new access's through the fence at the South end of the RC runway for the Combat and Carrier events.
Max Flowe: For close cutting of the grass circles and around the paved circles after the county had done their mowing.
Judges and Administrators: These people did not fly but made it possible for us to do so.
James Duckworth, Sonny Williams and Diane Buck (Stunt Registration and Tabulation).
Holley Sparkman, Rusty Knowlton's wife, provided coffee, donuts and restroom supplies.
Stan Powel, Doug Taffinder, Watt Moore, Will Davis and Dave Wenzel Judged Stunt.
Elizabeth Jennings and Kyle Anderson, Duck's grandson, retrieved the stunt score sheets from the judges.
Kathy Copeland counted cuts and timed the Combat matches. Dennis Hastings center marshaled speed limit combat.
Paty Smith, David & Michael's mother timed all the carrier flights.
There were at least a total of 27 people who participated in judging events, some before or after their official flights, or provided other activities in support of the flying events.
MCLS PRESENATIONS
CAROLINA SPIRIT: Awarded to a club member, Doug Taffinder, who has excelled in support of MCLS and modeling in general. He was almost speechless and appreciative of this honor.
MASTERS CIRCLE: Honors the recipient, John Saunders for "Contributions and Accomplishments" in the sport of Model Aviation.
JOHN RINGO TROPHY: This trophy was presented to the winner of the PAMPA Advanced event, Don Jenkins.
The trophy originated with the Norfolk Aeromodelers Club and when they stopped having contests they asked MCLS to continue this tradition, which we were happy to do. Many of the top names in Stunt are included on this trophy.
STUNT:
The stunt events were well attended with record numbers set or tied in Profile, N30, P-Intermediate (tied), and P-Advanced.
Many competitors were at the field as early as Wednesday. Many showed up on Friday to get their models tuned up for the competition, which began on Saturday morning.
The Friday evening Stunt judging seminar was well attended, Dave Wenzel coached the competitors and judges through a pattern flown by Dan Banjock.
Saturday had great weather, a little overcast to help block the sun from the competitors’ eyes.
A couple notable models were Dan Banjock's P47 with a custom Fox Inline twin cylinder 70. This engine is made by joining two Fox 35 engines with a custom crankshaft. Another model is Keith Palmer’s BMJR ME-109 stunt plane. It is a Nostalgia 30 legal model designed by Jack Sheeks. Keith made the maiden flight of his model on Friday prior to the contest. His very well built and detailed model has a scale finish with military markings. Keith competed in N-30 and PAMPA Intermediate skill class during the event.
Basic flight followed OTS on the grass circle Saturday. Sam Londke came prepared with a couple new Phil Cartier models sporting great running K&B 28 engines. Sam took first place and showing how a good competitor should be, he offered his model to Kyle Anderson after Kyle had a mishap on takeoff and damaged his model. Rick Osborne took second place with a good flying Flitestreak OS LA 25 combo and Kyle rounded out the field with a Brodak Tomahawk powered with Brodak 25. This was Kyle's second contest. All three competitors flew well, came prepared, showed good sportsmanship and will soon be moving onto a skill class stunt event.
Profile Stunt had a record number of contestants, 21, with Jared Hays finishing 1st.
Nostalga-30 Stunt Also had a record number of contestants, 16, with Steve Fitton finishing 1st
Old time stunt saw Dan Banjock finishing 1st in a very close scoring event with the top 4 competitors within 7 points of the lead.
There was a unique scoring situation. For 7th place, as the Judges awarded both Jim Mynes & Bob Zambelli's 1st and 2d flights with identical scores of 273.0 / 280.5.
Saturday's perfect weather returned on Sunday with less cloud cover and very nice stunt weather.
PAMPA Expert had Derek Barry, Former Senior World Champ, bested a field of very competitive flyers to claim the top spot.
PAMPA Advanced and Ringo trophy winner had last year's winner Don Jenkins returning to the top spot in PAMPA Advanced and earned his 2nd name plaque on the Ringo Trophy.
PAMPA Intermediate was a real shootout for first place between Mike Londke from Nashville Tennessee and Wayne Robinson from Columbia SC. Wayne came out on top flying a well built Tom Morris kitted Electric Cavalier.
PAMPA Beginner was won by Carl Lindler flying another BMJR ME109, a well built model with a good running motor put Carl on top in a good class.
A thank you to all of the judges, runners and tabulators that volunteered to help out, some of whom volunteer every year to help make our event possible.
NAVY CARRIER:
We had six entrants in Control Line Navy Carrier at the 2016 MCLS Carolina Criterium. All Navy Carrier events were flown on Saturday, October 15, 2016. We logged a total of 26 flights and attempts in Fifteen, Class I and II, and Nostalgia Class I, II, and Profile.
We had almost perfect weather with light winds and 70 degree temperatures. David Smith built a new deck so we also had a perfect deck. It just can’t get much better than that.
David Smith served as Event Director. Paty Smith once again volunteered her day to help time flights. I believe she timed every flight so we always had a consistent watch. Every contestant also took turns on the second watch and with pull testing and center judging. A big thank you goes out to Paty and to all who flew and helped officiate our event.
COMBAT:
1/2A, double elimination, combat with a record 6 entries, was fast and furious with the Russian HI PERFORMANCE engines, Fora/Profi. They go FAST and turn tight. These are NOT your fathers 1/2A's. After 11 matches Mike Londke won the event for the 6th straight time. Most matches were won on airtime with only 1 kill and 4 cuts. Mid airs and line tangles ended many matches early.
Speed limit was NOT flown with the normal rounds format with its emphasis on airtime, cuts and no mid air or line tangle crashes. Due to the level of award I decided to fly a full double elimination format with a 2nd chance round for the first 4 losers. Also there was a Speed Limit model awarded to best match flown by a new or retread flyer. Wayne Foster was awarded that model after a 3 year layoff he flew great match against Ron Columbo losing by 3 points.
We had 14 flyers, which tied the record, with many of the best flyers on the East Coast. This included winners of the Bladder Grabber, Brodak, and the AMA Nationals attending to duke it out.
The awards for our 35th anniversary celebration included new SL models, Yaro's (4) and Phil's (2). Three of them with engine mounts. 1st place also got NIB OS Max 25FP engine. 2nd place also got a new Hobbyking Super Glow Driver. The 3rd, 4th and the second chance winners all received new SL models. The reasoning for the second chance format was to give everyone more than two matches. All flyers had at least three matches.
After 26 matches, Ron Columbo emerged with 7 wins and no losses with a final win over Roy Glenn. Don Stoneman and Mike Evans tied for 3rd with Mike out of models and not wanting to borrow one settled for 4th. Ron had to borrow a model from Mike Londke for the final match. Bobby Wallace came back after a year and a half layoff to finish 5th losing the last two matches to Ron & Roy.
Due to the matching system used by Phil Cartier there were no repeat matches.
Mike Londke made a comment on one of the forums, "Let there be Carnage". Very prophetic as there were numerous midair's and line tangle crashes along with some really good flying. The most memorable midair was the match between Phil Cartier and Mike Evans. Russian ARF against foam resulted in a blizzard of falling foam, balsa and covering material. Mike Londke won the second chance event.
We used streamers made from Smart-Fab, a craft fabric that gives positive cuts. Phil has been using this material at Brodak and his August contest. It works well with no wing slap cuts or shredding after a cut . I think Bob Mears has used it also.
IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES, CORRECTIONS OR OMMISIONS PLEASE LET ME KNOW
Topic: Huntersville 2016 Oct. Carolina Criterium Contest Review (Read 1145 times)