AH.......For the good old days of flying models

[Mike Griffin]

I had never seen this....thought it was really interesting.  It DOES INCLUDE CONTROL LINE

 

Mike

[Tony Drago]

Cool post Mike
The first person shown flying R/C looked a lot like Jimmy Walker.

[tom brightbill]

Nice find Mike, thanks!

[okcub2015]

Awesome thanks

Bruce

[Avaiojet]

You can see Popeye at frame 8:46.

[Chancey Chorney]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[john e. holliday]

Cool post Mike
The first person shown flying R/C looked a lot like Jimmy Walker.

Yes that was the late great Jimmy Walker of A-J Aircraft.    We sure have come a long way.   With todays crowd control we don't have spectators like they did.

[NED-088]

While I'm not in the video myself, I was at the contest with the water planes, the last bit of the movie.
Must have been 1968, so I was 14 at the time.
Took some BW pictures:



Here's the location, Vinkeveen not far from my native city of Amsterdam.
Zooming out to see where it was:

[Clint Ormosen]

"I say it gives the machine a little more imp............ oh, well you can't expect it to stay up all day, now can you?"


Love the added engine sound effects. Especially the pulse jet sound when the Lancaster is flying.

[FLOYD CARTER]

Also, in days past, the gentlemen flyers wore a suit and tie, or at least a tie.

I still do that, to the amusement of my fellow flyers.  My mentor and idol, of course, was Col. Bob Thacker, who always looked elegant at the field.

Floyd

[Mike Scholtes]

Great video! A couple of things jumped out at me:

The people of all ages are thin.

The people of all ages are dressed formally, starting engines while wearing a suit coat and tie. Even the kids are formally dressed. imagine going to a contest today wearing a business suit?

There is total disregard for safety. Flyers are launching large models directly into the spectator line and into other contestants. There are cars parked all over the place and people milling everywhere with models being launched and landing, at least in the early FF portions. I recall contests from the early 60's with spectator ropes to keep the crowds (!!) back from the zone of danger. Crowds of spectators are less of an issue today ...

[Ara Dedekian]

Great video! A couple of things jumped out at me:

        There is total disregard for safety. Flyers are launching large models directly into the spectator line and into other contestants. There are cars parked all over the place and people milling everywhere with models being launched and landing, at least in the early FF portions.



        Nothing has changed!!

       
       
         Ara

[Ara Dedekian]

        OK, so I didn't know how to transfer the video to my last reply. Dial up, 'British Free Flight Nationals' on YouTube and go to, 'Free Flight Mayhem-BMFA RC Nationals, RAF Barkston - 2015. Seems the British version of safety is different than ours.

        Ara

[john e. holliday]

Just back from watching two of the FF videos.  Looks like they were having fun.  Seen one bloke got hit and a few went to see how bad he was hurt.  I haven't seen any FF in years here in the states or even the NATs.   Bet there is a lot more policing of launches here in the good ole sue happy USA.

[Mike Scholtes]

Can't speak for the rest of the country but FF is alive and well on the West Coast. Lots of contests, though the engine run and glide duration for a "max" has been cut down in a lot of places due to encroachment on the formerly "middle of nowhere" flying sites. The desert-like sites in Central Calif are still wide open.

Safety is very important and launch protocol especially for power models is closely controlled. Frankly though it is the general disinclination for getting hit by a model that keeps everyone (literally) in line. Fear of lawsuits I would say is a non-existent consideration. Mostly you don't want to be labeled an inconsiderate dangerous idiot and shunned by your peers.