UNION MAC AAA MEMORIAL DAY MEET( 1947-1981)

[Frank Imbriaco]

 Today,remembering the great men( and women, too) that made the ultimate sacrifice so that each and everyone of us could have the freedoms and the life style that we enjoy is paramount .
As a kid, this day also meant attending  the model meet of the Union, NJ Model Airplane Club . Imagine a  one day AAA meet with well over 100 participants held each Memorial Day. To this day, it's hard for me to imagine  how the club fathers pulled off that one day extravaganza  each and every year for 34  consecutive years.

Club stewardship a likely reason.
 
Wonder how many  are yet out there in our little world of model airplanes  who still remember that meet and possibly competed in it ?

[jfv]

One of my fondest memories was going to that meet.  Flew my first stunt competition as a junior there with my Fox powered Sabre Stunt.

[C.T. Schaefer]

WOW, I know that plenty of us will remember that event forever! Other than running around to fly multiple events there are a couple of things that come to mind. Flying my Ringmaster in OTS. McCoy .60. 70 ft lines. Lots of smoke and thundering sound. Good thing the square loop was last cause the LE would crack unless I was very gentle. Sold the motor. Still have the plane. Another biggie was pitting for one of our club members (Livingston Flying Tigers) who made the combat final. By that time the sun was going down after a hard fought elimination process. Sorry, can't remember who won but I think his name was Russ Strom?? Many other memories too. My kids came to a few of them. They remember playing on the dirt pile. LOL      TS

[Frank Imbriaco]

Tom:
Good Grief ! A MAC 60 on a Ringmaster !
 Even with 70' , it must've been Godzilla like. Maybe Jim Vigani  still has time to swap out  his Fox35 in the Ringmaster he's building for Brodaks. 
Too bad you know longer have the mill.
Back to the UMAC Memorial Day,  likely  there are a fair number of kids of that era  left that now have gray hair (or none) who look back at that event as a premier experience.
The dirt piles ?
  Think that I was told that Bob Hunt and Kenny Wills spent a lot of time in them.

[Ed Barry]

Frank,
The first year I went to Union contest was in the spring of '69 as a spectator.  A combat plane had both lines cut in a match.  The plane went into a huge loop then flew right through the windshield of an empty parked car, landing on the rear deck. Made quite an impression.  Two years later I won my first OTS trophy with a flapped Yak-9.  Got third place by 1/4 of a point.
Ed Barry

[Frank Imbriaco]

Ed:
That combat mishap was very memorable.  Think it was a late 50s station wagon... something like Scarinzi would drive.(lol)

 I'd venture to say the owner had a fair amount of  wind in his hair on the way home.

Frank