New video from 1968 NATs.

[Paul Taylor]

Someone is uploading their dads old videos.

It appears to me the squares or more stretched out. Maybe it’s the way it was flown back in the day. 🤓

[Brett Buck]

Someone is uploading their dads old videos.

It appears to me the squares or more stretched out. Maybe it’s the way it was flown back in the day. 🤓

     Did you see the hair blowing around, and the wind sock?  Fly a Nobler/Fox 35 in that kind of conditions, you darn well better make everything gigantic and soft! And it was "this close" to nosing over during the takeoff roll. The Bear was a true master.

        Brett

[Ted Fancher]

There was a bit of that nose over tendency toward the end of the landing roll as well.  Gotta admit I was taken aback a bit by the size of the maneuvers until I saw
 that flag flying horizontally off its pole just before the landing touchdown...and finally noting the Nobler's balloon in the glide just as the ship approached touchdown. 

Oh!  Yeah!  Now I get it!  Duhhhh.

The other thing the video illustrates is the difference between the then ubiquitous use of the the little  Fox .35 turning the comparatively big 10X6 prop in a four stroke while the pilot whipped the ship while praying for a break to two stroke for the tricks.  Don't recall the opportunity to watch the Bear's level flight footwork but would be willing  to bet he was whipping for all he was worth...just like we all did back "in the day"!!!!

Things were "different" back then...and I can vouch for it.

Ted

p.s.  I was very pleased to be able to watch the master at work once again.  Got a bunch of pictures around the Den of Bob doing "his thing".  My favorite, however, was one in which Bob had surreptitiously  picked up my Nat's ship of whatever year it was so as to look at it more closely. My heart (and probably my head) swelled when I took the picture and again each time I've stumbled across it while reliving my many happy years competing against gentlemen of "the Bears" stature.

[Brett Buck]

There was a bit of that nose over tendency toward the end of the landing roll as well.  Gotta admit I was taken aback a bit by the size of the maneuvers until I saw
 that flag flying horizontally off its pole just before the landing touchdown...and finally noting the Nobler's balloon in the glide just as the ship approached touchdown. 

  Yes, that's the problem with the long, springy, tail wheel strut, it's so soft that the holder has no idea whether he is pushing down or not, and since you have to hold it harder in the wind, your sensitivity is even worse. It's far too easy to press down on it inadvertently, then, as soon as you let go, over she goes.

    Also, the ballooning at the end from letting it get way too far around the circle. I seem to recall another master-class pilot do a brilliant flight in brutal air, touch down perfectly in just the right spot, roll 120 degree around - then have it take back off 4' in the air, dead slow dead upwind!

     Those of you who have not flown at this level cannot believe how good this flight was for the conditions and this equipment - gigantic, dead soft, and what you can tell, greatly extended horizontal dimensions. But managing to make an entire complete flight at all is borderline miraculous by the standards of the day. A tribute to the astonishing skill of Bear.

    Brett

[Frank Imbriaco]

Attended the 68 Olathe, Kansas NAVY NATs with my friend, Dan. We were both 17, fresh out of high school and got there by commercial air (our first) from NJ. Our models were shipped a week early via Greyhound bus. Neither of our Dads were involved in the hobby, so we paid our way, learned by observing and asking many questions. I saw Bob Gieseke fly and also recall watching an evening practice session featuring Jim Kostecky and Dave Gierke. Those guys were so nice to us!
Olathe NAS was a substitute venue for Dallas; the last held there in 1964 followed by Willow Grove, Pa (1965), Glenview ,Il (1966) and Los Alamitos, Cal (1967). That was the cycle order of the HUGE NAVY sponsored NATS held each year at Naval Air Stations(NAS). What a blast, to say nothing of sleeping in barracks with a 6 am revelee, having three square and great tasting meals in the mess hall, shooting the bull to early am hours in immense aircraft hangers , seeing in person your heros  that appeared in model magazines and of course, the great Navy Airshows .
Interesting is the fact that there were two Junior winners in 1968 because as there were two junior stunt events.
Dennis Adamisin won the "regular" event that awarded appearance points and my fellow UMAC'er ,Wayne Colgan, from Rahway,NJ won the other event that omitted appearance points. Don't think the powers to be ever repeated that.

[Ted Fancher]

Memory lane, Frank.  Thanx

Ted

[wwwarbird]

Someone is uploading their dads old videos.

 That "someone" is right here...
 
 https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/vintage-nationals/
 

[Ken Culbertson]

     Those of you who have not flown at this level cannot believe how good this flight was for the conditions and this equipment - gigantic, dead soft, and what you can tell, greatly extended horizontal dimensions. But managing to make an entire complete flight at all is borderline miraculous by the standards of the day. A tribute to the astonishing skill of Bear.
    Brett

That flight was no accident.  Bob practiced virtually every day regardless of the weather conditions.   I learned to "wind fly" from trying to keep up with him.  Nobody could.  After 5 years of flying "modern" planes I wonder how we did it, but we sure had fun.

Ken

[Dennis Adamisin]

Attended the 68 Olathe, Kansas NAVY NATs with my friend, Dan. We were both 17, fresh out of high school and got there by commercial air (our first) from NJ. Our models were shipped a week early via Greyhound bus. Neither of our Dads were involved in the hobby, so we paid our way, learned by observing and asking many questions. I saw Bob Gieseke fly and also recall watching an evening practice session featuring Jim Kostecky and Dave Gierke. Those guys were so nice to us!
Olathe NAS was a substitute venue for Dallas; the last held there in 1964 followed by Willow Grove, Pa (1965), Glenview ,Il (1966) and Los Alamitos, Cal (1967). That was the cycle order of the HUGE NAVY sponsored NATS held each year at Naval Air Stations(NAS). What a blast, to say nothing of sleeping in barracks with a 6 am revelee, having three square and great tasting meals in the mess hall, shooting the bull to early am hours in immense aircraft hangers , seeing in person your heros  that appeared in model magazines and of course, the great Navy Airshows .
Interesting is the fact that there were two Junior winners in 1968 because as there were two junior stunt events.
Dennis Adamisin won the "regular" event that awarded appearance points and my fellow UMAC'er ,Wayne Colgan, from Rahway,NJ won the other event that omitted appearance points. Don't think the powers to be ever repeated that.

Hi Frank,
Close but no cigar!  Tommy Morgan won Junior, I was second (my first NATs trophy), I do not remember there being an alternative junior event - was that a 1-time thing?  One thing unusual about Tommy, he flew both his flights early in the morning then he & his family had to leave the base for the day to attend to some other matter.  When he came back he found out he won!  Later on I found out that Jim Smith was one of the other competitors in Junior.

What set that NATs off for me was that my brother Dave & I got to go on what turned out to be the last "Carrier Cruise" for Junior & Senior trophy winners. Flew down from Olathe to Pensacola in a Navy R6D Liftmaster (DC-6 with no interior trimmings) the LOUDEST place I have ever been! Boarded the USS Lexington and watched several Naval aviators training in T-28's & T2's.  Also witnessed a single Grumman S2 take-off.  Later the "Admiral" hosted an outdoor buffet - first time I ever had Red Snapper.  Next day we went to the Naval Air Museum which at that time was a very small display.  All followed up by a 24 hour bus trip from Pensacola to Detroit.

Got to revisit the Museum a couple years ago and it has expanded nicely.  Had several flashbacks seeing and remembering many aircraft from my visit 50 years prior.


Enjoyed the video, especially the beginning showing what we now call the "Classics" and the people who flew them; Al Rabe, Norm Whittle, Jim Kostecky, Jerry Worth, Bob Gieseke, and "Shultzie" among many more!  I'm sure if I paused it a couple frames at a time I could spot many others in the background.

[Frank Imbriaco]

OK, Dennis thanks for the correction. I, too, went on the Pensacola trip- a year later (1969) after winning Senior Combat. The aircraft carrier Lexington was under repair, so the Navy took us out for rides on small launch crafts. That was a great couple of days. They flew us from Willow Grove,Pa. and I recall a very bumpy, stormy trip on the flight back.
I imagine the numbers are dwindling for Pensacola attendees and along with that, Navy NATS participants.

Somewhere there is a photo of 1965 Junior Stunt Winner Dawn Cosmillo  flying on the USS Lexington.

Sorry to digress guys, back to the Bear's 1968 NATS win.

[Dave_Trible]

Someplace I hope I still have the Polaroid picture my dad took of Bob holding the airplane that day,  I think right after that flight.  I noticed a glimpse of Kostecky and the Formula S.   I was so impressed with that and Dick Mathis Chizler that day.
My daughter's house is just off the south end of that runway today by about a mile.  Today those quansit hut-looking buildings are gone but the other big building is still there though updated.  The old base is now called Executive Airport.  Little remains to clue this was ever a military base.  It once was home to F6F Hellcats and Corsairs that were built in the Bendix plant in the area that were towed down the highway without wings, then flown out of there during the war.  This was my first Nats and quite a thrill for a kid.

Dave

[john e. holliday]

Even though it was held in my neighbor hood I only got to visit the 68 NATS one day.  I got married on June 8th of that year and no more vacation time.  Thanks for the video.

[GallopingGhostler]

Thanks for posting the video, Ted Fancher. Even though 54 years ago, seems like only yesterday. When I was in high school, would occasionally drive to Hickham AFB, Honolulu from where we lived on the Leeward (west) side of Oahu, watch airmen fly their stunt planes in the circles or grassed fields they had back then, reserved for such activity (1970-72).

[Paul Taylor]

Someone is uploading their dads old videos.

It appears to me the squares or more stretched out. Maybe it’s the way it was flown back in the day. 🤓

UPDATE ::: I did not notice Amy had already posted this. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻