VSC 19

[Andrew Borgogna]

Well guys it is every bit as good as they say it is.  To attend parties with the likes of Ted Fanchier, Bob Hunt and the likes is a great thrill for me.  Today I followed Rene Berger from Switzerland, he is as good as you have heard and a real nice guy.  I got my first flight in with only a miner bobble, I did the wing over out of sequence.  Tomorrow for my second flight Larry Renger will be in the circle with me to keep me on the straight and narrow.  I learned a valuable lessen this morning when we arrived I got my gallon of 15% and set out to do a simple needle flight and had nothing but trouble.  I was about to change glow plugs when I found out it was loose.  I put in a new plug and had to start over, I was lucky to get everything running right before my first flight.

Last night we attended a party at the Heyworth home and it was an opportunity to meet many of the people we talk to on the various web sites.  I finally got to meet Doc Holiday, you just got to like this guy!  We hit it off right from the start.

I look forward to tomorrow and the remaining days here in Tucson.  I had a problem with my new digital camera, but it was solved this evening.  So I should have pictures tomorrow and the remainder of the event.

Wish you all were here!
Andy

[Chris Brainard]

My wife, Linda, and I just got back from VSC a couple of hours ago. Left Tucson at 4:30 A.M. this morning and drove 915 miles to our home arriving @ 7:30 P.M. A long day to say the least. Had a wonderful time, especially since part of our trip involved visiting Linda's parents who live in Boulder City, NV and while we were there I was able to meet up with Bill Ervin and go out to his flying club site and meet some of the members. You can't imagine my surprise when I showed up at the flying field and ran into none other than Sparky himself! Had a great time visiting with him and even found time to squeeze in a couple of practice flights before it was time to pack up and head for Tucson. It sure felt great to bask in the sun after all the snow we got this winter. Looking forward to next year.
Chris Brainard

[john e. holliday]

Andy,  glad your first VSC was a good one.  As I told you it is habit forming.

Chris, glad you and Linda made it home without the extra excitement.  I will be leaving Friday AM on a 1250+ mile trip home.

                                    Later, DOC Holliday

[RC Storick]

You can't imagine my surprise when I showed up at the flying field and ran into none other than Sparky himself!
Chris Brainard

Yep Joey let me fly his score. I took off and flew a pattern, I guess it had never been flown that hard because the elevator hinges tore. I landed safely. He then let me fly his smoothy. I tried to take off and a wheel was stuck and it nosed over, no damage. He lubed the wheel and I took off again. I took it through a pattern and landed safely. Joey flew it the next flight, I guess the controls locked up and he hit the ground. Guess I am bad luck.

[Randy Powell]

Yep, the trip is about 1900 miles for me, but I plan to make it next year...if I can get someone to haul my plane. I'm flying in. 

[Tom Niebuhr]

Having been to VSC 3 times, I went through serious withdrawal this year. I was at the 10th, I gotta get the 20th next year.

Robin Sizemore has posted the results over at Stuka.

As usual he and the troops did a great job. And, a special thanks top Dave Grussen for the great photos

[Andrew Borgogna]

This was my first VSC and as I said at the banquet it was the high point of my modeling career.  The Stuka Stunt flew well, I scored about where I expected.  I didn't finish last but I wasn't too far away.  The people at VSC are friendly, helpful and just nice to be around.  I met many people from the Stunt Hanger and SSW.  Doc Holiday is a real kick in the pants, he introduced me to my boyhood hero Riley Wooten.  I really appreciated how he made time to talk to me.

I will definitely be going back next year and every year that it is humanly possible.  With a little luck my flying skills will improve and I too can get a hug from the pretty lady at the banquet.  That alone is enough reason for me to practice the pattern.
Andy

[bill marvel]

This was my first VSC and as I said at the banquet it was the high point of my modeling career.  The Stuka Stunt flew well, I scored about where I expected.  I didn't finish last but I wasn't too far away.  The people at VSC are friendly, helpful and just nice to be around.  I met many people from the Stunt Hanger and SSW.  Doc Holiday is a real kick in the pants, he introduced me to my boyhood hero Riley Wooten.  I really appreciated how he made time to talk to me.

I will definitely be going back next year and every year that it is humanly possible.  With a little luck my flying skills will improve and I too can get a hug from the pretty lady at the banquet.  That alone is enough reason for me to practice the pattern.
Andy

Thanks for the great reports, Andy.  It was almost like being there (almost but not quite).
regards,
bill marvel

[Marvin Denny]

  Andy, you certainly don't have to have flying skills to have fun at VSC.  Just hob-nobing around with some of the icons of modeldom is a barrel of fun

  Bigiron

[Joey Mathison 9806]

it was great having guys from out of state come fly with the vegas bunch. and spark you are not bad luck. here is a pic of the dead arf smoothe.

[Bill Gruby]

Joey;

   Now thats what I call "SPLAT" Thats a bummer not a good way to go at all. You gonna try to rebuild? Wing doesn't look to bad.
   
    "Billy G"   

[bob branch]

Rebuild? No, no, a thousand times no! Its an ARF!!!! It takes less time to build a new one that to pull the pieces off the wing! I know its an adjustment for those of us who have been scratch building all our lives. But it really is one of the advantages of an arf. You don't have all the time, sweat, emotional involvment in it. It is a totally different way to fly. If you kill it, you simply come home, order a new one, have it in 2 days, and fly next weekend. Last year when I came back to stunt I went thru 4 of them getting my pattern back. (still have the 4th intact but wore it out). People were devistated for me(!!!!) when I killed one. I just pulled off the parts and gave them away without a thought. Its very liberating. Now that I have regained my flying and am progressing I have 4 builds underway. Those I would be bothered by if I killed. But not an arf.

Bob Branch

[Bill Gruby]

Bob;

  If your "ARFS" were all "Smoothies" thats $109.00 each,you had 4, you have 1 left, if my math is correct you gave away $327.00. OUCH---------I think I would rebuild anyway. That's my 2 cents worth. Take it for what it is -- 2 cents.  LOL

  "Billy G"   

 PS My Dog goes "ARF" once in a while too, when he was broke I didn't throw him away either.  LOL LOL LOL

[bob branch]

Billy G

One was an oriental, two were pathfinders, that were killed. I then did a vector 40 stock as a baseline plane, then a vector 40 modified to work out the power system and controls to be similar to what I used to fly. My competition PAMPA plane for 2007 is a non-arf vector 40 that will be set up identical to the last one. Go price out the Brodak dope for a 4 color dope paint scheme assuming you have no finishing products on hand.... the arf's were a $ bargan. Not to mention I could not possibly have built 3 airplanes even from kits in the 8 weeks it took me to get back to not killing airplanes. When I left stunt I was flying intermediate in contests. I was very competative in intermediate last year and will be flying advanced this year. There is no way I could have made that kind of progress building planes. To me ARF's have their place. I already know how to build, and I was not going to take my time relearning things with the fear of killing an airplane. I just went out and started flying as aggressively as I could and knew that would get me back in shape as quickly as possible. Of course I do not expect to be very competative in advanced this year... to many who have been flying alot longer and will fly alot more laps than I will in that class. But its the level my flying was able to progress without worrying about killing airplanes.

bob

[Bill Gruby]

Bob;

  I hear ya loud and clear, I just like to add to the soup once in a while. I don't fly compitition at all so time is not a comodity to me in a build. I just putter along till it's done, and then fly it. Simple HUH?

   "Billy G"