Way to go!

[Norm Faith Jr.]

I got this E-mail from a CL pilot in Texarkana. I would like to share it with you...Way to go guys!
Norm


Dear John:


I have a couple of Sig Twisters on the way for you.  I got one for myself too.  I think I am going to modify mine and make it a Francherized Twister.  


Been practicing the beginner stunt pattern with my flying buddies in Tyler.  We SUCK, but we're having fun anyway.  If you have the contest again in Texarkana next year we may enter just to torture your judges with our rendition of the pattern!  Kind of like fingernails on a chalkboard!!!


I'm home for a couple of weeks and would like to get together with you for a little flying.  I think I can get everyone interested in a road trip.  Maybe meet in the middle somewhere.


Got something fun to tell you!  It seems that every RC event around here is a RC  "Big Bird" this or a "Big Bird" that.  It gets old fast!  The RC guys always ask me why don't you come to our events and I say "Because I don't have a Big Bird!".  


Well wonder of wonders... Two weeks ago the Nacagdoches RC club hosted an aviation day at the local airport and invited the entire town to attend.  They even had a full scale plane towing a banner around town to advertise.  They put a flyer in my store and invited all modelers to attend and bring any plane, any size.  Just come and fly with us!!  So I called them up and asked them if we could fly control line at their event.  They said "sure, bring it on"!  So I told all of the control line troops to gather up all of their stuff cause we is goin to invade Nacogdoches.  We piled into two vans and headed South with planes, fuel, starters and other implements of destruction.


When we arrived the RC guys were there in force with their trucks, trailers, tents, and giant planes and giant stuff.  The problem is that the way they were set up spectators couldn't see anything.  The spectator line was set up so you had to look over their truck and past their trailer to even see the pits.  Hell you couldn't see a thing.  


Meanwhile we set up on the side away from them and without a spectator line.  We grabbed anyone that stood around more than 5 seconds and made them fly a 1/2 a trainer we brought in an effort to infect as many unsuspecting spectators as we could.  When we couldn't find any volunteers we dazzled them with our feats of control line skill and an occasional crash followed by howls of laughter and applause from all of the control line guys and spectators.  Pretty soon it became clear that the control line guys were having a lot more fun than the RC guys.  Before long we had the trainer plane going nonstop with kids, dads and even a few RC guys who wanted to see what it was all about.


Meanwhile other people in the crowd were picking up our planes and asking questions.  Heck we want you to touch them!!  In fact come and fly one, it's free!!  If you crash we'll all get to laugh!


Unknown to us a woman was taking pictures of all of this.  Next day was Sunday.  On the front page of the Nacogdoches Sunday morning paper, above the fold, in full color, was a picture that took up almost the entire paper above the fold.  Care to guess what the picture was???  Giant scale RC P51, nope.  Giant scale Cessna, nope.  Giant scale 3D plane hovering in a cloud of smoke, don't think so.  In fact no pictures at all of any RC plane.  The picture was of us flying control line!!


Now what do you think about that?


Let's go flyin!!


Your friend.


Gene

[Steve Helmick]

Oooohhhh...the R/C bods aren't gonna let 'em come again next year!  Steve

[Tom Niebuhr]

I hope not, but it would be just like some of them to not invite the CL guys again.

Here is what I said on the other forum:

Norm,

Thanks for sharing this.

While there are some fine people in RC, I have found over the years that many are impressed with themselves and brag about how much money they spend.

One noticed leadouts coming out of a wing tip and said: "Why don't you fly real airplanes?" I pulled out my pilots license (single and multi engine land, instrument, flight instructor) then I said to him "I do (fly real airplanes) do you?

I think the CL guys are the best to be with and I think we have more fun. Maybe some of the RC types will come back to where the fun is at.

Tom N

[Elwyn Aud]

I don't suppose there is an internet link to the article? Maybe somebody could scan it and post it here.

[Will Hinton]

First, WAY TO GO!!!
Second, TOM!  I love it - maybe I need to start carrying my tickets again.  (If I can find them, that is, it's been a looong time since I needed them.)
Will

[Norm Faith Jr.]

I don't suppose there is an internet link to the article? Maybe somebody could scan it and post it here.

Elwyn, I'll try and get the author of the original message to post the article.
Norm 

[stephen hollier]

This brings back memories. I lived in Beaumont Texas most of my lift until last year when I moved to Houston. I think it was 4 years ago in Beaumont we had an event called Flight Fest at the local airport. Leading up to the event I was on local news several times for interviews regarding control line airplanes. The day of the event we had our own control line circle and RC guys were flying on one of the runways. If I had to guess 300 plus people showed up for the event (spectators). RC guys brought their big 3D planes which well out number the control line pilots of 6. The greatest experience ever when you see a 3D plane going through all these high tech maneuvers, and spectators watching in amazement, but as soon as a control line plane fires up the crowed of about 50 plus people stopped watching RC, and crowed around the control line circle to watch us perform. It was truly a great moment for me.

Best regards,

[Hoss Cain]

Now what do you think about that?

Let's go flyin!!

Your friend.

Gene

I think that is great. Actually there are a number of folks coming back to Control line flying. here in the Houston area, Scobee field, west side a Harris County facility is getting busy again.

Carl Chapman ( carlchapman33@hotmail.com ) is authoring a CL newsletter.

From that NL:"FUN FLY & CLINIC by SCOBEE CONTROLINERS - Sun Nov.1, 2009- 8:00 AM thru 5:00 PM by H/SCL   Pattern Judges, Flight Trim, Power Train and Engine Run Clinics.
 
Yes, a lot of RCers are real pains in the Buxx Hole, however there are many more that are really good guys and when they see CL models operate they are very interested. At Jetero RC Club's very big (65 pilots /35,000.00 Yankee dollars worth of awards, etc.) IMAC event last weekend of Sep, Mike Wilcox, club member and as "mean" with RC Combat as with CL FAI Combat { a former world champion} and a buddy put on a lunch time exhibition of CL FAI combat. The crowd, like ALL, were very happy to see it. Heard lots of WOWs and no complaints.

Now, don't tell me that there is not a whole lot of conceited CL Stunt Fliers because I did that for a number of years in late '50s and into early '70s. I was also Manpower Director for the last Navy Nats, Glenview NAS in 1972 which was done with NO Navy personnel, just the base to use. I also had that job in '73 at Oshkosh besides being the Assistant CL Category Director under Bob Vojslavek. (sp?)
There was just not anyone as difficult as about 10 prima-donnas in the Open CL Stunt.  

Off soap box: IMO CL has a good future. Back on soapbox. It would help if a lot of the CL community started hosting CL Fly-Ins like RC clubs do where it is just a get together and fly without that "I gotta' win" syndrome all over their face such as in a contest.
Off again:   With the onslaught of electric power I foresee a future of CL again being flown on many schoolgrounds, etc. like when I was a teenager.

Stephen, if you're still a CLer, you are in a good place. Houston Sport-Flyers, (NW side) has a CL circle, maybe 2 now, and Jetero can have a grass one if I will maintain it. Gettin' around to it!!!  

[John Castle]

Off soap box: IMO CL has a good future. Back on soapbox. It would help if a lot of the CL community started hosting CL Fly-Ins like RC clubs do where it is just a get together and fly

This and maybe a beginners forum on a certain popular CL website. Hint, Hint, Hint. 

[Matt Colan]

That's great!!!!!  In my aviator's club, which flies real airplanes (only met once so far), and I am going to talk to one of the guys that run it, and see if grandpa and I could do a demo for RC and CL (we haven't flown RC in 3 years).  hopefully he will say yes, so maybe we could fly there.  And what also makes it nice is the fact that the airport doesn't have very much air traffic.

I too would like to see the article.

[stephen hollier]

I have been flying control line sense I was 10 years old I now 34. I do fly in Houston Dee Rice and David. We fly at an RC field which I bought an RC trainer and enjoy flying it as well. I rather fly Control line nothing feels so real.

[Paul Taylor]

I would like to meet Gene.

Try this link...

http://www.dailysentinel.com/search/content/news/stories/2009/10/04/airport_open_house_100409.html

[Dick Pacini]

Great story.  I can remember what I used to say to all the RC guys who used to jerk my chain about C/L Stunt.  I would point out that any bozo could do loops 300 feet in the air, but all of C/L Stunt is flown between 5 and 60 feet off the ground.  That would really get them thinking.

[Ward Van Duzer]

Is this the same Norm Faith that harrassed Jim McNeill (free flight modeller and AMA Vice Pres. Dist. V) and Ward Van Duzer (C/L Flyer, and reporter as Assoc. VP Dist. V) and eventually hijacked the Dist V web site?

W.

[John Ashford]

Hey Norm,

I haven't been able get ahold of Joe but it looks like I'm about a 95% probable show for your contest.  Going to fly Advanced PA, Classic and P-40.  I would rather not judge any but if you need someone, I'll step up to the plate.  Don't know for sure but think RO and Eddie, Ann and Les Demmitt are planning on being there along with several of the Dallas bunch.  I won't know about me for a few days but lookin' good so far if Joe and Nan can put up with me a few days. 

Later,  John

[john e. holliday]

How could they refuse such a lovable kid like you. LL~DOC Holliday