I entered Team Scale with my Balsa USA 33% Ercoupe. I was already pre-qualified for the 2008 Championships on the basis of my 4^th place win in the 2007 Championships, but I wanted to get more experience in competing in scale meets.

About a week before the meet, our team pilot, Carl Lindou, realized that the Corona Club, of which he is president, was holding a big fly-in the same weekend, so he could not fly the coupe. Calling around, I found that Dan Egelhoff was free, as the plane he usually flies, Larry Klingberg’s 50% Farman Moustique, was not entered in the qualifier. Dan very graciously agreed to fly the Ercoupe in our Team Scale Entry, so we practiced at our field on the preceding Wednesday. We found a few squawks on the plane, which I fixed before the meet started on Friday.

The turnout was very sparse, as few had an incentive to qualify for the Championships, which will be held in Sarasota, Florida in October. Only six airplanes flew, with one more that got static judging only. There were only two entries in Team Scale, our Ercoupe and a beautiful Waco. The Waco was the one that got static judging only, and did not fly, so we automatically got first place in Team Scale. However, we did fly all five rounds, with a very respectable final score.

Oscar and Dan with the Coupe and prize plaques

Some of the beautiful planes that did compete are shown in the accompanying photos. The raffle was great and the food was outstanding, especially the hot dogs. The weather was fine, and the hard-working Model Masters and Scale Masters are to be complimented on a well-run meet.

Posing at break time for the Spectators

This gorgeous Waco was the other Team Scale entry, but did not fly

A lovely winner - a Larry Wolf Crusader Turbo Jet 

It looked, sounded, and even smelled like a full-scale jet.

Mel Santmyer's Stinson had gyro trouble, but survived

Dave Johnson entered this racer and flew up a storm

Tony Kameen's beautiful MkXIV Spitfire

In addition to winning a nice plaque, there was another very important benefit for me that resulted from attending this event. I was introduced to Ron Peterka, from Ramona, who will be driving his RV to Florida for the Championships. Ron made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse! He has some extra room in his motor home, and he offered to transport my huge, 10-ft. wing span, Ercoupe to Florida and back! And this is despite the fact that I will be competing in Team Scale against Ron and his Stinson.

I have been considering this trip, because we have many old friends and relatives in Florida that we can visit after the meet. Some of the other problems have been solving themselves. We have friends from Riverside who moved to Sarasota a couple of years ago. The husband is taking up RC and belongs to the club that is hosting the Championships. He says that they can see the planes flying at the model airstrip from their driveway! The wife is a good Mahjongg-playing friend of my wife, Doris. They have invited us to stay with them during the meet. The ladies can do girl-stuff while we boys play with our toys.

Another friend lives close, in Fort Myers, and has all the support stuff, starters, gas cans, etc. that I will need, (Ron also offered the use of his equipment.) This other friend, Charlie Yuster, an old Brooklyn Sky-Scraper like me, also lined me up with an expert local pilot, who flies at Top Gun (which incidentally is held at the same field). We also probably have enough frequent flier miles to get to Florida and back almost for free, so things are beginning to look promising.

An old acquaintance competing in the qualifier was ex-member Tony Kameen, with a gorgeous Mk XIV Spitfire. I was chatting with Tony and he mentioned that he had two models in the March Field Air Museum, and that he had in the past offered to repair and restore other models for the Museum. I alerted the museum management that this offer still stands. Goodness knows, we have enough models there that need work.

While on that subject, I want to be sure that our members know about two events at the Museum. There is the big March Field Air Show, with the Thunderbirds, on May 3-4. You can park at the Museum and view the show from the west side of the runway, in a relatively un-crowded environment, for a modest fee. Also, there is a new exhibit, called "To the Stars", about the Russian Space Program. It will be there until September.

I think that Dan and Tony and Ron and Charlie, and the other Florida folks, exemplify the basic decency and generosity of our nation-wide aeromodelling fraternity. We are lucky to be in such an outstanding group.

Oscar