Ben Oliver Memorial
Knoxville, TN
May 18-19, 2013

When the odds are “bad weather”, cancer surgery for Mrs. CD, all the bad things the SPA East had encountered leading to the cancellation of it’s two initial contests...the 3rd one was the CHARM!

The week-end of May 18 & 19 was a genuine joy contesting at the “most scenic site in the South”. Warren Oliver and fellow KCRC clubbers just “took the bull by the horn” when it was learned that it may have to be cancelled due to Mrs. Carolyns very serious surgery scheduled for Friday. (She came through it well, and the surgeon was optimistic about the success, which will be verified in about a week by a lab test). We know and pray it’ll be confirmation of the surgeons’ feeling.

Friday afternoon saw some sunshine and pleasant temps (the calm before the storms) and several of us took advantage of it with “trim” flights and socializing. Friday night is when the lightening flashed and the thunder rolled and the skies poured buckets and buckets of rain. Fog at the site, about 1150 feet according to Oliver, delayed the start, but between showers the cloudy sky provided the ideal backdrop for pleasant flying. No sunshine in the eyes which would have been the case had it been clear. Wind never exceeded 10 MPH except during the thunderstorms.

B Novice came into play with newcomers Bill Leonard and Andy Keeley both getting their first taste of SPA Competition. Bill with an ARF and Andy flew an Ugly-Stik. Both were nervous but, who of us isn’t?

Friday afternoon, after practice, the Nesslers, in Dad’s brand new Chevy were negotiating one of the severe curves to the field when another vehicle, with a very young jockey was apparently going too fast for the wet conditions, applied his brakes and slid into the Nessler car. No one injured, but the Nessler car halted just shy of a precipice with a drop of many feet. Whew!

One of the highlights of Friday and all day Saturday was to visit and chat with Mr. Rhea Starnes, 88 in October of this year. Vic Koenig convinced him to ride from Kingsport, TN with him, a great gesture. Warren even had him judge a round on Saturday.

One of the worst casualties of the week-end was the loss of Mr. Ken Antos' DB. He confessed to reaching for the “trim” on the throttle during the final approach and inadvertently allowing his finger to shut off the xmttr switch. He said “by the time I realized it had gone to fail-safe and turned the transmitter back on, I lost sight of it behind the trees. Some boaters retrieved the model from the Tennessee River below.

The Saturday night feast was at famed Calhouns Rib Restaurant. For years this restaurant held the title of the “best ribs in the USA”. Food and model fellowshipping, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Mike Robinson, despite terrible sinus condition, worked like a KCRC clubber rather than flying on Saturday, then brought his Daddy Rabbit back and put in two rounds on Sunday. This was just an example of the type of support Warren received, and he was quick to acknowledge his supporters at the awards ceremony.

The raffle prize, one of Warren’s late Dad’s Southern RC Compensator kits, in the original box went home, by air, in the Cessna Skylane Jeff and Linda Owens of Florida came in. Jeff defined the skirting of numerous storms during the flight back to Gatorland on Sunday. Not only is Jeff an outstanding model pilot, but excellent full-scale skipper as well.

I must comment on the EXPERT class. I have judged USA Team selections, TOC, many regionals, etc. and honestly do not recall seeing such precision as the five experts in this contest presented. Jeff Owens, while judging with me commented, “it’s just hard to find errors when these guys fly”. Thanks experts (all for that matter), for your participation and giving us such perfect demos of exact execution. You are certainly worth of your class name........EXPERTS.

Just as we departed, the heaven’s just erupted with torrents, but, weren’t they kind enough to allow a tremendous weekend of what we enjoy doing the most. East will resume June 22 & 23rd in Andersonville, GA.

KCRC, Mr. Ben Oliver would be proud of his honors and your efforts to make them REAL!

Bruce Underwood, PIO

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