The Prattville Pilots and Significant Others
L-R Kneeling Front: Dan Dougherty, Jeff Owens, Bernie Olson, Ken VandenBosch and Duane Wilson
Rear: John Wolfe, Mike and Julie Clements, Debbie and Greg Hoke, Jim and Bobbie Johns, Charlie Johns,
Teri Rector and David Johnson, Bruce Underwood, Jerry Black, CD Jamie Strong, Victor Diaz, Jim Strong and Keith Watson

---

PRATTVILLE, AL............CD Jamie Strong published a week or so prior to the 26th & 27th of August evidence of his and the Fountain City Flyers excellent preparation for this event.  The flight order was already prepared from the preregistered pilots:

These are the volunteers that put the event on:

L to R: Tom Kennedy, Mickey Avery, Jamie Strong, Ray Kunert, Gerry Singleton

Those guys (and some others ) declared, "if we put on a 1st class event, they'll come from afar" - Look:

Bernie Olson's Texas Dodge loaded with RC airplanes

Michael Clements Automobile

These two drove 11 to 12 hours to sample the Alabama hospitality in Prattville and were amply rewarded for their efforts.

Bernie Olson's home is Hudson Oaks, TX where he belongs to both the Ft. Worth and Weatherford RC Clubs.  Bernie (photo above) flies a BLUE ANGEL which he says is a kit by EUREKA, powered by an OS 65 2S turning a 12/8 prop.  He said the drive consumed 11 1/2 hours, WX was good, was about 670 miles.

Above is Texan Michael Clements from Mesquite, TX.  Mike is in the Dallas RC Club,  He and Mrs. spent 3 days at the Gulf and were going to visit his Dad in Florence, AL after the contest on Sunday evening. 

Pre contest publicity warned of HOT weather in Prattville this time of year, and that was gospel, heat indices were said to exceed 100F by the Montgomery weather station.  FC Flyers provided readily accessible 110V AC plugs for cooling by electric fans like this - Jim "cooling it" at FCF Field

That comfy "Privvy" is air-conditioned...you sit here while relieving....in air conditioned comfort:

I don't think the host club could have done anything else to improve the comfort of their guests!

Friday afternoon, it was sort of "strange".....two models went in due to what the owners of the crashed models deemed due to a "brown-out", which is defined as an unexplainable loss of control.  Charlie Johns lost his COMPENSATOR and Jamie Strong lost his 3D practice model, an OSIRUS.  Both went in very near the same place, about 150 feet in front of them and both were on approach.

The pit area in Prattville faces almost due East, but presented no problem since flying can be 90 degrees to either side of the main runway with no problem since nothing but farmland is adjacent to the field on all 4 sides.  Flying both days started promptly and finished on schedule. 

Let me tell you about this guy:  David Johnson (L)

 

See the bill folded in his left hand.  That's $50.00 for the SPORTSMANSHIP award.  David and Teri drove their motor home 12 hours from Knoxville, TN to the contest arriving about 11 PM Friday night.  Something happened to their 80's model motor home, it quit enroute, wouldn't get fuel to the carb.  David being a mechanic, surmized it was the "lift pump" and pulled a "McGYVER" by filling a 5 gal can with gas from the tank, placing a pick-up hose in that can close to the carburetor and it would run for about 45 miles, then the same procedure was repeated.

At the contest, his KAOS crashed in round one.  He and Terry repaired it overnight Saturday night and he completed rounds 4 and 5 on Sunday.  With this kind of hard luck and with his "sticktoitiveness", FCF determined he and Terry were indeed deserving of the award!

There's a "jokester" somewhere....see the OIL-BLOB under the electric motor?

The scores appear elsewhere.  Let me share a little "spin-trick" from Charlie Johns..look at his KAOS:

See the "up" elevator and the ailerons are "UP' also?  Charlie found he was having difficulty getting the KAOS to fall into a stall and a nifty spin.....so, he programmed a "mix" into his transmitter, allowing him to switch this mix in for his SPIN maneuver.  The ailerons become two big SPOILERS causing the decreased "lift" to make the wing stall much easier and quicker than without them.  Neat, huh?

 

Duane Wilson didn't even leave Asheville, NC for the contest til mid afternoon Friday because he was working on his newest model.  Look:

It's from EUREKA models.  Finish is Klass Kote Power OS 914S.  Should be ready for Alabaster, AL Masters.

Duane touched your PIO's emotions when he showed his "memoir" from the only SERMA contest in history:

 

While we enjoyed the lunch break on Saturday, Mike Williams flew his JET:

Vic Diaz cooling the jet just after Mike landed.  Mike said "that one pass was the LEGAL speed limit.."wink"-"wink"!

We got a look at Victor Diaz's new ARF KOMET from Skyaviations.com...lookee:

Vic says, "needs just a bit more power.  This one is a Leomotion motor - 700KV 11/7 APC electric prop. Less than 1100 watts. SPA allows 1400 watts.  7 lbs ready to fly.  Vic is rep for the company.  Now is available from Germany, shipping from there runs about  $85.00.  Hope to have it available for shipping from the US soon.  More info on: classicpattern.com.

Let me conclude with "hats off" to the Fountain City Flyers for the completeness of their hospitality, even to:

ROSES for Wives and Girlfriends.  Was this not the GREATEST?

Bernie Olson won the $50 for driving the fartherest.  David Johnson, as above, for the SPORTSMANSHIP, and the wireless headset (for listening while riding) for the wife that rode the farthest:

Mrs. Julie Clements (Mrs. Michael)

FC Flyers, you're like a seasoned smooth wine, "just better with age"...you recall, Jamie said at the briefing:

"if we left out anything to insure your' comfort, sorry, it's only cuz we didn't think of it"!

Fountain City Flyers, "it was PERFECT". 

Bruce Underwood, PIO