So, what has made you stunt?

Can you share why flying stunt is so appealing to you? How did you get envolved in flying control-line stunt. What made you stick with it?

To stunt or not to stunt,
That is NO question.
To stunt has always been
And still, the only answer!

Steven Yampolsky

P.S. Apologies for mrudering Shaeksperian poetry.

Well at our field we have a lot of good fliers, but what really got me hooked on the pattern was watching Ken Tysor fly his Strega. Watching him fly the pattern to such a high level of precision was inspiring. The other point was his willingness to help me trim my Twister and provide suggestions to help me improve. Ever since that time I have been practicing like crazy.

I tried to fly a Wen mac when I was about 7 years old. The guy who lived next door gave it to me. Next was about 6 years later when I heard an airplane over at the ball park. The "Dad" and his sons were flying BIG airplanes. The son became my best friend, and the "Dad" taught me to fly. I was always hooked on flying, and building. Guess it was the "times", but it has stuck with me for 40 odd years.
In later years I did get a lot of "strange looks" for playing with "toy airplanes", but it doesn't matter to me.
(I guess it's because I'm about 6'2" 275, and an ex-college middle LB/power lifter)
I LOVE IT!!
Bill <><

Bill, was that a Wen Mac "Little Bonanza" by any chance? I got one of those for selling about a bazillion "all occasion greeting cards", and my brother, Dad, and I promptly took it out and crashed it thoroughly. I don't think we ever managed a complete lap!

Later Dad got us a Cox P40 (the GOOD ONE, not the little crappy one they have now..) and we ultimately learned to fly with that ENGINE..

That was about 1960.. (Yes, I'm ancient - very old..)

[photo not recovered: 3e69bb3870f12ad5.jpg]

"You're just jealous because the voices are only talking to ME.."

Dang, Larry, I forgot to mention your name as one of the guys that have

been of great help to me!!!

God bless you, my brother!

Ion

"Don't trade what you most want the for want you want now!"

Ya know, Bill,

Folks really like you!

Last time a guy pulled that "I'm leaving the forum" stunt we all said:

Yeah! Go!! Good bye!! Get lost!!!

But when you, Bill Little, did it, I never saw such a show of a**

kissing!

"Are you nuts, Bill?"

"Don't go Bill!"

"Stay Bill!"

"What did we do wrong Bill??"

BTW, I was one of the guys that asked you to stick around.

God bless you, and..

Don't worry about the cart goin' mule till you loaded the blind!

Thanks Ion, and glad to see you back.
Bill <><

My Dad was (is) a modeler and was involved in all three diciplines. He flew very early CL after the war and RC in the early 50's and Free FLight always. When I came along it was , according to my Mom, airplanes from the very beginning. I learned CL at 6 years on Dad's shoulders flyng a Spitzy powered Firebaby and RC rudder only when I was about 8. Dad had long since quit competing but we went every year to the Michigan State Meet at the Ford test track in Dearborn. I flew Free Flight gas but always ran to the circles to watch stunt, speed and combat. The stunt models of the 50's were those of my dreams, I could imagine myself climbing into a Lichliter Balerina and flying the pattern. Noblers, Smoothies, Strathmoors, and all the I-beam variants polished to a gloss that caused blinding flashes as the turned through maneuvers in the sun. I remember trying to make the shapes in the rule book with my Buster, the first "big" stunter I ever built. I still have 8mm film of a meet at the Hastings MI. airport about 1963 and I shrink down to the kid I was then when I watch it, totally fascinated by the smooth precision of a well built and flown stunter. I never did compete, I guess I never got to a point where I felt competent enough, besides, I was starting to have success in FF and my attentions were drawn more and more in that direction (and chicks). Beside that when the 70s came the airplanes got ugly (to me) with their axe head wingtips and swoopie rudders, canopies on top of the engine where they could never be in reality. When I saw the pictures of the first VSC it was magic, there were "MY" stunters, flying again and calling me. So, sucker that I am, I got involved again with a little success but without enough time to do any serious practice. Funny thing is, when I'm in the middle of the circle and that Veco Chief or Nobler is at the end of the lines nobody can tell that I'm 14 again for 8 or so minutes. I still can't come close to the percision I saw back then or now, but man, I just love these models! The doppler effect as they fly the circle amd hearing the engines upshift and down shift like there was a switch somewhere the pilot was clicking as he pumps the handle making the model dance through the pattern.

Hey, what's not to love??

Beautiful, Randy!

OK, Steve,

Now the serious answer:

I was just fooling aroud (just sport flying) with an RD-1 that was too darn tail heavy.

Some guy told me to call Eneas, my future coach and ask him for help.

I called him, went to his house, and he gave me some advice on how to

lighten the ship's tail.

When I was getting ready to thank him and leave, he said to me:

"If you want to learn stunt I can teach you all"

I thought: "What a conceited son of a gun!"

At that moment I saw a small stunter hangin' on his wall, and I kinda

"dared" him to come with me to the field and show me some flying.

He was without a car, but I had my wheels, and he agreed.

We had to stop by my place to get a glow battery, and I drove to the field.

He fired up this Veco .19, I launched the little ship for him, and..

I had never seen such kind of flying in my life!!!

He didn't do the pattern, he just monkeyed around, but he could put

that plane wherever it pleased him! My jaw dropped...

He became my coach, and taught me his way of doing a wingover, that I still use.

He also told me to practice all new maneuvers at home with the

handle.

He called it "dry practice"...

I still do that with the pattern. It works!

The RD-1 had been built with lousy plans. I called Bob Hunt, and he

gave me some more advice, and...

Two weeks later I got a surprise!

In my mailbox there was a brand new set of plans for the RD-1 with

the FM article on it, with a note by Bob, saying how he was glad to

meet a new friend! I still keep and cherish those plans, and that did

it!

I am also (a lot) indebted to Len (my stunt pastor), Brett Buck, Ted and lately, Scott.

Plus all the "Stuka Stunt Gang", John Lowry, Old Sourdough, Randy,

Currell Pattie, Paul, Dave, Randy Smith, John Miller, Walter Umland,

Cy, Jake, Bill Little and so many others...

I'm being unfair with the ones I didn't happen to mention!

You guys are the "culprits" for my addiction!

Thats my story...

God bless you!

Steven, I think Shakespeare wrote it different way, I think:

F2B|!2B

Watching Bob Gialdini perform demo flights in my hometown (Horicon, WI) back in the early '60s. I never forgot the beauty and precision. When I got back to the hobby in the early '90s, there was no question where I was going.

Usually, Bob judges Adv/Exp at the Milwaukee Circlemasters' contest. I always feel honored to have him judge my flights.

>Can you share why flying stunt is so appealing to you? How
>did you get envolved in flying control-line stunt. What made
>you stick with it?
>

Steve: I'm STILL trying! Haven't succeeded yet--a glutton for punishment, I suppose.

Oh Oh Colonel--Look out the window--It's coming BACK!

I have been involved with just about every form of model aircraft, plus boats and cars. Often professionally. I currently have four RC designs on the market that are in kit form or ARF, and others in the past.

But I fly precision aerobatics for my own pleasure. Why? YOU CAN FEEL THE PLANE! It is a true hands-on experience. RC guys will look at you funny and deny it when you tell them that RC response is remote and slow. When I go back and fly some RC, I have to change my responses to anticipate the delay in aircraft response, and re-aquaint myself with having only eye contact with the model's performance.

Despite the comparatively limited flying space, greater risk to the aircraft (RC aerobatics doesn't require 5 foot pull-outs), and only 2-D control, it is a very up-close and personal experience for me. I actually have more ready-to-go-fly RC planes than CL, but haven't touched them in several years. It is likely to stay that way

Simply because CL was the thing to do in the late 50s. And, once you started flying, there always were people, out at the flying field, who flew much better than you. Currell

On an early spring day in the late 1960's I sat in the bleachers at the local airport and watched Art Scholl's patriotic Super Chipmunk taxi down to the end of the runway. After a dramatic pause during which I envisioned all kinds of important things going on in the cockpit, the stubby red nose turned to line up with the centerline and the power and smoke came on at the same time. As the announcer got us all wound up and leaning forward, the tail came up and the Chipmunk gathered speed. Pretty soon it was coming closer and the airplane drifted slightly up off the ground into ground effect and the gear began to retract back into the wings.

As Art went past show center, the nose pitched up and the airplane rolled inverted right there in front of us, right in the middle of the take off, right down the runway centerline and then proceeded to climb out to a 90/270 turn around, all the time with the fin, rudder and canopy hanging off the bottom of the airplane.

For the next 12 minutes or so, the growling geared 260 Lycoming dragged the red white and blue Super Chipmunk around the airspace inside the confines of the runway and just on the other side of the center line, pouring huge volumes of white airshow smoke into the blue spring sky and doing things that until then I would not have believed an airplane could be made to do.

[photo not recovered: G-Scholl.jpg]

The whole affair was like a trapeze act (not a ballet) as Art would spend moments at one end of the field or another in a towering hammerhead or tailslide, poised on his little platform of thrust before pivoting and diving back down into the gravity well to turn the potential energy into bright kinetic flashes of color, swirls of smoke, crescendos of engine/prop noise and dazzeling demonstrations of pure airmanship. Towards the end, he went out and circled around, probably just to get us all really watching for what came next, and then dived back in towards the airport, poping the tip smoke. Coming in fast and low, Art pitched the chip up to a 45, established his line, intitiated a roll to the left going up and losing speed. At the right moment, he converted the roll into an outside snap and after a couple of incomprehensble convoutions the airplane arrived at the apex of a ballistic curve, tumbling freely end over end in pitch, totally out of the realm of normal aerodynamic flight.

The finale was a big center figure followed by a run down the centerline to the east, our right at which point Art pulled the straight up into the sky and let it coast to a complete halt, hanging momentarily on a flailing prop disc, before it slide backward down into it's own smoke. Eventually the nose flopped down and--unbelivable as it was to my eyes--Art pushed forward on the stick and began part of an outside loop right down to the deck. The nose came up slowly and the airplane gathered speed as it got lower and lower. Finally, Art got the nose up above the horizon in time for the airplane to come blustering down the runway inverted at about 15 feet or so. He'd made it! And just when you could not think anything could possibly be any more death defying or exciting or wonderful, he snagged a crepe paper ribbon from between a couple of poles with the vertical fin.

It was pure elan, total confidence and sensational showmanship.

I knew right then I wanted to be a Stunt pilot.

>Can you share why flying stunt is so appealing to you? What made
>you stick with it?

It's easy enough to get started, and at the same time it's challenging enough that you can never completely master it.

I know,

It't taken me a long time to respond to this thread, but I had to do some serious thinking about an answer. I'll bet that my answer could be echoed by a lot of folks on this forum. O.K. here my answer is: I have never been completely satisfied with ANY model I have ever build, or pattern that I have ever flown. When I finally do build the perfect model and fly the perfect pattern - and it happens where it really counts - like at the Nats or something, then I may consider retiring from the hobby. That's just consider retiring, I don't think that anything short of the reaper can remove me from this hobby ever again!

I got into building planes first on A Thermic "B" hand launch glider. It wasn't big enough so we graduated to a host of various Thermic tow-line gliders. After seeing most of these become lawn darts after coming off the tow I concluded that the only way to fly successfully was to have control all the time!?!? That was a interesting conclusion. I don't know if I have ever had control all of the time. Mostly what I do now is collect engines and kits, build a little and occasionally fly. I am just a sport flyer as I like doing different stunts with my planes rather then the same ones everyone else is doing. As long as I have this mentallity on stunt I will never be a competitor. However it doesn't mean that I don't admire you guys that do. Takes balls to fly over asphalt!

I started balsa modeling when I was six years old. I was doing figure eights lying on my back and scaling up the plans for Bob Gieseke's Nobler when I when I was 9 years old. Modeling is not what I do, it's who I am.

>How did you get envolved in flying control-line stunt.

The voices in my head told me to do it.

I agree that "thats all it takes for the rest of your life". In addition, it DOES take the rest of your life to get good!

I have been in and out of the hobby three times but I always seem to come back. I love to build and also love the challenge of the pattern. I tried R/C but I didnt get the thrill out of it I get from trying to fly a good stunt maneuver. Most of all I enjoy the people that fly stunt. I dont really know what the difference is but they are not the same as most of the R/C guys I have met. I dont think I ever met a stunt person I didnt like.

Neat questions.

Flying ANYTHING appeals to me, always has. So why stunt as opposed to the million other forms?

First model I ever built was c/l, little scientific Red Devil, never even got to fly it.

C/L always stuck around for me over R/C because it's way easier in the "fly twice every 4 years" category. I moved around a lot. I mention c/l vice stunt since I flew c/l planes for over 20 years before I EVER even attempted the pattern, or saw someone who could fly the pattern.

Which brings us to the clincher for me. That was Dave Sabon, Bob Brooks and Kevin Muckelroy in San Diego. It's the people, they happened to be flying stunt. Doesn't hurt that people this caliber are the rule rather than the exception. Hell, I'd probably stay in competition doily crocheting if the folks were half as good as my little stunt family...well, maybe if you could fly them!

Bob showed up at a Knights of the Round Circle contest, and he is one heck of a nice guy with great potential. His plane was both immaculate and featured take-apart construction so he could put it in his full-scale plane. The change in design was his own, and did not seem to reduce performance. I think he flew it at both the Palmer contest and at the Golden State Championships.

He is a person willing to listen and learn, improve and work. Not young, but (unfortunately) younger than most of us, and has potential to improve. Welcome to the "club" Bob!

At age 8 years I wanted a control line plane with an engine for my birthday. My parents told me I was not old enough and I would have to wait until I turned 9. I used to walk 4 miles to the hobby shop almost every week and stare at this prefabed silver jet with a spitfire .045. It was going to be my dream come true when I turned 9. I came from a poor family so when it came time to go to the hobby shop on my 9th birthday. My dad said why that little plane is $12.00 and you can get this Little Devil for $2.50 and the same engine for $4.00. So this little 9 year old went home with a new plane that I had to build and tears in my eyes. I have been angry at my dad ever since (just kidding). Flew until I got married. As I got older my brothers and I drifted apart. One day I was thinking of the fun we had as kids flying so I built a Banshee Profile and invited my two brothers to the flying field. We had a great time but again we drifted. I was invited to fly beginner by the local hobby shop. I have been having the time of my life and I love building. I'm not an expert flyer or builder but I love it. The challenge of it all. A nicely trimmed ship, the proper engine run. Always new building techniques, proper prop and plug and fuel, handle, line length. And everytime I finish a plane I think the next one will be better. I'm hooked

You need to get over being mad at your Dad. I suspect he did the best he could for you, you could have come home with nothing in your hands. Something to think about.........

Bill

P.S. Strikes me he might have done you a favor. Got you building didn't it????????? I don't know why but your story just plain makes me angry. You said you came from a poor family but you still got something for your 9th birthday didn't you? Whats to grump about? I wish my Dad was still here to talk to. He never shared my interest in planes or engines but never made me angry I didn't get what I wanted for my birthdays. Disappointed? Yes. But not so that I would feel the need to tell everyone in a open forum. You didn't get that pretty silver plane but you got the gift of building.

Hi Bill,
Naw, I'm not mad, but the 9 year old was. But then he was just a child and your right, he did me a favor and got me building. He came to the field many times to watch his kids fly. He taught us all how to do things the other kids in our neighborhood could not do (build). We learned to use our hands and he set standards for us to follow and showed us the proper way to use tools etc. and I can still remember trying to learn how to hook up the controls on that little 1/2a. When that 1st plane was done I was a happy camper and proud too. Yeah, I'm real proud of my dad he taught me to never be afraid of competition because it helps you to grow and learn and it teaches you self control and discipline. Competition always makes a good person better. Yeah, I was a pretty lucky kid. GRINS

Kirk,
I assume that the Charlie you speak of is Charlie Hillard. During the 1970's I worked for Red's Aircraft Service at Meacham Field, Ft. Worth, Texas, and was privilaged to know Charlie, as a customer, and I like to think a friend. What a fine man he was, and , since he was so humble, there was no way you could possibly know that he was a world champ, and maybe the best aerobatic pilot ever born. Hey, you had to read it somewhere, or have someone else tell you about it. At the time, I worked in Red's engine shop, and had the honor of overhauling the lycoming IO360A1A from Charlie's Pitts Special. That was a high point in my aviation career, and as you can see, I still like to tell everyone about it! I was so sad when he died, and even though we were not related, I still mourn for him today.

Yes Don Charlie Hillard is who I was speeking of. He was a fine man and as you said just a regular guy from looks alone. I met him for the first time at an air show in Fredricksburg Va. many moons ago. He was there as leader of the Eagles Aerobatic teem. At the time I was collecting hats and I approched him about getting an Eagles hat just like his. He told me that there were only three hats just like his and that each of the teem had one. Sure enough it was different from any other hat of the Eagles. He said he was sorry that I wouldn't be able to buy one, and at the same time he was saying that he leaned over and took Gene's hat out of the cockpit of his plane. He gave it to me and with a very serious tone in his voice, told me not to wear the hat at the show. I'm no idiot and it went right under my shirt. Good thing too as just then Gene came in the hanger to get his hat out of the plane! Whewwwwwww....

Many years later at dinner with Gene I fessed up to the caper. He wanted it back!!!

Do you think he got it?

Nope...I gave him one of my "Beauty and the Beast Wingwalking" hats.

>Cy,
>
> (I) always remember that I too now may be shaping
> the future of another child leaning on the fence.
>
>Kirk Wicker

Say it, Brother.

The flip side of my story came not so many years ago when I was at AT-6/SNJ school in Midland.

Years before I'd been airshow director of an airshow in San Diego and had managed to bring the Thunderbirds to town one year. This is heresy in the Navy Blue town of San Diego, but we won't go into that.

So in the airport lounge waiting for the flight back to Phoenix I ran into a couple of the other pilots, one of which was a young guy who made his living towing banners up and down the San Diego beaches in a 450 Stearman. We were kicking around and I asked him why he had decided to become a pilot.

I was rewarded with this long tale about how as a kid he had seen the one and only time the Thunderbirds came to town, made his way out to the flight line after the show and one of the Thunderbird pilots had put him in the cockpit of the T-38. It was a long story but the point was that he got totally fired up at that moment and it shaped the rest of his life.

I was struck by the fervor with which he still remembered the incident and the irony that his opportunity came as a result of a decision I made. His life was changed and I had never known the impact that airshow had on his life. Certainly there are many others like him I don't know. Art never knew how much he impressed me.

And so all of us have the chance to change a kid's life just by providing the encouragement and the vision and maybe a bit of handle time.

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The kid at VSC 2K3

---

For those who could not infer it, after I saw Art fly, the only outlet I could find to get started was controline. It followed directly from watching him fly that I would learn to build and eventually to fly controlline models -- the prime objective of which was to fly upside down and do such stunts as I could manage.

That's a great picture there CY....

John,

That All American Boy painted white with blue scallops by Scientific was actually quite maneuverable with the cub 049. In fact it was my first loop plane and wingovers and inverted was learned, very lazy eights. Flew that puppy off a 12 foot cardboard launch pad in the cow pasture with a stooge. Lots of fuel went through that motor and plane. One time I put a boat universal on the front for a washer. Hmmmmmm not good. Took off and flew that thing; the lines got caught by a thistle and the plane came at me and to this day I have a scar on my scalp where that universal joint attacked me. But then those were the days, weren't they? I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Bill

The Thermics were pretty popular. I built a Thermic 50 and like you; I was unable to successfully tow it into the sky. Alas something we did not learn about towline gliders in those days.

Bob Smiley
A Lancair 360 builder/pilot trying to be a modeler

Bob, I also built that Thermic 50 and a 50X. Then I went all out and built the Thermic 72. Same results and a bigger pile of parts to pick up. That was when I really learned the technique of "Re-kitting".

Pretty odd, the Thermic 72 is a wonderful flying glider, I built one at 12 and had several summers of fun with it.