Thought that I would post a few pics of Scobee Field in January. One of the great things about Houston is the flying all year round. Dale Gleason came down from Dallas for triming session and Frank McMillan came over from San Antonio to do a little practice. Dee Rice had his Oriental Plus and Ringmaster out for a bit of flying as well. Richard Oliver and myself did a little roundy round too.
Flying Stunt in January
Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 15 of 15 known posts recovered
Wow! You are fast, John. You got these pics on SSW before I got home. Thanks for the help with the flap tweaking, prop pitching, and just good time in general. My best to all, dale g
Boy, I wish we had a site like that. But then, it would probably be under water right now anyway.
Sigh...
Nice planes, though.
Randy Powell
Randy Powell was saying, in an admiring/envying mode:
>Boy, I wish we had a site like that. But then, it would probably be under
>water right now anyway.
>
>Sigh...
>
Of course, he doesn't know that George Bush Park is within the flood-water plain in Barker Dam conservation area and gets flooded regularly in many of that city's frequent heavy rains. It drains off rapidly, but the tall mud chimneys thrown up by the crawdads living underground are a giveaway about the ground water a few inches under the surface!
The aerobatics pilots fly off pavement. But the combat guys have to wade through a drainage ditch or take the long way around from cars to circles on a sizable percentage of their flying sessions! Then there is the boggy soil to contend with. Those hardy souls have started carrying 18" by 36" carpet scraps, welcome mats, or bathroom floor rugs to kneel on.
.
Kiwi
**
phantomflier · Jan 12, 2004 02:06 PM
#6 source
Kiwi;
Come on now, the difference between wading the ditch and taking the concrete walkway is only 80 ft or so. The grass circles are raised 6 to 8 inches above the ground level and have a concrete center for the pilot the ground might be wet after a rain but not mud. Notice the standing water the stunt guys have to avoid when not on the circle, there isn't a similar retaining pond by the grass circles.
Come on now, the difference between wading the ditch and taking the concrete walkway is only 80 ft or so. The grass circles are raised 6 to 8 inches above the ground level and have a concrete center for the pilot the ground might be wet after a rain but not mud. Notice the standing water the stunt guys have to avoid when not on the circle, there isn't a similar retaining pond by the grass circles.
Don't think that most combat fliers would be happy flying over concrete or asphalt anyway.
>Kiwi;
>Come on now, the difference between wading the ditch and taking the
>concrete walkway is only 80 ft or so. The grass circles are raised 6
>to 8 inches above the ground level and have a concrete center for the
>pilot the ground might be wet after a rain but not mud. Notice the
>standing water the stunt guys have to avoid when not on the circle,
>there isn't a similar retaining pond by the grass circles.
>
At either end of the (there goes that Senior Moment thing again -- that roofed slab -- the name of which just flew out one ear) "OK it's a pavillion" and between it and the grass circles there certainly are boggy/muddy stretches that take longer to dry than most of the area. But the gate to the grass circles is past the end of the paved parking area, and the amount of gear moved from car to pits can be sizable, especially for a contest. Take the 80 feet, which could be more than that, and double that for each trip back and forth, then probably double it again for the second trip from car to pits or to where you put your own tent, or where you staked a spot under the roof.
>Come on now, the difference between wading the ditch and taking the
>concrete walkway is only 80 ft or so. The grass circles are raised 6
>to 8 inches above the ground level and have a concrete center for the
>pilot the ground might be wet after a rain but not mud. Notice the
>standing water the stunt guys have to avoid when not on the circle,
>there isn't a similar retaining pond by the grass circles.
>
At either end of the (there goes that Senior Moment thing again -- that roofed slab -- the name of which just flew out one ear) "OK it's a pavillion" and between it and the grass circles there certainly are boggy/muddy stretches that take longer to dry than most of the area. But the gate to the grass circles is past the end of the paved parking area, and the amount of gear moved from car to pits can be sizable, especially for a contest. Take the 80 feet, which could be more than that, and double that for each trip back and forth, then probably double it again for the second trip from car to pits or to where you put your own tent, or where you staked a spot under the roof.
>Don't think that most combat fliers would be happy flying
>over concrete or asphalt anyway.
>
A lot of them would enjoy a second dry crossing of the ditch closer to the second gate. I doubt that many remember it, but there were times and places in the distant past when combat was held over pavement. It was early times when that happened, so I suspect only the likes of James Mears, Marvin Denny, and Riley Wooten, of those I know, would remember such contests. 
.
Kiwi
**
As you can see this is a great flying site! Just a few more pics from my camera. Dale came to visit and trim new plane and get my advice on running his new 65 Ro-Jett. We had lots of fun and I enjoyed Dale's visit. Dee Rice was flying his Oriental Plus (Stunt News article) and I was flying my Rattler of which I posted construction pics of earlier in the summer. Dale's new plane is a UHP kit Impact and I am really getting to like these airplanes as this is the second one (Frank Williams 1st one)at our field in the last year. Note the Dallas launch on Dee's plane from Dale. Also as this was trimming day for Dale I had the video camera out to show Dale what we were seeing from the outside of the circle that he can not see from the inside.
Trimming is truly a friend or buddy affair. Trim Guru for us is John Hill (aka Mustang) and his watchful eye is needed to translate what he sees to what is needed to correct. Frank McMillan was there as well with his new classic for VSC and John's watchful eye for advice.
You can not see from the pics clearly but there are 2 full circles to fly from and 3 grass circles with pads. Room for 1/2 a dozen more if needed. Open runway air most of the time. If you can make the Houston contest we would be glad to have you.
Stephen get you b--t over and trim that new plane! Looking forward to Windy coming this May with some guys form the North to fly at the Texarkana contest. Windy and I will be giving clinics on building, painting, engines, props. Try to make it. John Gunn really puts on a fun weekend.
Richard Oliver
Trimming is truly a friend or buddy affair. Trim Guru for us is John Hill (aka Mustang) and his watchful eye is needed to translate what he sees to what is needed to correct. Frank McMillan was there as well with his new classic for VSC and John's watchful eye for advice.
You can not see from the pics clearly but there are 2 full circles to fly from and 3 grass circles with pads. Room for 1/2 a dozen more if needed. Open runway air most of the time. If you can make the Houston contest we would be glad to have you.
Stephen get you b--t over and trim that new plane! Looking forward to Windy coming this May with some guys form the North to fly at the Texarkana contest. Windy and I will be giving clinics on building, painting, engines, props. Try to make it. John Gunn really puts on a fun weekend.
Richard Oliver
>triming session and Frank McMillan came over from San
>Antonio to do a little practice. Dee Rice had his Oriental
>Plus and Ringmaster out for a bit of flying as well. Richard
>Oliver and myself did a little roundy round too.
>Antonio to do a little practice. Dee Rice had his Oriental
>Plus and Ringmaster out for a bit of flying as well. Richard
>Oliver and myself did a little roundy round too.
I think a lot of us would appreciate some warm weather right about now. The Northeast is bracing for a second round of the Alberta Clipper mid week.
Just out of curiosity, who is the builder of the Werwage Vulcan?
v/r - Bob Kruger
The Vulcan belongs to Frank. We were triming it in preparation for VSC. It really is a nice flying airplane. We has discussed possibly scaling it up a bit for a piped 61.
John H.
Hey Mustang I'am going to come fly with you guys just as soon I get the Buccanner 740 done maybe you guys can help me with trimming it out.
Sure come on. We are out at Scobee most every weekend, weather permitting that is. We are usually there most any Sunday and sometimes on Saturday. Drop one of us a line and let us know when you are comming. Steve Millet comes over from Baton Rouge every once in while too.
JH
It's really nice to see Dee Rice back in action. His original Oriental article made a big impact on us when I was a kid.
John Sunderland · Jan 13, 2004 12:33 AM
#12 source
Go ahead fellas...rub it in! Arent you guys do for a hurricane or something?
Sunderland
Hey Dee,
Hope you are coming up to Tucson for VSC. I am here now enjoying the sun away from the Pacific Northwest. Got the Stuka flying now and starting to trim it out. Got pushed out by the storms in my Lancair. Pat Johnston had to put up with me for one night then escaped to Tuscon on the second leg. The the road trip was a similar experience driving 500 miles through snow and ice but got ahead of the second storm south of Salt Lake.
Bob Smiley