Barcelona 2015
by Rich Lopez
richvon7@hotmail.com
I attended the 2015 World Cup competition in Barcelona, Spain, the last weekend in June. The Royal Aero Club of Barcelona has a wonderful permanent site on top of Montjuïc, not too far from the Plaza de España. From the site you can see most of the city, the airport, and some tourist sites. The Olympic Stadium of Barcelona is located across the street, and you can see the giant television and scoreboard from the Control Line (CL) Combat circle.
The active club is active and has the support of modelers from all of the disciplines. Modeling seems to be a family activity, with the spouses helping out with the organization, judging, and the pre-contest preparations.
The two main organizers, Marta and Manuel Mateo, are gracious hosts and make every effort to accommodate travelers from foreign countries. They made runs to the airport to collect the Russian competitors who spoke no Spanish.
Marta is friends with the manager of the four-star Catalonia Plaza Hotel and gets special rates. The hotel is located on the Plaza España, so a short taxi ride will get you to the flying site. You could also walk, although it is all uphill. The walk will take you past the National Art Museum and through a lovely park.
Should you want to participate in the future, Manuel’s contact information is in the “Sources” section. This is a golden opportunity to try your hand at international competition.
I had ordered models from Vasyl Yuvenko in Ukraine and had them sent to Manuel in Barcelona. The good-quality models were waiting for me when I arrived. I did have to pay a customs fee of 25 euros.
During the competition, many pilots leave their equipment in the clubhouse storage area. At the end of the competition, I sold the models, so there were no worries trying to pack them for a trip to the US.
Because I was the only American entered, I partnered with the British participants for help with pitting. Graham Ives, Harry Walker, and Gordon Price are all first-rate mechanics. Mike Whillance, Andrew Shields, and James Pinkerton rounded out the British contingent.
Having these people around made for some fun and entertaining evening meals for my family that was on vacation with me. Vernon Hunt and his wife, Pam, were also present. Vernon works as the circle marshal.
There were 26 pilots entered, and when all was said and done, Andrew Shields and Gordon Price, both from Scotland, were first and second. They were both undefeated until the finals. As flying partners, they are familiar with each other’s styles and put on an awesome flying display.
Mario Rioja, a member of the Spanish World Championship team, finished in third place. In the Junior category, Nacho Rioja was first, followed by Nicolas Antúnez, from the Canary Islands, in second. Third place was won by Nacho’s sister, Alicia Rioja.
Summer Contests
My local club, the Knights of the Round Circle, hosted the Sir Dale Kirn Knights Joust at the Whittier Narrows flying site east of Los Angeles. Participation was down because several of the regulars were away at the Bladder Grabber contest near Seattle. F2D/Fast was held Saturday, with Bill Maywald, Russ Willcox, Mike Alurac, and Chris Collins entering. Mike and Chris are relatively new to competition flying and these small, low-key contests are good for their developing flying skills. They finished in the order listed.
On Sunday, there was 80 mph Combat with seven entries. Russ Willcox, Mike Alurac, Bill Maywald, Chris Collins, Pete Athans, Dave Rogers, and Scott Dinger took part. This was Scott’s first contest and he gained some valuable experience.
Dave is developing well and has some excellent flying skills, listening when more-experienced pilots give him tips and suggestions. These pilots also finished in the order listed. We hope to have more of these low-key events so new competitors can gain experience.
Summer Reading
I finished reading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. After I started, I could not put it down. Anyone who is interested in aviation should read this book. You will have a greater appreciation for flight and the early pioneers who worked by the “seat of their pants.”
The Flying Lines website is hosted by fliers in the Pacific Northwest and contains valuable information, some Combat history, and stories about the legends of CL Combat, including Riley Wooten and Carl Berryman. Have a look at the site.
2016 CL World Championships
The 2016 CL World Championships will be held in Perth, Western Australia, May 7-13. As of this writing, the first bulletin is available on the event’s website (see the “Sources” listing).
Before the contest, the World Cup competition will be held May 4-6, 2016. I suggest that you start researching airline flights now because this is not an easy trip considering the distance from anywhere in the US.
If you have never been to a World Championship competition, then this is one you might want to consider, especially since the language will not be a barrier. Driving on the left-hand side of the road, however, will be an adventure!
It is a good idea to contact the US team manager to get on the supporters list. That person has not been named as of this writing. AMA Headquarters will be able to help with that.
Petri Combat Party
Mike Petri passed away earlier this year and was remembered at the Petri Combat Party contest on September 26-27. Phil Granderson was good friends with Mike and organized this event with the help of the modelers from Livermore, California.
I knew Mike well and flew against him many times both in AMA and Western Associated Modelers contest. He was part of the Condor Legion Combat team in Redwood City, California, along with Rich Brasher and Norm McFadden. These fliers were pioneers in advancing double-elimination contests. Mike was a regular at the Bladder Grabber contest and would always finish near the top.
Mike was a friendly, easy-going man who loved his family. I last spoke with him a few years ago while on a trip to San Francisco. He worked as a bell captain at the luxurious St. Francis Hotel on Union Square, and happened to be on duty, so we chatted between his duties of hailing cabs and letting people in and out of cabs and limos. We spoke about our families and what they were doing, as well as the good old days of Combat in the Bay Area. I traveled to the Bay Area to remember Mike.
Sources:
Manuel Mateo
manmateo@gmail.com
Marta Sala
msmartasala@gmail.com
Vasyl Yuvenko
yuvenko@ukr.net
Flying Lines
www.flyinglines.org
Control Line Model Aircraft World Championships 2016
www.cl-wch2016per.org
Phil Granderson
(510) 809-6360
f2dmail@yahoo.com
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA)
www.macasite.org
