Brodak Fly-in
Immerse yourself in Control Line competition
by Will Hubin
Precision Aerobatics competition and the award ceremony. This was the rainiest fly-in in memory, but as usual, every scheduled event was completed, often between contributions from the sky. On the plus side, the mostly light wind was a rare bonus, especially for Scale and Carrier fliers. The gray skies made for challenging action photography, but photos are still the best way to appreciate the unique magic of this fly-in for those who didn’t make it. I especially like to capture the split second when both the airplane and the flier are together in the frame.
Two new models attracted attention. Rick Huff brought his twin-motor, retractable-gear Pathfinder and garnered first
place in his first year in both Profile and Precision Aerobatics Intermediate Stunt (he has been booted up to Advanced this year). This could be the leading edge of an interesting future because Bob Hunt is inspiring a number of fliers with his original twin design.
Another highlight was Dennis Adamasin’s Flying Wing, designed by his father, “Big Art,” and his father’s brother back in 1950, but had not been seen before in competition. Dennis won first place in OTS Expert with it.
Expert flier, John Paris, has been working in South Korea for the past few years, but he attended the fly-in with his son, Mike, and three of his South Korean friends, including Young-IL Jang, winner of the Most Arduous Journey award. John introduced Young-IL to electric CL Stunt and he successfully competed and finished second in Nostalgia 30 Intermediate. Mike captured a first place in OTS Phase 2 Intermediate with his .25-powered Super Clown.
CL Scale is clearly John Brodak’s favorite CL activity, and he’s very good at it. With four classes, there are plenty of opportunities for fliers to fly realistic—and not-so-realistic—miniature versions of full-scale aircraft.
The 1/2A Scale event had 11 competitors and many chose to emulate multiengine aircraft for the extra points they received, despite the difficulties in simultaneously starting and herding more than one.
The weather didn’t stop everyone from flying. Dan Banjock flies his giant Bi Slob through driving rain.
Joe Eiben pilots his electric-powered American Jet Hustler. Joe controlled the throttle with the third line, but used an RC transmitter to control the flaps and gear.
Dan Banjock and Vinnie Langella duel in the circle, with Roy Glenn in charge. In the background, a group of appreciative spectators enjoys the shade of the big tree at John and Buzz Brodak’s home.
In addition to the amazing variety of people and airplane designs that challenge the complex Precision Aerobatics event, non-fliers will find that CL Navy Carrier landings and Scale competition (with picnic tables and plenty of shade), Team Racing, Combat, and the Junkyard Wars are interesting and fun to watch. Outrageous models such as Dan Banjock’s giant Bi-Slob or various jet aircraft are likely to surface when judged flights are over for the day.
The Brodak 2016 Fly-In (June 13-18) will be the final Brodak Fly-In, so be sure to put it on your to-do list! If you’re arriving from the west, Waynesburg offers many motel choices, as does Uniontown to the east. There is also a camping area across the road from the house. Area dining possibilities numerous.
If you plan ahead and make a reservation, Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater house is approximately 22 miles (or 33 minutes) from Uniontown.
If you have any sort of flying machine on two wires, bring it and fly it at the 20th and final Brodak Fly-In, even if it is just in the evening and not before judges! You’ll be glad you did.
—Will Hubin
whubin@kent.edu
SOURCES:
Brodak Fly-In
www.brodak.com/fly-in
Gary Hull flew this .36-powered Brewster in Profile Carrier.
John Paris pilots his .51 Stalker in the CL Precision Aerobatics Expert class competition.
Six Control Line (CL) circles tucked into John and Buzz Brodak’s backyard in the small town of Carmichael, set in the rolling hills of southwest Pennsylvania, are the venue for the unique Brodak Fly-In. During its 19th and next-to-last iteration, that took place in the week before Father’s Day in June 2015, it was as much a gathering of CL enthusiasts as it was a series of contests.
The event spanned six full days, under the able supervision of contest directors Will Davis and Mark Weiss and dozens of volunteer event directors, judges, and pit bosses, as well as many Brodak employees (offering the inflation-proof 50¢ soda and hotdogs). There were 135 entrants who made made 610 recorded flights. Unique for a contest, non-flying youngsters and adults were encouraged to try their hands at the handle, using a supplied trainer and coach, when official flights had ended.
Monday featured four classes of Profile Stunt, Foxberg Team Racing, and Carrier, and Tuesday was devoted to Classic Stunt and Nostalgia 30 flights. Wednesday was for Old-Time Stunt (OTS), Perky, Clown Speed, and Clown Team Racing (a rain date from Tuesday). Thursday offered Speed Limit Combat and static judging for Scale and Expert CL Precision Aerobatics. Friday was brimming over with the first round of four classes of Precision Aerobatics, appearance judging, three Scale competitions (Fun, Sport, and 1/2A), Junkyard Wars construction, a complimentary dinner, and the famous Junkyard Wars Fly-Off. Saturday’s schedule included the second round of
Dan Banjock on takeoff from his pitman, Mike Palko. Don achieved third in the Foxberg Racing Expert class.
