District IX

Edition: Model Aviation - 2021/02
Page Numbers: 105

District IX

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming

The annual Gillette Sagehoppers Fun-Fly was held August 28-30, 2020, at the Sagehoppers’ field in Gillette, Wyoming. This longtime event is a destination for fliers from three states.

This year’s gathering was met with 20 to 25 mph wind all day Saturday, which unfortunately put a damper on many flying activities. Of the 23 registered pilots, only a few brave souls ventured up to get in some stick time on this nice, paved runway. The upwind passes were rather slow, while the downwind passes were extremely fast. There was fixed-wing, helicopter, and FPV quadcopter flying.

For lunch, a huge portion of smoked pulled pork was served, along with potato salad, beans, chips, and pop. In the early afternoon, there was a raffle drawing, where several prizes were handed out to the winners.

Two people with model helicopters at the Gillette Sagehoppers Fun-Fly

Young helicopter enthusiast holding a model aircraft — Among those brave enough to put in a few flights at the windy Gillette Sagehoppers Fun Fly were helicopter enthusiasts Steve Schofield and his 13-year-old son.

Among those brave enough to put in a few flights at the windy Gillette Sagehoppers Fun Fly were helicopter enthusiasts Steve Schofield and his 13-year-old son.

From the Pikes Peak RC club’s president, Keith Davis, comes this report.

The Pikes Peak RC Club of Colorado Springs, Colorado, held its annual Warbirds Over Pikes Peak event in July. We had about 30 pilots, a clear sky, and lots of wind—emphasis lots. Fortunately for us, the wind was right down the runway.

The wind kept some of the smaller entrants on the ground, but the bigger airplanes—or the more courageous pilots—flew throughout the day, keeping the runway busy and spectators happy.

Jimmy Cowman, from Clovis, New Mexico, brought his Giant Scale P-61 Black Widow and B-29 Superfortress. Both airplanes flew well in the wind. The B-29 was supposed to drop bombs and have smoke, but neither worked that day.

Several awards were given. The trio of Stukas flown by Paul Munninghuff and his two sons was presented with the Pilots’ Choice award. Jim Cowman’s B-29 was presented with the first-place large-scale award, and Doug Ransom’s German WWI Taube was presented with the first-place small-scale award. All were well deserved.

Overall, it turned out to be an enjoyable day for everyone. No airplanes were lost and only one tent blew away.