District IV
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
North Carolina, Virginia
Do you know your ancestry? Not the Ancestry.com kind, but your beginning in this great hobby that we enjoy so much. Yes, you are right—it is Free Flight (FF). From the time of Leonardo da Vinci to today, FF is the foundation of model aviation. There is nothing more graceful and awe inspiring than an Indoor FF model silently flying above your head.
Dean Giacopassi, the Brainbuster Free Flight Club president, shared this report (www.facebook.com/brainbusterfc).
Indoor FF came back to Johnson City, Tennessee, this July! The Brainbusters of Southeast Virginia, a club that celebrated its 80th club anniversary, with assistance from the National Free Flight Society (www.freeflight.org), held the Abram Van Dover Memorial Indoor Free Flight Contest.
Forty-one competitors attended the three-day event that was held at the Mini Dome at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. The venue was hot with little or no drift, even during the many thunderstorms that ripped through the area. Several competitors complimented the usability of the facilities. A bonus was the cushy artificial turf that was nice on the feet.
The events with the highest number of competitors were Limited Pennyplane followed by F1D (FAI class with a rubber motor), A-6, and P-18. Billy Batkins continued his winning streak, finishing first in P-18 after winning this event at the Nats and in West Baden, Indiana.
A-6 was fun, with a One-Design mass launch event for the Abram Van Dover-designed Brainbuster A-6 model, a simple straightforward design that flies “off the board,” as the saying goes. One colorful, tissue-covered model flew more than 6 minutes during the mass launch and drew applause from the appreciative crowd.
The FAC mass launch of NoCal models was a whirl of airplanes with unique styles and colors. Don Slusarczyk stunned the crowd with a stocky, red, racing model that circled high in the air after everyone else landed. A mass launch really shows off differences in airplanes and trim.
The F1D juniors were seen practicing the art of guiding their fragile aircraft with balloons. Their practice time should pay off during the 2022 FAI F1D World Championships for Indoor Model Aircraft in Romania. Wish them luck.
This event would have pleased Abram because he often served as the contest director at Johnson City Indoor FF events and worked with youth throughout his life. Cake and coffee mugs were given out to attendees because he always had coffee with him and loved chocolate cake. Thanks to the competitors and their assistants, coaches, financial supporters, and vendors.
Go fly and have fun safely.
