MICRO-FLYING
GREAT SUMMER EVENTS
By Joe Malinchak | joemal@echoes.net
AS I WRITE THIS COLUMN, it is the middle of the summer, and it has been a great one so far. First, I was able to attend the 2024 Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats in Geneseo, New York. This was my second time attending this event. I had big plans on building several models to compete with, but I ran out of time and was only able to build one new model. However, this did not stop me from having fun and enjoying this amazing event.
Next, I had an opportunity to have my Piper L-4 Cub featured in the My Bombshells 2025 Warbirds Pin-Up Calendar. This was a challenge because we had only a small window to complete the photo shoot. The weather was overcast with some fog in the area, with a forecast of thunderstorms later in the day. We decided to shoot the models first as we waited for the weather to improve.
My cousin, Chrissy Richards, volunteered to be one of the models. She was excited about doing this and wore a vintage 1940s dress. After the fog lifted, I had to fly over to Skyhaven Airport in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, for the air-to-air photos. My friend, Karstin Wallis, flew photographer Chris Batcheller in his Cessna 172, and we spent approximately an hour flying in formation. Chris did a great job of shooting some beautiful photos of my airplane and the models.
My Bombshells merges aviation history with dynamic artistry, offering a captivating collection of aviation-themed art, calendars, apparel, and accessories. You can purchase a copy of the 2025 Warbirds Pin-Up Calendar on the My Bombshells website. The link is listed in “Sources.”
2024 FAC Nats
The 2024 FAC Nats was held in Geneseo at the huge grass field located at the National Warplane Museum. On the first day of the event, everyone displays their models to be judged for the Free Flight (FF) events. I was overwhelmed with all of the beautiful models on display. Each model was a work of art, and you can appreciate the time and dedication that the modelers put into building them.
This was a FF event, but one of the highlights for me was an RC model built by Larry Sweat. He spent more than four years building a beautiful balsa and tissue-covered B-24 Liberator. The model had not been flown, but his dream was to see it fly. He enlisted the help of my friend and fellow Model Aviation columnist, Thayer Syme, to do the first test flights.
Thayer looked over the model to check the center of gravity and flight controls. Everything looked good, so he proceeded with the flight. The airplane flew like it was on rails, and we were all very happy for Larry to see the efforts of his hard work pay off!
All of the FF events are challenging and fun to participate in; however, the mass launch events are probably the most fun for everyone to watch. They have several categories, including World War I and World War II Combat, the Thompson Trophy, Greve, and National Air Races, just to name a few.
To see all of the FF models in the air at once is a sight to behold. Having the event at the National Warplane Museum is a bonus for everyone. We had the opportunity to visit the museum and even got to see some of the museum airplanes fly. I was very happy that I had a chance to see the beautiful P-40 Warhawk American Dream that was under maintenance in the main hangar. It flew in the annual airshow the week before and had a problem with one of its propellers. A replacement propeller was flown in on a C-47, and the airplane was repaired.
The FAC Nats was a great event, and I plan on returning next year with some new models. For more information, please see the FAC website.
SOURCES:
My Bombshells
www.mybombshells.com
National Warplane Museum
(585) 243-2100
www.nationalwarplanemuseum.com
