== Announcements ========================================================
Flying Event Schedule – For the rest of this
year’s events, the listing is at the end of this report.
ACMA Club Lapel/Hat Pins — Frits still has several of
them.
== ACMA Irvington Field Pits Report ===========================================
Saturday, November 12 — The Great
Toy Drive Fly-in. It was a great day for our second annual
Great Toy Drive Fly-in! The weather started out a bit cool, but it
quickly got better as time went on. Field Marshal Robert Sanderson
had the field looking very nice...
Alvin Reed and Frits Jetten accompanied President Enzo Finizola's
wife Susan to Sam's Club and bought the groceries and assorted kitchen
items the evening before the fly-in. After putting the groceries away,
Alvin spent some time cleaning the pavilion floor and the grill, and
then left to exchange a couple of propane bottles.
I know what’s next is disgusting, and you are forewarned, but
it has to be said... After Alvin got back from the store he and Frits
talked about one of the portable toilets which was disgustingly filthy
because someone had “an accident” in there. Let’s
just say that person had missed the target... The only other option
was to put a lock on that toilet. But after Frits and Alvin talked
about it for a good while they finally decided to do it. They took
turns spraying and gagging and cussing and more gagging to get that
toilet clean... In
the dark...
On Saturday several other club members helped with the chores normally
involved with putting on a fly-in. Wayne Boudreaux manned the registration
desk. Donnie Hammett did some time there
too. Frits helped Wayne with the gift card raffle. Andrew Smith
hooked up the PA system and provided the music that was just right
for this event. Not one bad comment this time... Rob Baker of HobbyTown
USA donated a nice Parkzone T-28 Trojan airplane kit for the pilots’
raffle.
Head Chef Alvin and Sous Chef Donnie prepared and cooked
the food. Tony's wife Sam Pirkle took care of the food money
collection. And there were others who pitched in. A big thanks
to everyone who helped out! ... Around 9:00 Tony Pirkle held a pilots
meeting and safety briefing. He apparently was left in charge by event
organizer Tony Farmer, who could not make it.
We have to thank Robert Sanderson for WKRG TV-5's video coverage.
For their promo on the day before the event they used some footage
that was shot at last
year's event... This year the camera operator they sent out was
a lovely young lady with a pretty smile, Avery
Cotton. She hung out with us for a couple
of hours. She interviewed several club members, including Henry
Waltman, Joe Krebs, Tony Pirkle and
Frits. Some of that footage ended up on the evening
news. Here’s that
video.
After only a couple of hours we had a nice collection
of toys…. About mid-morning Frits crashed his LA Racer when
he looked into the sun while the
plane crossed it. He got disoriented and
lost control. The crash pretty much wiped out the pylon
racer... It was unfortunate that Avery chose to interview Frits
after the crash, some of which also aired! Maybe Andrew won't be the
only one who crashed (last year) and ends up being exposed on television!
Barely a minute after my crash Jon Koppisch was flying Robert Sanderson's
little foam Blue Angels jet when the left wing separated. It crashed
far from the runway in the lower
forty. Even Avery went out to the crash site to get it on
video. Besides the lost wing there was no other damage and Robert
quickly put it back together. I think after that Andrew and Robert
both flew it also...
Andrew had brought several of his airplanes He has a pretty extensive
fleet… Frank and Julie Rowell brought a Mustang…
Bobby McCarroll of Gulfport, Mississippi, flew his large
stick… Sam Chest flew his large Extra-300.
It was one of several big 3D
planes. Jon Koppisch flew his AJ
Slick. And Jonathan Festa had his Red
Bull plane. Nice show, guys!...
But for some really skillful aerobatics, check out Bonus Feature 2
at the end of this report.
It didn’t take long for the food to
get ready. It all tasted great, thanks to the
cooks. The chow line was long and steady until everyone who donated
toys was fed. We
even talked reporter Avery into a hamburger…
The food was free to anyone who had donated
toys.
Andrew flew his modified Kaos, which he claims will outperform Mike
McLaughlin's Ultra Sport, Justin Peacock's Four-Star, Jake Magnin's
Sky Raider, and whatever Frits will come
up with. Andrew experimented with some props, and I have to say,
his new racer is fast!
David Doss flew a plane the name of which has escaped
me… Jimmy Kennamer and Dane Kinman showed up with their
Texan. That’s
Johnny Jones in the center looking on… Larry Rogers flew his
Mongoose.
Aaron Carpenter and Rick Koval flew planes and helicopters…
Here are Marsha and Lee Carroll, Paul Verger and Bobby McCarroll,
all from Mississippi…
And Lisa Previto and Sam Pirkle posed with Tony Pirkle’s Ultimate
Biplane and Super Decathlon.
Attendance was not as good as last year's charity fly-in, but that
was perhaps because there were a couple of conflicting events going
on in Pensacola. It was good to see several of our fellow modelers
from the Mississippi clubs… Sam Chest ended up winning the ARF
kit donated by Rob Baker of HobbyTown USA...
The fly-in definitely was a success. The final count was 42 pilots
who registered and donated toys. Plus there were many visitors, 21
of whom donated toys. So we had 63 people register, about a dozen
fewer than last year.
I counted a total of 95 toys, which means that many people donated
more than one toy. And judging from the quality of the toys, many
were much more expensive than the $10.00 minimum we had set. Someone
even donated a nice child's
bicycle! Thanks very much to all!
Sunday, November 13 — Justin Peacock showed
up with his (and Andy Anderson’s) Baby Boomerang, a turbine
powered jet. There
was a little starting problem, causing the engine to flame and set
some of the wood in the back to catch on
fire. That was quickly put out with the fire extinguisher, which
is required safety equipment while operating turbine
aircraft.
A second start also produced a flameout.
But Justin restarted it and the jet got
airborne. Here is Justin’s
takeoff. The jet performed beautifully. Or should I say the pilot?
Nice inverted
flight. And a nice touchdown.
Wayne Miller has put a couple of flights on his new scale Fieseler
Storch. It flew slowly but nicely, and Wayne is happy with it,
I think… Club
Instructor Tony Pirkle gave Herb Tipton some more flying
lessons. Tony also flew his blue Hellcat…
Chad Bennett fabricated a neat engine starter, using a portable DeWalt
power drill rechargeable battery.
Even a couple of members of the North End’s Senior Advisory
Group (SAG) were intrigued by it and took
notice.
Monday, November 14 — On Monday I took all
the toys to the WKRK studios, where Robert was waiting for me. The
station’s weeklong Great Toy Drive was to start on this day,
so our club and the 95 toys that were collected gave WKRG a nice
start... Before we left the studio Robert insisted I take a picture
of him with Devon Walsh in
the lobby. But it was only a cardboard cutout! I think he likes
Devon very much...
About these reports… I know there's a long delay between the
weekend that I take the pictures, and the report that is published
online. I hope to shorten that delay, with the help of our club Web
Guru, Andrew Smith. He does the posting, and there are times he’s
out of town.
Lately there were just too many things going on at home, and then
my 7-year old Apple iMac computer died, which didn’t help matters...
To have it repaired would cost almost as much as a new computer, so
I bought a new one.
It has s 21.5 in. screen that is bigger, sharper and brighter than
the old one, and the processor is noticeably faster. The new Magic
Mouse is much smarter with its no-button, touch sensitive top surface.
I love it!... But all that still does not guarantee that the reports
will come out faster… ?
Bonus Feature 1 – September 4, 2011, David
Oliver, 29, takes us behind the scenes as he and other crewmembers
fly the world's only airworthy B-29, "FIFI," to Oshkosh
for AirVenture 2011. Take a quick tour of the bomber, learn how it
flies, and watch four P-51 Mustangs escort the plane to Oshkosh.
Bonus Feature 2 – Our club’s own large-scale
3D guys are great. But have you ever seen a world-class champion make
his airplane go through its paces? This pilot is one of the
best!
That’s all for now. Fly safe!
== Flying Event Schedule =================================================
Maps to almost all the flying fields in our area are on our ACMA
website. You can go there by selecting from the main menu
on the left of this report > Field Maps
> then Maps to Other Fields.
Dec. 17, Sat. — Northwest Florida Modelers, Inc. —
Vista Sailplane Contest, Pensacola, FL. Rae Fritz Field.
Here's the FritzFieldMap..(For
Vista gliders only.)
== Mobile Area RC Model Aviation Forum ====================================
Come chat with some of us on Alvin’s Mobile Area RC Model Aviation
Forum (MARCMAF). There’s always something or somebody being
talked about there…
== Advertising Your For Sale Stuff in the Swap Shop/Flea
Market =================
You can advertise your For Sale items in the Mobile Area RC Model
Aviation Forum's Swap Shop/Flea Market. You can even include photos,
which is always helpful when you try to sell RC stuff.
To use this feature, go to the main menu
shown on the left of this report and select Swap Shop.
First-timers must register with a username and password, but that's
free and it is very easy.
Inactive topics will be pruned when 160 days old. Listings will be
displayed for about five months before being pruned. Please edit your
topic to reflect any changes, if the item(s) sold, or if they are
no longer for sale.
In addition, you can send the detailed information to me by e-mail,
preferably with pictures, and I'll forward it to the 108 members of
our club. I have all the members' e-mail addresses, and I don't mind
doing it. E-mail me > fjetten@aol.com.
== If You Have Any Comments About These Pits Reports…
======================
I welcome any comments regarding these Pits Reports - good or bad.
E-mail me > fjetten@aol.com.
Frits
Goes Hollywood - Click For Details
