National Free Flight Society

SEN 2504

  1. Remembering Paul
  2. Remembering Ismail
  3. Corrected SouthWest FAI Challenge
  4. S at Boulder
  5. How many Cs
  6. Gizmo Geezer Update

Remembering Paul
From:Richard Blackam
Paul Lagan
I was incredibly saddened to hear of the loss of Paul today. He was a great inspiration to me from my earliest years in the sport and he was one of the most encouraging free flight people i’ve known. I knew that he was unwell in the past years but it was terrific to see him still flying at the highest level and developing new ideas. A great mind. Deepest condolences to Pam and family from Kim and I.
Richard Blackam

From: Howard Gostelow

Rest in peace Paul Lagan.
A truly lovely man.
Howard Gostelow.

From:Michael J Woodhouse
Very sad news.
I first had contact with Paul, when we exchanged letters, on a regular basis, back in the early 60’s. In later years we met at Champs and simply picked up the conversation where we had previously put it down. Paul, plus family stayed with us a couple times when they were in the UK. A good friend gone.

RIP Paul.

Michael J Woodhouse

From:Pierre Chaussebourg
I am very sorry for Paul. We met a long time ago (Taft 1979 and probably before) and it has always been a pleasure to talk together. He was a very good Flyer and a very nice person.
Pierre

From:Malcolm Campbell

Hi Roger
Today I sifted through my photos covering the last 6 years of Paul Lagan’s international flying career, selecting what I think are typical photos of an exceptional person.

Paul was a great man, and will be missed by all.  RIP Paul Lagan.  Click on the photo to view my selection.

http:// https://www.flickr.com/photos/motor-racing-photography/albums/72157675401815388

Regards

Malcolm Campbell
Australia

Remembering Ismail
Ismail and I probably first got to met at the European Championships in Turkey. Alway full of enthusiasm. He will be missed.

Michael J Woodhouse

Corrected SouthWest FAI Challenge
From:Mike Richardson

Hi Roger
I have to apologize for not getting the results to you sooner.
First off a quick synopsis of the contest. Attendance was down by a few this year. The weather forecast was all over the place in the beginning of the week then as the weekend got closer, Saturday was turning ugly. Sunday day forecast, well lets just say you could not have asked a nicer day.

We managed to get two rounds in Saturday before the wind arrived, 16-18 mph. We called a one hour delay at the end of round two. We know it wouldn’t get better but in case. We finally called it for the day and decided to do 90 minute rounds on Sunday so we could combine the large and small events.

Sunday was a beautiful with light and variable breeze. And with the inversion layer of air it made for some very unusual flights. Retrieval was usually a causal walk.
Linda Piazza performed her magic grilling hot dogs for the hungry bunch. Thank you Linda.

F1A (4 entries)
1st  Brian VanNest
2nd Peter Brocks
3rd Jim Parker

F1B (3 entries)
1st  Blake Jensen
2nd Bill Booth
3rd Charlie Jones
F1Q (1 entry)
1st Jack Murphy

F1C/P combined (1 entry)
Randy Secor

F1G (6 entries)
1st  Tiffany O’Dell
2nd John Clapp
3rd  Peter Brocks

F1H (4 entries)
1st  Mike McKeever
2nd Brian VanNest
3rd  Blake Jensen

F1S (3 entries)
1st  Clint Brooks
2nd Jack Murphy
3rd  Lee Hines

E36 (3 entries)
1st  Clint Brocks
2nd Jack Murphy
3rd  Lee Hines

P30 (3 entries)
1st  Clint Brooks
2nd Robert Hodes (tied fly off at a later date)
2nd Larry Schwarz (fly off at a later date)

Catapult Glider (4 entries)
1st  Lee Hines
2nd Mike Richardson
3rd  Jack Murphy

S at Boulder Comments
From:clint brooks

F1S at Boulder was Clint Brooks, Jack Murphy and Lee Hines, in that order.A great day of flying and great competition in this event.

Clint Brooks

From : Murphy, Jack

ahhh….. looking on my desk I have sitting the 2nd Place vessel trophy for F1S from last weekend’s Southwest Challenge- lost first place in the Flyoff……….

Jack Murphy

How many C’s
From:Douglas Galbreath

How many F1c flyers in the USA now?

Editorial Observations

1. At the recent USA Team Selection there were 10 F1C participants and one additional who had just come out of retirement. Five plus the “renewed” guy live in California.

2. The USA F1C flyers Caucus has deemed that El Dorado Dry Lake is not suitable for F1C (Altitude too great ? Surface too inhospitable? Whatever?) So from memory except when the USA Team Selection was flown there only 3 F1C flyers have taken part in F1C events there

3. Already quite a number of events on October and one coming up at Lost Hills. Attendance in general was down.

Gizmo Geezer Update
The piece below originally came from the FAC web site but has been widely distributed.  The Gizmo Geezer is a prop hub favored by the builders of small rubber powered models including the p-30. The P-30 while not a FAI spec model is very popular World Wide.

Orv, the creator the Gizmo Geezer died a short while ago as was mentioned in a previous SEN. The letter from Orv’s widow, Marcy Green gives us an insight into a typical home base business that are so important for Free Flight. And Marcy introduces us to another supplier of specialist aero modelling products.

FAC-GHQ received this from Marcy Green (Orv’s widow).

Letter to the Editor:

In 2000, when Orv (and I) started GizmoGeezer Products, the business plan was a well-thought-out document. It revolved around the desire to invent revolutionary products for a hobby he loved. He wanted to share ideas and experiences with like-minded flyers. He wanted to be able to travel and write off the costs as business expenses lol. And importantly – it was about “becoming famous – not making money!” I teased him that he was successful on at least the second part of that last point! I think we came to the conclusion that, really, the best thing about GizmoGeezer was the wealth of friends we made and the fun times we had with those friends.
I’d like to thank the people who sent along their kind thoughts since September; the house has been pretty quiet and your notes have made me smile. I’ve passed them all along to our kids.
I’m also absolutely thrilled to let you know that John and Brenda Wiebe of Model Aviation Products (MAP) in Manitoba will be picking up the GizmoGeezer line: nose buttons (they are being assembled at this moment) and freewheelers (John has decoded the magic and has the moulds in hand, so watch the MAP website for updates). John and Brenda also sell balsa and model kits. MAP contact information is http://www.modelaviationproducts.com  (204-324-9741)

Thermals! Marcy