Bruce Hunt of Salem, Ore., captured the prestigious Northwest Control-Line Competitor of the Year Award, which recognizes the flier who scored the most points in Northwest competition standings as compiled by Flying Lines.
Bruce (pictured at right) scored 113 points
in 2008 competition, all in the aerobatics category. He put points on the
scoreboard in Precision Aerobatics, Classic Stunt, and Profile Stunt. He
was points champ in Classic Stunt and in the Overall Stunt standings, and
also took the Vintage Stunt season trophy for best performance in combined
Classic/Old-Time.
Bruce finished the season with a 20-point lead in in the standings over second-place Paul Walker of Kent, Wash., who scored all of his 93 points in Precision Aerobatics. Pat Johnston, the 2007 champ, was third with 69.5 points.
The number of people scoring points in competition in 2008 was just slightly below 2007, with 66 people or teams scoring, compared with 68 in 2007. Note that this is not the total number of competitors, only the number of people placing first through fourth place in sanctioned competition.
As usual, stunt had the greatest distrbution of people scoring points, with 41 people, down one from the the 42 in 2007. Speed came next with 16 people scoring points, up from 11 in 2007. Eleven scored points in combat, up one from 2007. Six scored racing points, half of 2007's 12. Five scored Navy Carrier points, down from eight in 2007. One Northwest flier scored scale points.
Again, these totals reflect only placement, not actual number of competitors. The presence of out-of-region fliers in a contest can result in no points, or fewer points, being scored toward Northwest standings.
The Competitor of the Year recognition has been given since 1980, the second year of Flying Lines publication. Here is the history, giving the top three finishers each year:
Competitor of the Year, 1980-2008
1980: 1, John Thompson 2, Bill Varner 3, Jim Cameron
1981: Dick Salter, Thompson, Dave Green
1982: Dick Salter, Thompson, Mike Hazel
1983: Green, Thompson, Glenn Salter
1984: Green, Dick Salter, Gary Byerly
1985: Glenn Salter, Green, John Hall
1986: Not available
1987: Dick Salter, Glenn Salter, Green
1988: Not available
1989-90: Flying Lines not published
1991: Joe Rice, Rich McConnell, Tom Strom
1992: Rice, Todd Ryan, Hall
1993: Ryan, Rice, McConnell
1994: Ryan, Chris Cox, Nitroholics Racing Team
1995: Ryan, Jeff Rein, Don McClave
1996: Ryan, Stephen Cox, Rick Meadows
1997: Ryan, Paul Gibeault, Stephen Cox
1998: Ryan, Mel Lyne, Dan Rutherford
1999: Ryan, Shawn Parker, Mike Conner
2000: Ryan, Lyne, Scott Riese
2001: Chris Cox, Ryan, Lyne
2002: Jeff Rein, Bruce Hunt, Nils Norling
2003: Dan Rutherford, Keith Varley, Lyne
2004: Rutherford, Paul Walker, Chris Cox
2005: Pat Johnston, Riese, Hunt
2006: Johnston, Hunt, Walker
2007: Johnston, Walker, Rein
2008: Hunt, Walker, Johnston
Anyone who would like a printout of the complete 2008 Competitor of the Year standings can get one by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the standings coordinator. The address is at the bottom of the column.
Current standings are on the NW Standings Page
Below are the final 2008 Competitor of the Year rankings, along with the categories in which points were scored.
* = also scored points as a team entry. After score is indicated category and team's points, which are not included in individual points.
1. Bruce Hunt -- Stunt -- 113
2. Paul Walker -- Stunt -- 93
3. Pat Johnston -- Stunt -- 69.5
4. Howard Rush-- Stunt -- 58.5
5. Bob Smiley -- Stunt -- 52
6. Scott Riese -- Stunt-- 42
7. Ken Burdick -- Combat, Speed -- 40
8. Jeff Rein -- Combat, Speed, Stunt -- 37
9. Mark Scarborough -- Racing, Stunt -- 35
Don McClave -- Stunt -- 35
Mike Haverly -- Stunt -- 35
12. Mel Lyne -- Combat -- 32
13. Jack Pitcher -- Stunt -- 31.5
14. Don McKay -- Combat, Speed -- 26
Doug Wood -- Stunt -- 26
16. Dan Rutherford -- Stunt -- 24.5
17. Alan Resinger -- Stunt -- 23
Robert Smith -- Combat -- 23
19. Jerry Eichten -- Racing, Stunt -- 22.5
20. Richard Entwistle -- Stunt -- 21
Pete Peterson -- Stunt -- 21
22. Ted Gritzmacher -- Speed -- 20
23. Greg Hart -- Stunt -- 19
24. Max Boyd -- Combat, Stunt -- 18
25. Randy Powell -- Stunt -- 17.5
26. John Thompson -- Stunt -- 17 *Racing team: 4
Gary Harris -- Combat -- 17
28. Rick Cochrun -- Stunt -- 15
29. Rich McConnell -- Stunt -- 14
Buzz Wilson -- Combat, Speed -- 14
31. Rod Claus -- Stunt -- 13
32. Mike Potter -- Navy Carrier, Scale -- 11
33. Steve Helmick -- Stunt -- 10
Keith Varley -- Stunt -- 10
35. Dane Covey -- Stunt -- 8
36. Will Naemura -- Racing, Speed -- 7
David Miller -- Combat, Navy Carrier, Stunt -- 7
Mac Ryan -- Racing -- 7
Loren Howard -- Speed -- 7
40. Bob Emmett -- Stunt -- 6
Roy DeCamara -- Stunt -- 6
Kortness-Newkirk Team -- Speed -- 6
Floyd Carter -- Stunt -- 6
Todd Ryan -- Racing -- 6
45. Jim Green -- Combat -- 5
Ken Kortness -- Speed -- 5 *Speed team: 6
47. Gene Pape -- Combat -- 4
Joe Yau -- Stunt -- 4
Walter Russell -- Navy Carrier -- 4
Laura Beers -- Stunt -- 4
Lee Powell -- Stunt -- 4
Art Zehner -- Stunt -- 4
Nitroholics Racing Team -- Racing -- 4
54. Ron Bennett -- Speed -- 3
Greg Beers -- Speed -- 3
56. Pete Ferguson -- Stunt -- 2
Jeff Christianson -- Stunt -- 2
Scott Newkirk -- Speed -- 2 *Speed Team: 6
Hube Start -- Stunt -- 2
Bill Darkow -- Navy Carrier -- 2
Dave McCheyne -- Stunt -- 2
Bill Allen -- Speed -- 2
Rich Salter -- Speed -- 2
64. Jessica Hanson -- Stunt -- 1
Wayne Scott -- Stunt -- 1
Mike Hazel -- Navy Carrier -- 1 *Racing Team: 4
Flying Lines keeps track of standings in all AMA rulebook and Northwest official events, in all Northwest sanctioned contests.
Your FL editors do their best to keep up with the results, but contest directors can help keep the standings up to date by making sure to send the results to FL immediately after the contest. If you spot errors, please let us know.
Results must include the placing in each event through fourth place and the report also must list the number of contestants in the event, in order for the point standings to be counted accurately.
Please include in your report the hometown of the contestants. Only Northwest residents are counted in the standings (AMA Dist. XI and British Columbia). The score of each contestant also should be listed for general reporting purposes and for checking against the Northwest records.
If you flew in a contest that doesn't appear to be counted, contact the contest director or FL.
Special notes: Precision aerobatics expert fliers' scores are multiplied by a factor of 1.5. When an individual is allowed more than one entry in a single event, only the highest-placing score shall be counted.
Send contest results, corrections and other correspondence regarding Northwest Competition Standings to John Thompson, standings coordinator. For a printed copy of complete standings for any event, or for a copy of the rules for any Northwest event, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Flying Lines, 2456 Quince St., Eugene, OR 97404.
This page was upated Jan. 11, 2009