Bruce Hunt of Salem, Ore., returned to the top of the Northwest control-line competition elite by winning the annual Flying Lines Northwest Control-Line Competitor of the Year Award for the second time.
The prestigious annual title recognizes the
flier who scored the most points in Northwest competition standings as compiled
by Flying Lines. Bruce (photo at right), who won the award for the first time in 2008, piled up 114.5 points, flying in Classic Stunt and Expert Precision Aerobatics, using his beautiful Classic Lark (in-flight photo below) in both classes.
Second in the 2010 overall standings was the 2009 Competitor of the Year, Jeff Rein of Covington, Wash., who amassed 91 points in Combat and Speed competition. Third was Paul Walker of Kent, Wash., who scored 82.5 points in Expert Precision Aerobatics
The number of people scoring points in competition in 2010 was almost the same as in 2009, with 61 people or teams scoring, compared with 60 in 2009. 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 43 people, up from the the 39 in 2009. Combat came next with 11 people scoring points, down from 14 in 2009. Ten people scored points in Racing, up from four in 2008. Nine scored points in Speed, down from 11 the previous year. Only three scored points in Navy Carrier, half the 2008 number. One person scored points in Scale.
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 newsletter publication. Here is the history, giving the top three finishers each year:
Competitor of the Year, 1980-2010
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: Green, John Hall, Mel Lyne
1986: Green, Mel Lyne, Dick Salter
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, 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
2009: Rein, Hunt, Robert Smith
2010: Hunt, Rein, Walker
Anyone who would like a printout of the complete 2010 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 2010 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 -- 114.5
2. Jeff Rein -- Combat, Speed -- 91
3. Paul Walker -- Stunt -- 82.5
4. Pete Peterson -- Stunt -- 79.5
5. Dan Rutherford -- Stunt -- 74.5
6. Don McKay -- Combat, Speed -- 60
Howard Rush -- Stunt -- 60
8. Robert Smith -- Combat -- 56
9. Keith Varley -- Stunt -- 40.5
10. Ken Burdick -- Combat, Speed -- 40 *Speed Team: 1
11. Gene Pape -- Combat -- 39
12. Richard Entwhistle -- Racing, Stunt -- 37.5
13. Alan Resinger -- Stunt -- 37
14. Mel Lyne -- Combat -- 36
Steve Helmick -- Stunt -- 36
16. Mark Scarborough -- Racing, Stunt -- 34
17. Pat Johnston -- Stunt -- 33.5
18. John Thompson -- Combat, Stunt -- 28.5 *Racing Team: 5
19. Buzz Wilson -- Combat, Speed -- 22
20. Geoff Christianson -- Racing, Stunt -- 17
21. Todd Ryan -- Racing -- 16
22. Scott Riese -- Racing, Stunt -- 15.5
23. Jim Harper -- Stunt -- 15
24. Dave Royer -- Stunt-- 14
Robert Ladd -- Stunt -- 14
26. Tristan McKay -- Combat -- 13
Mike Haverly -- Stunt -- 13
28. Greg Hart -- Stunt -- 12
29. Dave McCheyne -- Stunt 10
30. Mark Hansen -- Racing, Stunt -- 9
Don McClave -- Stunt -- 9
32. Randy Powell -- Stunt -- 8
Floyd Carter -- Stunt -- 8
Mike Conner -- Carrier, Racing, Stunt -- 8
Dane Covey -- Stunt -- 8
36. Mike Massey -- Stunt -- 7
Mike Potter -- Carrier -- 7
38. Bob Parker -- Carrier, Stunt -- 6
John Witt -- Scale, Stunt -- 6
Pete Ferguson -- Stunt -- 6
41. Newkirk-Bennett Team -- Speed -- 5
Rod Claus -- Stunt -- 5
Max Boyd -- Combat -- 5
Nitroholics Racing Team -- 5
45. Mike Hazel -- Combat, Speed -- 4.5 *Racing Team: 5 Speed Team: 1
John Castle -- Stunt -- 4
Mac Ryan -- Racing -- 4
Rex Abbott -- Stunt -- 4
Rick Cochrun -- Stunt -- 4
50. Glen Little -- Stunt -- 3
Mike Denlis -- Stunt -- 3
Ted Gritzmacher -- Speed -- 3
53. Doug Powers -- Racing -- 2
Roy DeCamara -- Stunt -- 2
Gary Harris -- Combat -- 2
Dick Salter -- Speed -- 2
57. Tim Wescott-- Stunt -- 1
Ron Anderson -- Stunt -- 1
Russell Shaffer -- Stunt -- 1
Louie-Louie Team -- Speed -- 1
Jack Mullinix -- Stunt -- 1
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 Dec. 4, 2018