2015 Competitor of the Year

Cox, Rush share Competitor title

For the first time in the 35 years that Northwest standings have been kept, the title of Competitor of the year is shared in 2015 by two pilots who scored an equal number of points in Flying Lines competition standings.

Howard Rush of Bellevue, Wash., and Chris Cox of North Delta, B.C., both scored 69 points, all in Precision Aerobatics.

The annual title recognizes the flier(s) who scored the most points in Northwest control-line competition standings as compiled by Flying Lines.

Third in the 2015 overall standings was Dave Royer of Portland, Ore., who scored 52 points, flying in Old-Time and Classic Stunt and Precision Aerobatics.

The number of people or teams scoring points in competition in 2015 was down slightly, with 55 people scoring points, compared with 59 in 2014. 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 distribution of people scoring points, with 33 people, down from the 35 in 2014. Speed came next will 11 people scoring points, compared with nine in 2014. Then came Combat came next with 9 people scoring points, down from the 12 in 2014. Carrier had seven scoring points, compared with eight in 2014. Scale made a comeback from zero in 2014 to five contestants scoring points. The decline in racing continued, with only three scoring points, down from six in 2014.

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, 1980-2015

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
2011: Alan Resinger, Smith, Pete Peterson
2012: Chris Cox, Walker, Smith
2013: Thompson, Walker, Howard Rush
2014: Thompson, Walker, Smith/Buzz Wilson
2015: Cox/Rush (tie), Dave Royer

Click here for 2015 final event standings

Current standings are on the NW Standings Page

Below are the final 2015 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.

2015 OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Howard Rush -- Stunt -- 69
Chris Cox -- Stunt -- 69
3. Dave Royer -- Stunt -- 52
4. John Thompson -- Combat, Stunt -- 50
5. Jeff Rein -- Combat -- 48
6. Alan Resinger -- Stunt -- 43.5
7. Robert Smith -- Combat -- 42.5
8. Dane Covey -- Stunt -- 38
9. Paul Walker -- Stunt -- 36
10. Mike Hazel -- Combat, Carrier, Speed, Stunt -- 33
11. Fred Underwood -- Stunt -- 31
12. Gene Pape -- Combat -- 26.5
13. Buzz Wilson -- Combat -- 26
14. Mike Haverly -- Stunt -- 24
15. Tom Brightbill -- Stunt -- 21
16. Ken Burdick -- Speed -- 17
17. Scott Riese -- Stunt -- 16
18. John Leidle -- Stunt -- 15.5
19. Russell Shaffer -- Carrier, Stunt -- 15
Jim Booker -- Speed -- 15
21. Bob Carver -- Combat -- 14
Jim Green -- Combat -- 14
Mike Massey -- Stunt -- 14
Rex Abbott -- Stunt -- 14
25. Walter Hicks -- Scale, Stunt -- 12
Mike Potter -- Carrier, Scale -- 12
Chris Sackett -- Speed -- 12
Steve Helmick -- Stunt -- 12
29. Mark Scarborough -- Stunt -- 10
30. Bruce Tunberg -- Racing, Speed -- 8
31. Joe Yau -- Stunt -- 7
Tim Wescott -- Stunt -- 7
33. Randy Powell -- Stunt -- 6.5
34. Jeff Cleaver -- Speed -- 6
35. Pete Peterson -- Stunt -- 5
36. Doug Powers -- Speed -- 4
Daniel Johnston -- Combat -- 4
Pete Ferguson -- Stunt -- 4
39. Bill Darkow -- Carrier -- 3
Scott Newkirk -- Speed -- 3
Keith Varley -- Stunt -- 3
Dave Shrum -- Carrier, Scale -- 3
Floyd Carter -- Scale -- 3
Richard Entwhistle -- Stunt -- 3
Rob Moseley -- Stunt -- 3
Pat Johnston -- Stunt -- 3
47. Dick Salter -- Speed -- 2
Henry Hajdik -- Racing, Scale -- 2
Loren Howard -- Speed -- 2
Shawn Parker -- Carrier -- 2
Ron Bennett -- Speed -- 2
Dave Miller -- Carrier, Stunt -- 2
Pat Chewning -- Stunt -- 2
Russ Popel -- Stunt -- 2
55. Leo Mehl -- Stunt -- 1

Flying Lines keeps track of standings in all AMA rulebook and Northwest official events, in all Northwest sanctioned contests.

2018 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2017 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2016 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2015 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2014 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2013 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2012 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2011 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2010 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2009 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2008 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2007 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2006 Final Standings and Competitor of Year

2005 Final Standings and Competitor of Year

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This page was upated Dec. 4, 2018