Planes await action on Sunday at the Fall Follies. Regular visitors to the Follies will notice a new pit location, as nearby road construction has torn up the traditional pit area on the west side of the circle at Bill Riegel Model Airpark. Flying Lines photo.

Fall Follies ends 2016 Stunt season as autumn weather descends

Oct. 8-9, 2016, Bill Riegel Model Airpark, Salem, Ore.

The annual season-ending Oregon control-line contest has been going on so long that the organizers have lost count of how many times the Northwest's fliers have gathered for the Fall Follies. Yes, the flyer announcing the traditional Salem, Ore., stunt contest advertized the 2016 event as the 29th, but a post-contest check of the records reveals that it was in fact the 30th! The contest began in Eugene under the sponsorship of the Eugene Prop Spinners, ran for several years in Portland, and then settled in for its very long run at Bill Riegel Model Airpark in Salem, sponsored by the Western Oregon Control-Line Flyers.

During the 30 years, the contest has always included Stunt; for many years included Racing and in some years Combat. Due to road construction going on all around the flying site, this year's contest was Stunt only. The field looked different to regular contestants, as the pit area on the west side of the asphalt circle has been lost to the intersection realignment and accompanying landscaping. The grass circle was completely covered by construction equipment, but is expected to be restored for 2017 flying.

Memory, perhaps less perfect than actual written records, indicates that the Follies always occur on the last pretty good weather weekend of the year -- though there have been a couple of less pleasant weekends for outdoor activities in the Follies 30 years. The 2016 contest would have to be described as right on the border between pretty nice and a bit unpleasant. Saturday was mostly dry, with a steady breeze from the south. Sunday began with rain, but the rain had stopped (aside from a few brief drizzles) by about 9 a.m., and flying got under way on schedule. Another southerly breeze made for some troublesome "stunt air" that caused many fliers to pass on their second-round flights, so the contested ended early -- just about the time the sun came out and the wind dropped to almost nothing. So a lot of fliers left with only one flight in Sunday's Precision Aerobatics competition, but everyone got home early.

Attendance was lighter than usual, with some fliers opting to skip the Northwest contest in favor of the upcoming Golden State meet in California. Some may have been deterred by the shifting weather forecasts and rain in the days preceding the Follies. However, those who came enjoyed flying at a fairly leisurely pace and as well-fought competition.

Howard Rush topped the Precision Aerobatics heap with a win in the Expert class, while Dane Covey topped the Advanced fliers and Richard Entwhistle captured Intermediate. In Saturday's preliminary events, Dave Royer topped Old-Time Stunt, Mike Haverly won Classic, Covey topped Sportsman Profile and Haverly captured the Expert Profile title.

The Follies is the contest at which the annual Vintage Stunt trophy is awarded to the top scorer in the Flying Lines Northwest standings in combined Old-Time and Classic Stunt. This year, the trophy was renamed the Don McClave Vintage Stunt Champion Trophy, in honor of the late Don McClave, who originated the Vintage Stunt Trophy concept and sponsored the first 10 trophies, which were awarded over nine years (including one tie). This year's trophy, sponsored for the third year by Flying Lines, was won by Mike Haverly, who scored all of his points in Classic Stunt. Previous winners have been Bruce Hunt (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010), Scott Riese (2005), Pat Johnston (2007) and Pete Peterson (2011, 2013), Alan Resinger and John Thompson (2012, tie), John Thompson (2014) and Dave Royer (2015).

Contest staff:
Field mowing: Mike Hazel
Field setup: Mike Hazel
Asphalt circle leaf-blowing: Tom Brightbill
Registration: Barbara White
Weighing and pull-testing: Richard Entwhistle and Tom Brightbill
Tabulation: Barbara White
Sunday barbecue: Mike Hazel
Contest Director: John Thompson
Thanks also to many others who helped out with various chores and details!
Sponsor: Western Oregon Control-Line Flyers

Fall Follies Results

NW Standings points in parentheses

CLASSIC STUNT (5 entries)
1. Mike Haverly, Auburn, Wash., Chizler, Ro-Jett .40 -- 557 (5)
2. John Thompson, Eugene, Ore., Blackbird, Aero Tiger .36 -- 518.5 (4)
3. Dane Covey, Tacoma, Wash., Profile Nobler, electric -- 504 (3)
4. Dave Royer, Portland, Ore., 1949 Warrior, McCoy .35 -- 502.5 (2)
5. Tom Brightbill, Oregon City, Ore., O'Toole Tucker, Ro-Jett .40 -- 407.5
Judges: Mark Scarborough and Steve Helmick

OLD-TIME STUNT (5 entries)
1. Dave Royer, 1949 Humongous, Merco .61 -- 246.75 (5)
2. Tom Brightbill, Humongous, O.S. .46LA -- 227.75 (4)
3. John Thompson, Barnstormer, O.S. Max .25 -- 218.25 (3)
4. Russell Shaffer, Klamath Falls, Ore., Hotter-N-That, Fox .35 -- 158 (2)
5. Pat Chewning, Beaverton, Ore., Ringmaster, O.S. .25FP -- 142.5
Judges: Mike Haverly and Steve Helmick

SPORTSMAN PROFILE STUNT (3 entries)
1. Dane Covey, Profile Nobler, electric -- 523.5 (3)
2. Russell Shaffer, TEOSAWKI, O.S. Max .40 -- 479 (2)
3. Mike Hazel, Mehama, Ore., Cardinal, O.S. .40FP -- 464.5 (1)
Judges: Mark Scarborough and Dave Royer

EXPERT PROFILE STUNT (3 entries)
1. Mike Haverly, Starfinder, electric -- 541.5 (3)
2. Fred Underwood, West Linn, Ore., Shark S2, Cobra electric -- 536 (2)
3. John Thompson, Scrub J, Evolution .36 -- 506.5 (1)
Judges: Mark Scarborough and Dave Royer

BEGINNER PRECISION AEROBATICS (0 entries)

EXPERT PRECISION AEROBATICS (7 entries)
1. Howard Rush, Bellevue, Wash., Impact, Plettenberg 20-16 electric -- 584 (10.5)
2. Fred Underwood, Shark S2, Cobra electric --553 (9)
3. Mike Haverly, Fifth Element, E-Flite 32 -- 549.5 (7.5)
4. Randy Powell, Port Orchard, Wash., Slider, E-Flite 32 -- 543 (6)
5. John Thompson, Vector 40, O.S. .40LA -- 527
6. Steve Helmick, Renton, Wash., Eagle, OS .46VF RE -- 496.5
7. Mark Scarborough, Pullman, Wash., Impact, E-Flite 32 -- 220
Judges: Tim Wescott and Dave Royer

Results of this contest are included in the Northwest Control-Line Competition Standings.

Fall Follies photo gallery

Profile Stunt planes await action on Saturday. Flying Lines photo.

Mike Haverly's Chizler puts in the winning flight in Classic Stunt. Flying Lines photo.

Russell Shaffer pilots his TEOSAWKI. Flying Lines photo.

The TEOSAWKI in flight. It stands for "The End of Stunt as We Know It." Flying Lines photo.

Dane Covey makes an Advanced Precision Aerobatics flight on Sunday morning in the last of the drizzle, with judges Steve Helmick and Tim Wescott watching. Flying Lines photo.

Randy Powell's Slider caught in action just after the end of an official flight in Expert Precision Aerobatics. Flying Lines photo.

Dane Covey's Profile Nobler was the only new plane on the field. Flying Lines photo.

That's not a model! A vintage Ford Trimotor was giving rides from Salem Airport during the contest. It flew low over the model field on some of its departures from the airport. Flying Lines photo.

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This page was upated Oct. 11, 2016