Groups of CL enthusiasts turned out on New Year's Day for traditional fun-fly events that celebrated the beginning of 2024 in Portland, Ore., and in Richmond, B.C.

In Portland it was Oregon Flying Fun No. 1, hosted by the Northwest Fireballs, which was the first in a series of traditional Oregon winter fun sessions. (See Where the Action Is for details of the upcoming events.

In Richmond, fliers from the Vancouver Gas Model Club gathered for the annual Polar Bear Fun Fly.

Here are reports from the clubs on the activities:

Oregon Flying Fun No. 1

By Barbara White and Mike Hazel 

"The Northwest Fireballs welcomed Pacific Northwest Control-Line Flyers to the 2024 season with Flying Fun No. 1 at Delta Park in Portland. 

Mostly sunny skies smiled on the group, who enjoyed some of the best flying weather in months — blue skies, no wind, and a comfortable 42°.  Fourteen flyers, with 25 planes, put up flights on two circles.

Several types of planes flown:  1/2-A size Combat, various stunters, a throttled P-51, an electric foamie jet, an autogyro, an experimental hybrid plane with a rocket engine, and more.

A pot-luck lunch was enjoyed by all … good food, drinks and deserts. 

Attending this year were Terence Bardue, Darrin Bishop, Jim Cameron, Don Curry, Roy DeCamara, Gary Harris, Mike Hazel, Niels Madsen, Leighton Mangels, Will Naemura, Bill Varner, Jesse Walls, Gary Weems.

The Fireballs look forward to another great year of control-line flying in Portland.

More Portland photos

Jess Walls waits to launch Gary Weems' Flite Streak. Mike Hazel photo.

Darrin Bishop has the engine running on his board-wing trainer, as Bill Varner holds. Mike Hazel photo.

The board-wing trainer lumbers out of its launch. Mike Hazel photo.