The signs at the entrance to the Eugene Airport overflow parking lot announced to the world that control-line modeling is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest, as the 36th annual Northwest Regionals took place there over Memorial Day weekend. Jim Corbett photo.
The Northwest Regionals bounced back from rainy 2006 to a weekend of
mostly nice weather, an increase in the number of entries and lots of 
flying and fellowship. It
was the second year at the spacious Eugene Airport site.
The contest spanned seven circles and nearly three days of flying.
Reports from event directors and a photo gallery are included below the results.
Also elsewhere on the Flying Lines web site: updated Northwest standings, Northwest records and Regionals records.
Photo of Broadway Bod Busters trophies and prizes by Jim Corbett.
Combat Champion: Ken Burdick
Navy Carrier Champion: Eric Conley
Racing Champion: Les Akre
Scale Champion: Don Chandler
Speed Champion: Jerry Rocha
Stunt Champion: Pat Johnston
Precision Aerobatics Concours 'd Elegance: Phil Granderson (Diva)
(Number of entries after event name)
(Northwest Standings points in parenthesis after score)
VINTAGE DIESEL COMBAT (10 entries)
1. Gary Harris, Banks, Ore., 6-1 (10)
2. Ken Burdick, Kent, Wash., 4.5-1.5 (9)
3. Robert Smith, Roy, Wash., 5-2 (8)
4. Jeff Rein, Covington, Wash., 4-3 (7)
5. Kenny Johansen, Stanwood, Wash.
Dave Stevenson, Pleasant Hill, Calif.
Buzz Wilson, Belfair, Wash.
Edmond Bridant,Santa Rosa, Calif.
Mike Rule, Beaumont, Calif.
Austin Johansen, Stanwood, Wash.
80-MPH COMBAT (12)
1. Mel Lyne, Garibaldi Highlands, B.C. (12)
2. Ken Burdick (11)
3. Mike Rule
4. William "Lee" Letehworth, Rodeo, Calif.
Kenny Johansen (4.5)
6. Edmond Bridant
Jeff Rein
Mark Hansen, Portland, Ore.
David Stevenson
Robert Smith
Henry Sieck, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Buzz Wilson
Photo of combat planes by Bruce Hunt
HIGH-PERFORMANCE 1/2-A COMBAT (9)
1. Jeff Rein (9)
2. William "Lee" Letehworth
3. Mike Rule
4. Mark Hansen (3)
David Stevenson
6. Ken Burdick
Edmond Bridant
Robert Smith
Buzz Wilson
CLASS I NAVY CARRIER (3)
1. Eric Conley, Gardnerville, Calif., 436.29 (Regionals record, eclipses
2003 record of Jim Schneider, 434.56)
2. Jim Schneider, Livermore, Calif., 225.89
3. Don Chandler, Red Bluff, Calif., 212.64
CLASS II NAVY CARRIER (4)
1. Eric Conley, 429.67
2. Jim Schneider, 422.26
3. Don Chandler, 177.8
One other entry did not score.
PROFILE NAVY CARRIER (6)
1. Eric Conley, 348.2
2. Mike Potter, Auburn, Wash., 308.19 (5)
3. Randy Bush, Oakland, Calif., 297.35
4. Mike Conner, Maple Ridge, B.C., 325.27 (3)
5. Don Chandler, 254.4
6. Jim Schneider, 119.27
.15 NAVY CARRIER (7)
1. Eric Conley, 260.83 (Regionals record, eclipsing 2006 record of Jim
Schneider, 245
2. Mike Conner, 180.34 (6)
3. Jim Schneider, 142.4
4. Mike Potter, 80.38 (4)
Three other entries did not score.
Photo of carrier flying by Randy Powell
CLASS I/II NOSTALGIA NAVY CARRIER (3)
1. Don Chandler, 208.4
2. David Shrum, Roseburg, Ore., 202.9 (2)
3. Jim Schneider, 136.89
PROFILE NOSTALGIA NAVY CARRIER (5)
1. Rich Salter, Seattle, Wash., 140.47 (5)
2. Dick Salter, Tenino, Wash., 130.64 (4)
3. Don Chandler, 93.14
4. David Shrum, 80 (2)
One other entry did not score
MOUSE RACE CLASS I OPEN (4)
1. Paul Gibeault, Edmonton, Alberta, 5:15.04 (Establishes Regionals
record; old record of 4:34.59 set in 1992 by Gibeault was vacated due to
rules changes)
2. Akre-Ryan Team, Edmonton, Alberta/Burbank, Wash., (No feature
race score recorded due to watch error). (3)
3. Nitroholics Racing Team, Salem/Eugene, Ore., 7:24.74 (2:55.95
heat establishes new NW record; old record of 2:14.35 set in 2001 by Todd
Ryan was vacated due to rules changes.) (2)
4. Jenessa Beers, Cascade, Mont., 3:38.19 heat (1)
MOUSE RACE CLASS I JR.-SR. (2)
1. Jenessa Beers, 6:22.48 (Establishes new NW record; old record of
4:22 set in 1999 by Paul Gibeault was vacated due to rules changes.) (2)
2. Austin Johansen, 8:43.81 (1)
.15 RAT RACE (2)
1. Todd Ryan, Moses Lake, Wash. 8:27.00 (Establishes NW and Regionals
records. NW Record was vacant; Regionals record of 5:47.55 set in 2005 by
Mike MacCarthy was vacated due to rules changes.) (2)
2. Les Akre, Edmonton, Alberta, 9:47.88
FLYING CLOWN RACE (5)
1. Todd Ryan, 326 (Establishes NW and Regionals records. NW record of
320 laps set in 2006 by Mac Ryan, and Regionals record of 340 laps set in
2006 by Les Akre, were vacated due to rules changes) (5)
2. Les Akre, 308 laps
3. Austin Johansen, 184 laps (3)
4. Bush-Persson Team, Oakland/Pleasanton, Calif., 140 lap heat/pass
final
5. Mac Ryan, Burbank, Wash., 94 laps heat
NORTHWEST SPORT RACE JR.-SR. (0)
No entries
Photo of Team Ryan and Super Sport Plane by Jim Corbett
NORTHWEST SPORT RACE OPEN (5)
1. Mac Ryan, 8.01.00 (Establishes NW and Regionals records. NW and Regionals
record of 7:50.74 set in 2006 by Todd Ryan were vacated due to rules changes.)
(5)
2. Paul Gibeault, 8:49.17
3. Nitroholics Racing Team, 9:43.19 (4)
4. Kenny Johansen, 9:51.72 (3)
5. Todd Ryan, 4:05.41 heat/pass final (Heat of 4:05.41 established
NW record. Record of 3:53.55 set by Todd Ryan in 2005 was vacated due to
rules changes)
NORTHWEST SUPER SPORT RACE (2)
1. Nitroholics Racing Team, 7:34.34 (Establishes NW and Regionals records.
NW and Regionals record of 6:38 set in 2005 by Todd Ryan were vacated due
to rules changes.) (2)
2. Todd Ryan, 7:37 (1)
QUICKIE RAT RACE (2)
1. Les Akre, 6:31.43 (Establishes Regionals record. Record of 6:22.57
set in 2006 by Les Akre was vacated due to rules changes.)
2. S&S Racing Team, 116 laps. (1)
B-TEAM RACE (3)
1. Mike MacCarthy, Santa Rosa, Calif., 6:53.91 (Establishes Regionals
Record)
2. Les Akre, 7:23.36
3. Dave Shrum, 2:13.11 for 35-lap heat, 4:50.64 for 70-lap heat.
(Both heats establish NW record for new event) (1)
B-Team Appearance Award: Mike MacCarthy
NCLRA SUPER SLOW RAT RACE (3)
1. Todd Ryan, 5:55.31 (Establishes NW and Regionals record for new event)
(3)
2. Les Akre, 6:47.74
3. S&S Racing Team, 33 laps heat (1)
PRECISION SCALE (4)
1. Mike MacCarthy, 537 points
2. Leonid Derbarmdiker, Buena Vista, Calif., 505
3. Mike Potter (2), 448
4. Don Chandler, 354
SPORT SCALE (1)
1. Don Chandler, 109
2. Leonid Derbarmdiker
PROFILE SCALE (1)
1. Don Chandler
Photo of scale contestant Leonid Derbarmdiker and airplane
by Bruce Hunt
1/2-A SPEED (4)
1. Jackson-Murphy Team, Lincoln/Stockton, Calif., 132.56 mph (Regionals
record, eclipses 126.35 mph set in 2005 by Jerry Rocha)
2. Jerry Rocha, Napa, Calif., 129.69
3. Paul Gibeault, 89.51
4. Greg Beers, Cascade, Mont., attempt (1)
One other entry did not score.
1/2-A PROTO SPEED (7)
1. Jerry Rocha, 104.18 mph
2. Luke Roy, Fairfield, Calif., 94.90
3. Jackson-Murphy Team, 85.15
4. Laura Beers, Cascade, Mont., 64.55 (4)
Three other entries did not score.
A SPEED
(4)
1. Luke Roy, 188.57 mph (National record) (Regionals record eclipses
186.84 set by Jerry Rocha in 2005)
2. Jerry Rocha, 181.6
Two other entries did not score.
B SPEED (2)
1. Greg Beers, 122.23 mph (2)
One other entry did not score.
D SPEED (2)
1. Ted Gritzmacher, Battle Ground, Wash., 138.51 mph (2)
One other entry did not score.
JET SPEED (3)
1. Guy Laine, Central Point, Ore., attempt (3)
Two other entries did not score.
FORMULA 40 SPEED (5)
1. Paul Gibeault, 154.7 mph
2. Ted Gritzmacher, 147.6 (4)
3. Guy Laine, 135.64 (3)
4. Rich Salter, 130.85 (2)
One other entry did not score.
Photo of Greg Beers piloting speed plane by Rich Salter.
FAI SPEED (3)
1. Paul Gibeault, 152.8 mph
2. Jim Rhoades, Salt Lake City, Utah, attempt
One other entry did not score.
.21 SPORT SPEED (8)
1. Jerry Rocha, 155.91 mph (Regionals record eclipses 153.09 set by
Jerry Rocha in 2006)
2. Eric Nelson, Visalia, Calif., 152.09
3. Luke Roy, 150.95
4. Loren Howard, Ariel, Wash., 150.06 (5)
5. Jackson-Murphy Team, 146.52
6. Arnold Nelson, Napa, Calif., 145.86
7. Greg Beers, 144.4
One other entry did not score.
.21 PROTO SPEED (0)
No entries.
NORTHWEST SPORT JET SPEED (6)
1. Dick Salter, 143.84 mph (Establishes NW and Regionals records. Old
record of 147.6 mph set by Loren Howard in 2005 vacated due to rules changes.)
(6)
2. Rich Salter, 114.28 mph (5)
Four other entries did not score.
EXPERT PRECISION AEROBATICS (20)
1. Paul Walker, Kent, Wash., 588 (30)
2. Brett Buck, Sunnyvale, Calif., 581
3. Howard Rush, Bellevue, Wash. 574 (27)
4. David Fitzgerald, Napa, Calif., 569
5. Bruce Perry, Edmonton, Alberta, 568
6. Phil Granderson, Oakland, Calif., 568
7. Chris Cox, Delta, B.C., 566.5
8. Jim Aron, El Cerrito, Calif., 562.5
9. Alan Resinger, Duncan, B.C., 555
10. Pat Johnston, Boise, Idaho, 552.5
11. Scott Riese, Portland, Ore., 549
12. Randy Powell, Port Orchard, Wash., 544
13. Jack Pitcher, Gresham, Ore., 542.5
14. Paul Pomposo, Sebastopol, Calif., 539.5
15. Mike Pratt, Maricopa, Ariz., 533
16. John Leidle, Kirkland, Wash., 526
17. Jim Rhoades, 523.5
18. Igor Panchenko, Winnetka, Calif., 519
19. Leo Mehl, Portland, Ore., 485
20. Keith Varley, Vancouver, B.C., 476
Judges: Steve Helmick, Mike Conner
Photo of expert precision aerobatics planes by Bruce Hunt
ADVANCED PRECISION AEROBATICS (7)
1. John Miller, Salt Lake City, Utah, 529
2. Mike Haverly, Auburn, Wash., 518.5 (6)
3. John Thompson, Eugene, Ore., 507.5 (5)
4. Robert Duncan, Fair Oaks, Calif., 499.5
5. Richard Walbridge, Fresno, Calif., 491 (corrected score)
6. Dave Royer, Portland, Ore., 486
7. Greg Hart, Molalla, Ore., 464
Judges: Pat Johnston, Chris Cox
INTERMEDIATE PRECISION AEROBATICS (6)
1. Doug Wood, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 476 (6)
2. Jeff Rein, 465.5 (5)
3. Rod Claus, Kent, Wash., 461.5 (4)
4. Art Zehner, Portland, Ore., 431 (3)
5. Jim Schneider, 353.5
6. Mark Scarborough, Pullman, Wash., 165.5
Judges: Bruce Hunt, Leo Mehl
BEGINNER PRECISION AEROBATICS (5)
1. Lee Powell, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 222 (5)
2. Buzz Wilson, Belfair, Wash., 220 (4)
3. Ken Burdick, Kent, Wash., 202 (3)
4. Richard Entwistle, Portland, Ore., 199 (2)
5. Eric Fitzgerald, Napa, Calif., 159.5
Judges: Keith Varley, Scott Riese
CLASSIC STUNT (11)
1. Scott Riese, 539 (11)
2. Pat Johnston, 529 (10)
3. Don McClave, Portland, Ore., 521.5 (9)
4. John Leidle, 514.5 (8)
5. John Miller, 499
6. Mike Haverly, 476
7. Mike Pratt, 469.5
8. Dave Royer, 442.5
9. Randy Powell, 408
10. Mark Scarborough, 393.5
11. Jeff Rein, 370
Judges: Paul Walker, Steve Helmick
OLD-TIME STUNT (10)
1. Jim Aron, 284.5
2. Jeff Rein, 282 (9)
3. Keith Varley, 279.4 (8)
4. Robert Duncan, 276.3
5. Mike Haverly, 269.5
6. Doug Wood, 265.9
7. Dave Royer, 239.5
8. Mike Conner, 228.3
9. Buzz Wilson, 193.5
10. Ken Burdick, 185
Judges: Scott Riese, Pat Johnston
SPORTSMAN PROFILE STUNT (8)
1. Robert Duncan, 490
2. Greg Hart, 462.5 (7)
3. Mike Haverly, 460.5) (6)
4. Rod Claus, 448 (5)
5. Rich Salter, 407.5
6. Roger Hebner, Medford, Ore., 405
7. Art Zehner, 381.5
8. Mark Scarborough, 365.5
Judges: Keith Varley, Leo Mehl
EXPERT PROFILE STUNT (3)
1. Pat Johnston, 516 (3)
2. Bruce Hunt, 497 (2)
3. Paul Pomposo, 487.5
Judges: Keith Varley, Leo Mehl
Precision aerobatics planes lined up on Saturday evening for appearance judging. Randy Powell photos.
Two of the several very nice scale airplanes entered in this year's Regionals. At left is the entry by Mike MacCarthy of Santa Rosa, Calif. At right is Don Chandler of Red Bluff, Calif., with his plane. Bruce Hunt photos.
Two of the expert precision aerobatics fliers with their planes. Left, Howard Rush of Bellevue, Wash., second in expert PA, with Impact; right, Phil Granderson of Oakland, Calif., with Concours 'd Elegance winner Diva. Bruce Hunt photo.
Left: Mark Scarborough of Pullman, Wash., assists Pat Johnston of Boise, Idaho, with his Profile Stunt P-40, an original design. At right, Chris Cox of Delta, B.C., with his Saturn. Bruce Hunt photos.
Left: Howard Rush (left) and Bruce Perry of Edmonton, Alberta, examine the bottom of Bruce's Jester. Right: Dave Royer of Portland, Ore., prepares to start his Chief for an official flight, as John Thompson of Eugene, Ore., assists. Bruce Hunt photos.
Left: Richard Walbridge of Fresno, Calif., prepares his plane for a flight. Right: Alan Resinger of Duncan, B.C., with the latest version of his Firecracker design. Bruce Hunt photos.
Left: Team Ryan of Washington state shows off gorgeous metalflake-finish .15 rat racer built by Mike MacCarthy. That's pilot Todd at left and pitman Mac at right. Bruce Hunt photo. Right: Jim Rhoades of Salt Lake City, Utah, receives the raffle prize, a hand-carved propeller clock made and donated by Alan Resinger. Contest Director Craig Bartlet hands over the prize. Jim Corbett photo.
Combat pits spread out for quite a distance as turnout was good for all three events. Jim Corbett photo.
Left: Mike Hazel awards special prize, a field box donated by Mike Conner, to Mouse Race I contestant Austin Johansen. Right: Candid shot of Navy Carrier pit area. Jim Corbett photos.
An overview of the stunt area, as seen by contestants entering the field. Jim Corbett photo.
Some of the Regionals workers: At left, stunt tabulators Angela Stratton (left) and Jill Claus. At right, stunt judges Steve Helmick of Renton, Wash., (left) and Mike Conner of Maple Ridge, B.C. Dave Gardner photos.
Stunt action: Photo at left captures the movement of Paul Pomposo's airplane. Paul is from Sebastopol, Calif., At right, Pat Johnston of Boise, Idaho, holds Randy Powell's Novi as Randy, of Port Orchard, Wash., heads out for a Classic flight. Dave Gardner photos.
Always plenty of conversation and analysis going on in the pits. Above, the stunt pits. Dave Gardner photo.
Paul Walker's electric Impact always draws lots of attention. Left photo shows the hatch open for replacement of battery pack. Right photo shows a detail of the finish. Paul is from Kent, Wash. Dave Gardner photos.
Left photo: Model flying is a family affair for the Beers family of Cascade, Mont. Greg Beers works on an airplane in the speed pits while Laura (from left), Jenessa, Danilla and a friend look on. Rich Salter photo. Right photo: Another family active in Northwest CL modeling is the S&S Racing Team. Pitman Dick Salter holds the plane while Rich Salter, not shown, adjusts the handle. Photo provided by Rich Salter.
Left photo: Officials make the contest happen. Speed Director Mike Hazel (left) and assistant Dave Robinson time a race. Right photo: Racing action, with Todd Ryan of Moses Lake, Wash., taking off as Les Akre of Edmonton, Alberta, cruises. Rich Salter photos.
Navy Carrier flying action: Left photo, Event Director Mike Potter checks the angle of a plane in slow flight. Center photo, Mike Conner flies his .15 carrier plane. Right photo, Mike's plane hits the cords on the carrir deck. Rich Salter photos.
Some shots of the trophy presentation. At left above, The crowd watches as prizes are handed out. At right above, Mike Hazel, of Salem, Ore., speaks as CD Craig Bartlett, of Adair Village, Ore., looks on. Jim Corbett photo.
Regionals regulars at the trophy celebration Left: Mel Lyne of Garibaldi Highlands, B.C., celebrates his victory in 80mph combat, as Hazel hands off a trophy to speed contestant Jerry Rocha of Napa, Calif. Mel also serves as Regionals Vintage Diesel Combat event director. Jim Corbett photo. Center: Stunt Event Director Dave Gardner, of Renton, Wash., prepares to award the Concours d'Elegance trophy. Angela Stratton photo. Right: Paul Gibeault of Edmonton, Alberta, collects a trophy from Mike Hazel. Paul has attended most of the 36 Regionals. Dave Gardner photo.
Dave Gardner captured the photo at left, and titled it "The Discussion." It says a lot about the fellowship of control-line model aviation.
Warm dry weather, a real treat after 2006's monsoon D/Bat. 10 fliers including Californians Mike Rule, Dave Stevenson and Edmond Bridant were on hand. Late Saturday evening Dave was "made"(an Italian family term?) a Bod Buster by fellow Bod Buster combateers Ken Burdick, Jeffrey Rein and Buzz Wilson. It was understood that a beverage was consumed in the process. Other notables out for some 5 rounds of 5 minute D/Bat matches were Robert Smith, Kenny Johansen, Austin Johansen and Gary Harris.
Photo of combat launch by Bruce Hunt.
ED Mel Lyne and a crew of Mariah and Ole Johansen ran the matches. The action was pushed along at a good pace to try and finish early. Junior flier Austin, in his first combat contest, learned some tough lessons, starting with some losses and finishing with a pair of wins. Dad Kenny finished with the same score, 2 wins 3 losses. Gary Harris flew consistently suffering only one loss in the 5 rounds, as did Jeffrey Rein and Robert Smith. Mike Rule flew hard and just missed the final 4, ending up in 5th place. Edmond Bridant, Dave Stevenson and Buzz Wilson flew hard but ground time was their nemesis, making wins elusive.
At the end of 5 rounds Jeffrey, Robert, Gary and Ken were the top four. The first semi saw Gary vs Jeffrey. 2 Razor Blades going at it with Gary taking it 2 cuts to none. The other semi had Ken against Robert. Ken had the only cut for the win. The battle for 3rd and 4th was Robert vs Jeffrey in a nail-biter. One cut each, no knots left and flying out the tank. But Jeffrey ran dry and the pit stop cost him the match. The final, Gary vs Ken, looked good for a while with Gary going up by 1 cut. But then Ken had some ground time and couldn't get any cuts thus giving Gary the win.
Planes flown included Orcrist, Yeti, Piranha, Ironmonger, Razor Blade and numerous Warlords. Most motors were PAWs with a few Sharmas. Winner Gary Harris used 2 Warlords and a Razor Blade, all powered by PAW motors, Taipan nylon 8 x 6 props and Red Max diesel fuel.
Results:
1. Gary Harris, Banks, Or. 6 - 1
2. Ken Burdick, Seattle, Wa. 4 1/2 - 1 1/2
3. Robert Smith, Roy, Wa. 5 - 2
4. Jeffrey Rein, Covington, Wa. 4 - 3
5. Mike Rule
6. Austin Johansen
Kenny Johansen
8. Buzz Wilson
Edmond Bridant
10. Dave Stevenson
ED Gary Harris and his timers Mel and Henry got it going early, just after 8:00am in cool damp conditions but no wind. Nine fliers, single elimination. Lots of furious action cuts and kills. Pretty quick stuff on 42-ft lines. A couple of midairs with broken lines but no flyaways. Mike Rule was flying well using Foras and Cyclons in his own-designed foamies. Jeffrey Rein was charging hard with his foamies and Cyclons. Profis and other Eastern European motors were also seen. Lots of GRS Yuvenko planes.
Buzz Wilson, Robert Smith, Mark Hansen, Edmond Bridant, Dave Stevenson, Ken Burdick and "Cowboy Hat Lee" were all flying hard. But the old 1/2A master, Jeffrey Rein, had everyone's number and went through clean to win it all...yet again!
Gary Harris had 80mph started right after 1/2A. Double elimination, 13 entries, 12 flew. The rain had ended and a light wind brought in clearer weather. Kenny Johansen was charging and racked up some wins, even trouncing Mel on airtime. Kenny runs REAL fast for the handle! Gary kept it moving along allowing racers to duck out for a race in the adjacent circle. Ken Burdick, Mike Rule, "Cowboy Hat Lee" and Mel Lyne were the last ones still alive. Mike suffered a cut-away where his model shut down perfectly going straight up. It stalled, recovered and glided to a soft landing on the practice circle. An "H & R" line tension shutoff. Lee flew hard in his match but got killed by Mel. The final was sudden death Ken vs Mel. Mel got up first with his Iron piston Fox in a much repaired and modified early Mejzlik. Ken took a leisurely stroll to the handle of his screaming F2D type foamie. The horn went and the chase was on.
Each pilot was trying to get position on the other for the kill. Ken's light .15 was out-turning Mel's .36. Mel had to break off several times and look for an opportunity. A couple of tentative attacks and retreats. Then an opening and Mel zipped in for the string kill. "Gotcha!" he yelled as the orange streamer floated down, to which Ken replied "Ooh! That wasn't supposed to happen." And combat wrapped up at 4:45pm just in time for the awards ceremonies.
80mph was a mixture of F2D planes, some .21 Rossi foamies and .36 to .40 powered Ruskies and foamies (Granderdog and Gotcha types). Shutoffs were predominantly line tension type. One Heppenstall fuel dump type was seen.
Thanks to all the helpers, pull testers(Jim Cameron), judges and contestants for 2 days of great combat action.
Wow! What a difference the weather can make, quite a contrast from last year's results! Nice weather throughout the weekend, except for first thing Sunday morning. The entry level was much improved, although quite a few entries never made to the pits. And as usual, there were at least a couple of regulars who could not make it, so let's expect them next year.
Here's a brief summary:
In 1/2 A, Bob Murphy flew a really quick 132+ flight, just besting Jerry Rocha who usually takes this event.
In 1/2 A Proto, Jerry Rocha came out on top with 104 mph, and everyone else way behind.
Class 'A' was the big news this year, but not in depth of entry but in flat-out speed. After one attempt, Luke Roy put up a record-setting 188.57 mph run that sounded great. His next flight for record backup fell a little short. Then another try did the trick with a 188.14 score. His assymetrical bird is powered by a Profi engine. Jerry Rocha followed with a good 181+ score.
"F2A" was more a comedy of errors, so we won't go into any details to spare the participants any embarassment.
.21 Sport Speed is now the most popular event. It started off slow in the Northwest but now has a large following. No less than 8 entrants actually hit the circle for attempts, and there were at least a couple more that didn't. There were four entrants with flights of 150mph+, with Jerry Rocha leading the pack with an excellent 155+ speed.
Very disappointing was the lack of interest in the .21 Proto event this year.
Greg Beers was the solitary entrant in class 'B', and put up a poker flight for a trophy run. Hey, should be easy to snag a trophy in this class by flying a .21 bird on the bigger wires.
In the Formula 40 class, Paul Gibeault showed it can still be done with a K&B by putting up consecutive 154 mph flights. Ted Gritzmacher followed with a below potential 147 flight, and the rest of the pack was way behind.
Ted returned at the closing bell with the only 'D' flight of the contest to snag a trophy.
Jet activity was light this year, but Dick Salter put up a fine 143+ flight in the NW Sport jet class for 1st place. This was on the new .020 x 65 foot wires, so is now the current NW record.
The overall Speed Champion contest was a repeat of last year: Jerry Rocha beating Paul Gibeault by just one point.
As always, thanks go to the entrants who make this event work by assisting in the timing and setup of the circle. See you next year.
Racing attendance was down again this year as the event continues to see a decline in attendance at Northwest contests, but the competition was excellent among those who attended. As usual, the most entrants were collected in the Northwest's most popular racing events, Clown Race and Northwest Sport Race.
Two new events also had successful debuts at the 2007 contest, as two traditional events were dropped. This year marked the first successful running of B-Team Race, and the first try at NCLRA Super Slow Rat. Thanks to Les Akre for sponsoring both of the new events. Dropped from the schedule this year were AMA Goodyear and Class II Mouse race, because of low entry in the past couple of years.
This was the first major Northwest contest run under the new AMA rules, which considerably changed the guidelines for pilot conduct. The very first heat in the first racing event was somewhat contentious as the pilots tried to sort out new flying height requirements and other changes, but from then on everything went smoothly. A number of warnings were given to pilots throughout the contest, but no penalties were assessed. The new rules clarify a lot of previous "gray areas" and should work well once all the pilots are used to them.
All of the events except Mouse I resulted in the establishment of new Northwest and Regionals records, because the old records were vacated as a result of the rules changes.
Todd Ryan set the Clown Race record right up there near the previous mark with 326 laps in his feature race. Les Akre made it a well-contended final with 308 laps. Anything over 300 laps in Clown is an excellent feature race performance.
B-Team Race has been tried in the past but resulted in few entries. This year, thanks in part to kits manufactured by Dave Shrum, the event drew more interest and there actually was some good racing. We went through the whole vintage procedure of a 35-lap sprint, a 70-lap heat, and a 140-lap feature race. Mike MacCarthy captured the feature with his very nice looking racer, which also captured the informal B-Team Race appearance award.
Mouse Race I continues to draw interest among young modelers, and we had a rematch of the 2006 Mouse Race. This year, Jenessa Beers captured first place in a well-flown feature against Austin Johansen. Mouse guru Paul Gibeault once again showed the way in the Open class with a the two best heat times as well as the victory in the feature.
Rat Race, now a .15 event, was lightly attended but as always demonstrated what a true unlimited racing event can be, with Todd Ryan flying a beautiful MacCarthy-built inverted rat to the feature race victory. Les Akre demonstrated that a well-tuned Goodyear remains competitive in this event.
Quickie Rat attendance numbers are dropping at this contest, but Les Akre turned a good time for the victory over the Northwest's other active Quickie Team, S& S Racing (Rich and Dick Salter), who had some equipment problems.
Todd Ryan captured the new NCLRA Super Slow event with an excellent time. This event is offered as an alternative to the Fox .35-powered Northwest Sport Race, though its rules are built on the framework of the NCLRA Fox Race, which is similar to NWSR but slightly different. Super Slow allows a variety of .25 engines on typical slow-rat-type airframes.
Northwest Sport race was a dandy, with Mac Ryan tearing out to an 8:01 feature time, getting the NWSR feature record right back down near the gold standard right from the start of the new records era. The four-up feature was an excellent demonstration of racing piloting and pitting.
Northwest Super Sport Race, which in recent years has been lightly attended, remains (in the opinion of those of us participating) as very possibly the most fun racing event done at NW contests. Pardon the commercial, but if you're a racer and not doing NWSS, you have no idea how much fun you're missing. Races are always close and the planes are fun to fly -- feeling like a racing plane but within the athletic abilities of almost any pilot. This year's feature was a two-up affair, with one lap separating the winning Nitroholics Racing Team from Todd Ryan. It doesn't get much closer than that.
Thanks to the racers who attended, and also to the several racers who helped out as fill-in event directors to allow the Nitroholics to compete as well as officiate. Also thanks to the many who helped with timing and other chores.
Well, it couldn't have been much better weather for Stunt at the Regionals! And great turnout, too!
Thanks to the excellent tabulators, Angela Stratton and Jill Claus! You may see more of them at future contests!
This is just an overview of the weekend. You'll have to see John Thompson's list of the players (above).
FRIDAY:
We had 10 entries in Old Time Stunt.a little better than usual, even if it was partly made up by refugees from the Combat circles! We had a variety of airplanes -- not all Ringmasters or Jamison Specials! We flew it on the grass, they way they used to do it! (And the OTS airplanes land a LOT better in grass!)
Jim Aron won this event, with a 284.5. The surprising 2nd was Jeff Rein, with a 282! There were only 18 points separating the first 6 places!
Thanks to Rod Claus for being the Pit Boss, with Scott Riese and Pat Johnston juggling the judging.
In the afternoon, we had appearance judging for Classic. Rod Claus and Chris Cox gave the planes the eagle eye for the well-deserved appearance points!
SATURDAY:
John Leidle did yeoman duty as pit boss for Classic, Profile, Beginner and Intermediate Stunt.
Classic Stunt had 11 entries, with a wide variety of designs showing. Scott Riese took top honors here with a 539 score. Pat Johnston and Don McClave were not far behind!
Paul Walker and Steve Helmick judged this motley crew with great consistency!
Profile Stunt was flown with the new rules, noted as 'Profile 91' by some! The oversized engines did NOT make an appearance here, showing that the 40 size airplane is still very competitive. We also broke the event down to Sportsman and Expert classes, but all flown in the same rounds.
Out of 8 entries, Bob Duncan carried off 1st in Sportsman, with a 490. His second flight ran away from Greg Hart's 462.5 second place score.
Expert Class had 3 entries, with 1st taken by Pat Johnston, with a 516. Less than 30 points separated 1st from 3rd here. Californian Paul Pomposo made a good showing, along with Bruce Hunt.
The Profile Stunt class was judged by Keith Varley and Leo Mehl.
The afternoon had Beginner Stunt flying in the grass and Intermediate on the paved circle No. 1. The appearance judging for the Intermediates was done at the flight line, with no appearance points for the Beginners. This year, we had 5 entries in Beginner Stunt, with Lee Powell taking first at 222 points.
Scott Riese and Keith Varley judged these 'newbies', all who had a great time!
Intermediate Stunt was flown simultaneously on the paved circle, with 6 entries. Doug Wood came over from Idaho to take first with a 476. Second was Jeff Rein with a 465.5 and Rod Claus was 3rd with a 461.5. These sound suspiciously like 'Advanced' scores..(see the score tabulations) PAMPA says that Intermediate class tops out at 400 points! Ah, well, we'll see how they do the rest of the year!
Maybe the judging of Bruce Hunt and Leo Mehl was a bit generous, but knowing those guys, no points were given away -- bought, maybe, but not given away!
Late Saturday afternoon, the Advanced and Expert planes were judged for appearance. Steve Helmick and Rod Claus gave them all a once-over ... and a twice-overto some very attractive planes!
SUNDAY:
For Sunday, we had two paved circles available and flew Advanced on the south circle and Expert on the North one. Rod Claus did the line yanking and kept the order in order.
Advanced Class was lighter than usual, with only 7 entries; I think they've all gone to Expert! John Miller came over from Utah to fly a 529 for first. Mike Haverly was close behind with 518.5 for second. John Thompson has been practicing! He pulled off a third with a 507.5.
Over 500 points puts you in Expert territory, gentlemen! Given, however, that the judges, Pat Johnston and Chris Cox, were doing double duty by judging Advanced and flying in Expert, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now!
Expert Class was heavily populated with 20 entries! Geez, these guys must think this is the west coast Nats! Ok, so someoka lot.of these guys are Nats class flyers, with scores and appearance points to show it! Judges Steve Helmick and Mike Conner endured 40 flights to score a 588 for Paul Walker for first. Shocking, shocking, it was, to have the first place taken by an electric powered stunter! The electric flight is very interesting to watch ... the very quiet prop noise makes the flight seem almost effortless. Paul did need his watch to tell him when the timer was going to cut his power, because there's no sense of the end of the flight coming up, particularly with other IC flights going on.
Brett Buck came up from California for a close second at 581.5 and Howard Rush flew 574 for third. There were only two scores under the Expert 500 point bar (no names here!) and the top 10 pilots all exceed 550 points! Some really great flying, great weather and super judging!
At the end of it all, the pilots voted on their choice of the best airplane. This is strictly the pilot's choice and reflects their opinion of their peers. Phil Granderson's Diva garnered about 55% of the votes to with the coveted Concours d'Elegance award, with Jim Aron at 30%, and Honorable Mentions to Pat Johnston, Alan Resinger and Bruce Perry.
The final capstone is selecting the Stunt Champion for the Regionals. The points are based inversely on the number of entrants and placing in the event. E.g., Paul Walker was first in Expert, with 20 entries, so he got 20 points. This, however, was not enough to win the top award! It takes entry in at least two if not three events, and placing fairly well in the highly populated events.
This one was close, with Pat Johnston getting 24 points for 2nd in Classic, 1st in Profile-Expert and 10th in PA-Expert. Second was Jim Aron, with a first in OTS and 8th in Expert, for 23 points. Scott Riese managed a first in Classic and 11th in Expert for 21 points.
Remember this next year so you can fly one class of PA, one class of Profile, Classic and OTS -- a sure fire combination! The real test is to do it with the same airplane!
Results of this contest were included in the Northwest Competition Standings.
This page was upated May 20, 2008