Eugene Prop Spinners president Mike
Denlis dies
Denlis was known to participants in the Northwest Control-Line Regionals as the field setup chairman for many years as well as the Aerobatics pull-tester and weighmaster. As president of the Prop Spinners, he was instrumental in acquiring and keeping flying fields, working behind the scenes as liaison with local government officials.
Most of all, Mike loved model airplanes and the people involved in the model airplane hobby. In competition he flew Precision Aerobatics but he enjoyed all forms of modeling, including radio control, free-flight and control-line, and collected some vintage models such as the one shown in the pictures.
Outside of modeling, Mike was a family man, a man of faith, a musician and an accomplished mechanic. The following is provided by Mike's daughter, Denise Blazevich:
Mike Denlis was born on September 17, 1946, in Modesto, Calf. He was the youngest of five children. He became interested in playing guitar at a young age, and joined a band in High School. He married his High School sweetheart, and together they had three children. Two more marriages followed. Mike worked as an auto mechanic for most of his working years, managing a Chevron station for several years.
For recreation, he enjoyed competing in flying model planes, playing in a band in bars and restaurants, water skiing and motorcycle riding.
He got his private pilot’s license in the 1980s, and once flew cross country. Mike moved to Oregon in 1999 and settled in Springfield in 2007, where he enjoyed attending his granddaughters’ volleyball games, flying model planes with his buddies in the club, and road trips to visit family.
Mike was a man of faith, and he enjoyed some time spent playing guitar during church services. He is survived by two grown children.
Mike Denlis remembered
From Prop Spinners member Gene Pape:I met Mike Denlis when I joined the Prop Spinners again in 2008. You had to pay attention to know he was there. But if you did pay attention you would notice that he was always busy working on behalf of the club, the hobby and his friends.
He came over to my house last year when he didn't have much energy left to guide me through the rebuild of the brake system on Carole's Corvette. That's just the kind of guy he was. I started missing him before he passed as we will all continue to do. He has left a large void in our lives.
From Prop Spinners vice president, secretary and newsletter editor Jim Corbett:
When I rejoined the club in 2007 ,Mike inspired me to build a Clown to use an OLD motor I had left over from many years ago. He was helpful to me on several projects in the many years we flew together. I will miss him.
Last photos of Mike flying were in the June 2023 Prop Spinner Chatter newsletter. At left, Mike prepares a plane for flight. At right, he starts the Ross Twin engine on his experimental RC-to-CL conversion airplane. Below left, he lands after one of his last flights. Jim Corbett photos.
Mike proceeded over the meetings April May, June, August and November of 2024 and January and February of 2025.
November 2024 meeting: Of special note was the presentation to Mike Denlis of a Lifetime Membership certificate in thanks to Mike for his many years of service as president of the Prop Spinners. Along the way, Mike has been instrumental in securing and keeping flying sites as well as tireless other work for the club and the Northwest Regionals contest. Club members asked Mike to remain president in an emeritus status. Thanks, Mike!
In September of 2023, Mike traveled to
Muncie, Ind., to give the Academy
of Model Aeronautics museum the Spirit of Exchange,
the plane that the Prop Spinners used to set the world
endurance record of 64 hours, 33
minutes and 15 seconds in September 1957. The plane had
been on display at Eugene Toy
& Hobby until the shop's owners, the Agerter
family, returned it to the club so that it could be
donated to the museum. AMA photo.
Mike Denlis flies one of his collection of
small vintage plastic airplanes at the 2019
Zoot Ranch Fun Fly. Flying Lines photo.
Mike Denlis (right) stands with Prop Spinners members after a work party to install a wind sock at the Can Do Ranch flying field in Junction City, Ore. Others are (from left) Dave La Fever, Gene Pape and Jim Corbett. Flying Lines photo.
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was updated June 6, 2025