Eugene Prop Spinners member Gary Weems' Profile Cardinal is seen in flight at the club's Can Do Ranch flying site on a cool, calm day in December 2022. Prop Spinners fly control-line planes all year round. Flying Lines photo.
The Eugene Prop Spinners Club is based in Eugene, Ore., and flies regularly at the Can Do Ranch in Junction City, Ore., or (in winter) at Orchard Point Lane County Park at Fern Ridge Lake. There also is a flying site in Florence, Ore. See Northwest CL Flying Fields for information about the Prop Spinners fields. E-mail for information about flying activities and access to the flying sites.
Club
officersMike Denlis,
president (photo at left)
Jim Corbett, vice
president, secretary, newsletter editor
John Thompson, treasurer
Gene Pape safety officer
Interested in joining the Prop Spinners? Annual dues are $25, and membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics is required. Being a Prop Spinners member gets you access to Prop Spinners flying fields. For information on joining the club, E-mail the Prop Spinners.
For news of radio control flying in the Eugene area, see the Eugene RC Aeronauts website.
Interested in becoming a member? Download a Prop Spinners membership application
This is the Spirit of Exchange, which was flown by Eugene Prop Spinners continuously for 64 hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds in September of 1957, an endurance record that is believed to remain unmatched. The engine is a K&B Torpedo .35, modified for two glow plugs. The airplane was displayed in the Eugene Toy & Hobby shop after the flight until spring of 2023, when it was displayed at the 50th Northwest Control-Line Regionals. Then it was delivered by Prop Spinners President Mike Denlis to the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Ind., where it will remain. Many articles have been written about the endurance flight, including this one in Model Airplane News in its August 1979 issue. An article about the endurance flight and the donation to the museum is included in the December 2023 issue of Model Aviation. Mike Denlis photo.
Mark Agerter, third-generation member of the family that owns Eugene Toy & Hobby, recently unearthed several photos of the Prop Spinners flying in the 1940s and 1950s. This one shows a group flying at Willard School in the late 1940s. Note the crowd lined up outside the fence to watch. For more photos, see the Northwest CL History page.
The Prop Spinners keep flying in 2019, using some social distancing measures to stay safe from the COVID-19 virus. Dave LaFever starts the engine on his warbird at a July 4 session at the Can Do Ranch, using a stooge for a launcher. Dean Rea photo.
Gary Weems prepares to fly his Buster from his remote-controlled launcher on July 4. Dean Rea photo.
Though many contests and other organized events have been canceled because of the COVID-19 virus, Eugene Prop Spinners weekend flying has continued with some new "social distancing" protocols in place. One such protocol is avoidance of prop wash, which might blow germs from the person starting the engine to the launcher. That means the use of mechanical launchers or "stooges." Planes without landing gear require something a little more sophisticated than the typical wire-pull stooge used for convential CL planes. Above, Gene Pape's Underdog, a Nelson .36-powered AMA Fast Combat Plane, leaps out of Gene's remote-controlled launcher during a Saturday flying esssion at the Prop Spinners' Can Do Ranch flying field. The launcher, described in Gene's recent column, uses automotive door lock mechanisms and their remote key fob. No wires on the ground to trip on, and it works great, allowing Gene to fly during the pandemic. Flying Lines photo
Eugene Prop Spinners members erect the club's wind sock at the Can Do Ranch flying site in Junction City, Ore., on April 28, 2018. The sock was moved from the Eugene Airport site, no longer available for control-line flying. Flying Lines photos.
The work crew after the wind sock was erected at the Can Do Ranch.
The Prop Spinners fly all year round. This photo from Dec. 8, 2012, shows two circles in action at the Eugene Airport, the club's flying site through 2015. Gordon Rea carries his plane to the circle with Mike Denlis carrying the handle, while Floyd Carter (foreground) prepares his plane and in the background Mike Massey prepares for a flight with Dave La Fever helping. Flying Lines photo.
It was an accidental "Warbirds day" at the Prop Spinners' club meeting and flying session on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Lined up in the pits are, in foreground, P-40s flown by Tom Kopriva (left) and Jim Corbett, and in background, Floyd Carter's Spitfire (left) and Hurricane. Flying Lines photo.
Download November 2011 Prop Spinner Chatter newsletter
| October 2011 | September 2011 | August 2011 | July 2011 | June 2011 | May 2011 | April 2011
Fall colors are on display in this scene from the Eugene Airport on Oct. 17, 2009, with lots of club members in attendance on a perfect flying day. Flying Lines photo.
During the Oregon Blue Sky Stunt Classic at the Eugene Airport flying field on Aug. 22-23, 2009, the new memorial bench was seen for the first time with the plaque honoring departed members. Member Mel Marcum arranged for the engraving, and installed the plaque on the bench. This completes a memorial project conceived after the death of Morrie Gilbert last year. Below is a close-up of what the plaque looks like. Gene Pape photo.
New! Oregon
Blue Sky Stunt Classic held at Eugene field Full report and photos
The Prop Spinners enhanced the Eugene flying site on May 3, 2009, with the addition of a bench and picnic table. A plaque later was added to the bench honoring some departed Prop Spinners. The picnic table will be available on site as a work and lunch table. The work party to assemble the furniture included (from left) Floyd Carter, Gene Pape, Mike Denlis and John Thompson. A barbecue inaugurated the table! Carole Pape photo.
Recently at the Eugene flying field: Mike Massey brought this new Magician out to the Eugene Airport on Nov. 22, 2008, for its maiden flight. The plane is powered by a Fox .35 Stunt. At right, just a typical sunny winter flying session! Dec. 6, 2008, brought a good turnout of fliers and lots of planes to the field. Jim Corbett photos.
See Prop
Spinners first half 2008 flying photo gallery
Floyd ups the anteFloyd Carter of Eugene saw others in the Northwest coming out with twin-engine planes during the past year, and was not to be outdone. Possibly the most prolific model builder in the region, Floyd whipped up a twin and made it electric, just to add a little innovation. The first electric twin in the area as far as we know. But the twin (featured here a couple of weeks ago) was a little underpowered on its first trip to the Eugene flying field. No problem! A couple of weeks later, Floyd returned to the Eugene field with the same plane -- now a trimotor! A third motor, slightly more powerful, was added to the back of the fuselage pod.
The trimotor version has plenty of horsepower and the plane stunts very well and gets a long-enough run for the stunt pattern. We're hoping Floyd will write us an article with details of the project.
Oh, and while waiting for the paint to dry on the
trimotor, Floyd whipped up a very nice profile stunter called the
Grand Poo Bah, at left. We'll show a larger picture later.
Can't wait to see what Floyd brings out to the field next week! Flying Lines photos.
At the club meeting on Feb. 17, 2008, the Eugene Prop Spinners paid special tribute to Morrie Gilbert, a member of the club since the late 1940s, who recently stepped down from the job of treasurer after nearly three decades. Morrie has been a continuous member of the club and a mentor and inspiration to many fliers. Former Prop Spinner Gene Pape attended the meeting and recalled meeting Morrie at a CL competition in the 1960s, which led to Gene's long involvement in the hobby. Morrie also was a member of the Prop Spinners team that set the still-standing endurance record in 1957 (See NW CL History page). Morrie remains an active member of the Prop Spinners and often attends the regular weekend flying sessions. He organized the club's demonstration for stroke victims in the fall of 2007. The award was presented by longtime Prop Spinner Mel Marcum. Jim Corbett printed up a four-page article describing some of Morrie's activities with the club. The tribute took place in the Prop Spinners' "rolling meeting hall," Mel's motor home, at the flying field. Visible in the picture are (from left) Gene Pape, John Thompson, Morrie, Floyd Carter and Mel Marcum. Jim Corbett photo.
Eugene Prop Spinners members reinstalled the former wind sock pole in fresh concrete on April 29, 2007, and the sock was put atop the tall pole for the following week's flying. Now fliers all over the field can see which way the wind is blowing. From left, workers are Morrie Gilbert, Mike Denlis, Mel Marcum, Tom Kopriva. Club members also did quite a bit of field maintenance work that same weekend. Fresh circles were painted on the asphalt on April 27. Flying Lines photo.
The Eugene Airport flying field was foggy and wet when the Eugene Prop Spinners arrived on Saturday morning, Jan. 28, but it soon cleared off – and the sun started making steam from the water on the asphalt. Left photo, Tom Kopriva flying, surrounded by the mist; right photo, Tom's Cardinal passes the steamy pit area. Steam wasn't much help finding wind direction: At times it seemed to be moving in all directions at once! Weather eventually cleared completely for a lovely flying day. Flying Lines photos.
The Eugene Airport flying field was foggy and wet when the Eugene Prop Spinners arrived on Saturday morning, Jan. 28, but it soon cleared off – and the sun started making steam from the water on the asphalt. Left photo, Tom Kopriva flying, surrounded by the mist; right photo, Tom's Cardinal passes the steamy pit area. Steam wasn't much help finding wind direction: At times it seemed to be moving in all directions at once! Weather eventually cleared completely for a lovely flying day. Flying Lines photos.
Oregon CL fliers gathered under sunny skies on Feb. 19 at the site of the upcoming Northwest Regionals. Full story.
The Prop Spinners used plans provided by fliers in Cook County, Ill., to set up a "monoline" mower, which automatically trims down the grass circles while the club members are flying on the adjacent asphalt. The system allows EPS members to work and fly at the same time!
The mower is a self-propelled mower that is tethered to a spool staked down in the center of the circle. The mower unwinds as it mows, and runs out of gas as the circle dimension hits 75 feet. The system's design and some photos of the Illinois setup were provided to the Prop Spinners by Bill Dahlgren of Glenview, Ill., and the Eugene system was built by longtime Prop Spinner Morrie Gilbert (shown in the left photo as the automated mower chugs past). The right photo shows the mower unwinding from its spool.
The mower system was tested for the first time at the June 11, 2006 flying session. More information about the automated mowing system can be obtained from John Thompson or from Bill Dahlgren.
Floyd Carter
brought his new Wildman 60 to the Eugene flying field on Feb. 12.
It features an Anderson Spitfire .65, spark ignition (see front
end detail). Flying Lines photos.
Tom Kopriva, John Thompson and Floyd Carter got out to the Eugene flying field, home of the upcoming Northwest Regionals, on Jan. 15.
Floyd Carter
prepares his Bob Palmer Venus; John Thompson's Vector 40 waits for
another flight.
Left photo: Tom Kopriva flying his ARF Cardinal. Right: Floyd with the Bob Palmer Venus, bound for Tucson and the VSC in March. Flying Lines photos.
This page was
updated April 16, 2024