A New Tribute Event for all-sheet balsa sport flyers –
Stay Tuned for More!
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The Spirit of the FAC
This post is dedicated to Ed Novak, an original member of the modern Flying Aces Club (FAC), and a long-time friend. Ed passed on earlier this summer at his home in CT.
But First….Upcoming Flying Meets!
With the FAC Nationals in Geneseo, NY in the rear window, the local New England flying meet schedule is heating up. Hope to see you at our August meets – click the links below for the details.
The Modern Flying Aces Club – Early Years
In the mid-late 1960’s a small group of free flight modelers in southern CT began flying rubber-powered scale and sport models in the style of the pre-WW2 era Flying Aces magazine and the original Flying Aces Club. The emphasis was on fun as characterized by the adventures and tongue in cheek humor of that fictional Flying Aces hero, Phineas Pinkham. Building and flying unique and unconventional models was encouraged, and a sometimes schmaltzy newsletter was started. The spirit caught on, the little club grew to national status, and the modern Flying Aces Club (FAC) was born. Eddie Novak was a key member of that early, wacky and creative crew of flyers.
In fact, Ed was perhaps the first FAC junior flyer not related to the club founders Dave Stott and Bob Thompson. His parents would drive him to the first FAC meets at Pinkham Field in Durham, CT. Yes, that Pinkham Field is the same Whites Farm field that we fly at in Durham, CT today!
The Spirit of the FAC!
Ed was a relentless advocate for the Spirit of those early wacky and adventuresome Flying Aces. Flying model competition was important and as this aspect of the FAC grew, Ed was there to remind us there was more to our Flying Aces Club – Fun!
To celebrate this Spirit and Eddie’s influence over the years, the Pinkham Field Irregulars (as that group of local flyers is known) have come up with a new Ed Novak Tribute Event. This is a fun celebration of the simple all-sheet balsa sport models popularized in WW2 era model magazines.
Rules for the Tribute Event are presented HERE. A number of construction Plans and Articles for these models will be made available for download (free) from this website soon.
The Louis Garami “Commando” published in a 1943 issue of Air Trails is one of these Tribute models. At the top of this post, we’re happy to share a photo of Louis’ original model and one recently built from his plans by clubster Tom N.
We’ll let you know when the downloads are available on our club website here. Stay tuned and keep that building board at the ready!