What a fabulous time we all had at the June 8 “Flying Aces Take Flight” event at the Spencer-Peirce Little Farm in Newbury, MA.
Not since the Jordan Marsh – Boston Traveler sponsored meets of the late 1930’s have we seen so many young folks and families flying free flight model airplanes in one place!
We’ll tell the story of those Jordan Traveler Junior Aviation League meets in a future post, but let’s get on with a recap of the June 8 event. Check out some pics in the sidebar here and more on clubster John R’s photo page. Thanks John!
A Brief Recap
The Rittmeister (aka Rich Z) conceived the initial concept for the “Flying Aces Take Flight” event and established much of the early plans with the Spencer-Peirce Little and Guillow’s leads. Rich provides his brief recap below:
“This was not the typical Flying Aces Club contest because we had moved into the realm of public education and flight demonstration. We coordinated with Guillow’s and the Spencer-Peirce Little Farm staff in organizing the event site. In addition to model flying on the Farm’s open field, there was a spectator area, a model display area, the Stealth Squadron Repair Facility, and a Guillow’s exhibit area which included aerial games for the kids. Indoors we had a continuous video loop on a TV screen that ran highlights of our past contests and a display table of Guillow’s models built by club members. In appreciation of Guillow’s sponsorship, our Flying Aces Club presented the Guillow’s representatives with a trophy cup that a past member won at a Guillow’s-sponsored Jordan Traveler Junior Aviation League model meet in 1941.
A Sunny, Windy Day
On June 8th, the day of the event, the sky was sunny and warm with winds from the west at 15 mph gusting to over 20 mph. More than one hundred and fifty attendees spread picnic blankets and chairs alongside the field and walked the flight line talking to the Flying Aces who were more than willing to answer any questions. John R. handled the mic at the public address podium keeping spectators informed of activities on the field such as mass launch flights.
Most importantly, attendees wanted to fly their Jetstreams (free with admission ticket purchase) and we had several clubsters on the field to help them. The repair facility had a steady stream of
people with models needing to be glued back together or having broken rubber motors replaced.
The mood was festive. The Farm staff and Guillow’s were delighted with the event, and we in the FAC had the opportunity to introduce our type of model building and flying to the public. The consensus
is that we will do it again next year. The Stealth Squadron FAC would like to thank Historic New England and Guillow’s for their sponsorship.”
Thanks Richard!
Now, if you attended the June 8 Flying Aces Take Flight event, it was great to meet and fly with you.
If you’d like to learn more about free flight model airplanes, we invite you to come to any of our flying meets in Amesbury, MA (Woodsom Farm), or Durham, CT (White’s Farm).
Check out the Coming Events and Calendar on this website for more information, directions and contacts.
See you on the flightline!
