I have been scanning old build articles for sailplanes (what else is there ) when I came across this in the November 1970 Flying Models.

It is a short review of the Nats with the usual shorter reveiw of soaring.
The first image is what they said about soaring and the scores. The other images are the entire article.

As I come across more soaring history like this I will share it with you as some were not even alive let alone into soaring back then.

Joe

Thanks Thermaler.
Felt a bit old as I am still flying an Amigo II! Having said that it is still a firm favourite for calm scratchy conditions.

Does anybody do Soar Ins any more? Does this contest still happen?
I picked up my first trophies at one in Utica, Michigan back in . . you don't want to know how old I am!

Joe

Pretty cool seeing the names of guys I have learned from.

Joe

A good number of the flyers on these pages are still alive and active today!

ross

Originally Posted by Miami Mike

The idea of classifying sailplanes according to square inches sounds interesting. I wonder why it was changed.

A tape measure was easier than doing the math for a multi-tapered wing.

tk

The Milwaukee club disbanded many years ago ... a few of their members joined SOAR in Chicago but it's a long drive to come fly with us from there.

tk

Originally Posted by tkallev

SOAR in Chicago but it's a long drive to come fly with us from there.

tk

I am hoping on getting there a few times this year. Haven't flown off sod for two years now. Nothing better

Joe

Originally Posted by Thermaler

....I picked up my first trophies at one in Utica, Michigan back in . . you don't want to know how old I am! .....

My first few were starting in 1974 with a Oly 99, an Aquila,then a Legion Air 140.
Contest in the Philadelphia/New York area were amost every weekend in season. My '64 Chevy II was loaded with sailplanes and on the road to North Jersey,Delaware,Maryland or New York all summer long.


Planes were hauled up on home built winches with long shaft Ford starter motors powered by 6 volt batteries regulated by cobbled upbent metal foot pedals with plunger switches. They were hooked to Ford Econoline starter relays with the low speed having a coiled wire resistor from stripped out 14 gauge Romex, some winch drums were built up construction from tube and plate and even saw a few with wood drums, then somewhere along the line a cast machined aluminium drum became available. Some winches were open framed bolt up angle iron types and some were wood boxed design of which I still have one I built by eyeballing someone's at a contest.. A couple old days pictures and the still working woody winch.

Pretty cool Leadchucker, beat me by 14 years.
I have had a woodbox winch, still have an Aquila and 2 Legion Air 140's.
This is the responce I was hoping for when I started this thread.
I am compiling a lot of Nostalgia info for a web site to keep the history alive and well for all.

Joe

I started flying RC in 1967 and met some of the founding members of SOAR shortly thereafter. It was really something to grow up around some of the framers of the soaring movement like Dan Pruss, Jack Hiner, Neil Liptak, Dave Burt, John Nielsen, Carter Carlsen, Cas Pels, Max Geier, Keith Finkenbiner, Jerry Nelson and the original winchmaster, Jim McIntryre.

I remember Frank Garcher of Midwest Models bringing fresh, cold watermelons to the SOAR NATS after a long, hot day in the sun. I remember Mark Smith watching Jack Hiner and the other SOAR guys handtowing the first day and going out and buying the equipment to handtow the next day. Problem was, their towhooks were still under the leading edge of the wing so they ran and ran and ran and ran and never got much altitude. When the Chicago boys showed them where the towhooks were for handtow ... Mark's and his dad's eyes lit up.

Good times, really GREAT times to have been a newbie in modeling. I truly miss some of those guys, they treated me as if I were their own son ... I was very, very rich in friends and mentors in the SOAR club.

It was a different hobby then, not like buying a moldie today and never learning how to moderate a winch launch ... our community is poorer for that, unfortunately.

tk

tk,
Kieth Finkenbiner is still active with the Torrey Pine Gulls, in the San Diego area.

ross

Originally Posted by tkallev

It was a different hobby then, not like buying a moldie today and never learning how to moderate a winch launch ... our community is poorer for that, unfortunately.

tk

I agree TK. An off shoot of todays "I want it now but I don't want to work for it"
That's why OUR jobs are in China now too.

Joe

Couple radios from the old days. Couldn't find a photo of a Pro Line 3 ccannel open machined aluminum gimbal transmitter but it was my favourite. I did use the Pro Line Competition 6 for soaring until I got the 3 channel,then the 6 channel went in a Webra Blackhead .60 powered Banshee

Hey- didn't I see that yellow Legionaire on a different (much newer) thread?