Greg Meyer was able to step away from the Hobbico booth and get a few flights in with the Flyzone Corsair (above left). Todd Gee flew this Goblin helicopter (above center) with great precision and skill. Steve Pauley let Jim fly his
steak cooked in front of you just the way you like it. The steak dinner is a great way to un- wind and get ready for another event that is popular at Watts, the Night Fly or Man ver- sus Mosquito.
I had heard rumors of mosquitoes in Min- nesota that were the size of small aircraft. I guess if Illinois has the Piasa birds, New Jer- sey has the Jersey Devil and Washington State has Sasquatch, why not add the Cess- na sized mosquitoes to the crypto zoological list? While I did not see any of these large mosquitoes, I did feel their smaller cousins! A quick spray of some type of bug repellant is a must!
Around dusk, I flew my scale night flier, a Mountain Models Cessna 180 Skywagon with navigation lights. My flight was short however as the darkness soon overpowered the tiny lights. I landed the Cessna 180 and went to check out the action of some of the other fliers. There were not as many participants this year, but the few who came out to brave the winged vampires had fun with the lit up ob- stacle course that Steve and his club mem- bers erected. Most of the night fliers were illuminated from within and the only prob- lem a pilot may have was distinguishing where terra firma starts and air space ends. It was now 10:00 p.m. and I was determined to get a bit of flying in on Sunday, specifical- ly with my Retro RC Sinbad the Sailor that
Swing25(above right) with an 18mm brushless motor on it. The model was fun to fly and, despite its weight of only 3 ounces, did well with the winds that were starting to kick up.
I reviewed in the March issue. A quick trip back to the hotel for a good nights rest was in order.
Sunday’s weather was almost a carbon copy of Saturday and Friday—bright, blue sky and nearly no wind at all. Wonder how Steve and his crew were able to manage that? There had been rumors of rain in the forecast. With many modelers pulling their stakes up around noon, I decided to get to the flight line with Sinbad.
Wish I could tell you that the initial flight was great. Due to a cross wind coming from the pits, the only way I could safely launch Sinbad was with the wind as opposed to into the wind. My feeble attempt was laughable at best as Sinbad promptly stuck his nose into the ground. Fortunately we all have been there and a few modelers came over to help me out. Luckily the little sailplane suf- fered no damage, with the only injury inflict- ed on my pride. A walk to the park flier field seemed more prudent as its runway was fac- ing the wind and soon my embarrassment was washed away in a cloud filled sky and Sinbad in the middle of it.
The time had come to take down base camp and start the journey home. I talked with Steve for a bit before taking everything down. The event was a success with just over 175 registered pilots. That is a lot of pi- lots with a very busy flight
line. I was amazed at how smoothly the event was run.
I think it is safe to say everyone had a good time. Many old friends came together and we all left with new friends.
A big thank you goes out to Steve Mills for coming up with the Watts Over Owa- tonna event, the coordination and work that takes place throughout the year. Thanks also to Tim Johnson and the tire- less work he puts into the event each year. A thank you goes out to the Southern Min- nesota Aircraft Club for their many hours of volunteer service and to the sponsors, Hobbico and Sig.
Sadly, Karen Johnson, wife of Tim, was lost in a tragic car accident just days before this event that she helped so much. After talking with Tim and his family, the group behind Watts Over Owatonna decided to move ahead and continue the event in re- membrance to Karen and her commitment to the club and the event. Perhaps it was Karen herself who put in a good word for us to have such good weather during the event she had worked so hard at every year. The Watts Over Owatonna event will take place again next year, this time in late July. Be sure to come on out to southern Minneso- ta and experience the great midwestern hos- pitality and good natured ribbing that goes along with such flying events. With so many models, pilots, vendors and good food, you’re sure to have a great time. Hope to see you there!
Bill Lyons had a lot of fun flying his scratchbuilt Yogi Bear model (above left). The model featured a sound system that would play Yogi’s theme song as well as a Continental engine. Bill scratchbuilt the model from his own plans out of
FLYING MODELS
craft foam. Bill won the Pilots Choice Award for his creativity. Sunday was a nice quiet day on the flight line (above right) with gentle conditions. A few pilots who lived a bit closer, took advantage of the quieter flight stations.
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