[NSRCA-discussion] Response to Jim Woodward's request for PatternBio

Tue Aug 21 04:50:59 AKDT 2007

John,

Great background.  Nice to see someone with the APA experience and such
too.
Jim W.

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-----Original Message-----

From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of John
Gayer
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 1:02 AM
To: NSRCA Mailing List
Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Response to Jim Woodward's request for
PatternBio

John,

Please give us enthused readers a short bio of yourself.  Others like me
may have missed missed getting to know you over the last several years.
You write with some conviction of the topics to please detail some of
your participation, district, etc.

Thanks,
Jim W.

Jim,

I did send out some info earlier in response to Arch and I've been out
of
town for several days but for an RC bio, here it is as requested.

I first flew RC as a 14 year old while growing up in Switzerland as a UN

brat(American). It all started when my father brought me a new 
'controlline" kit from the PX up in West Germany. After looking over the

plans, I went back to dad and said. "this thing needs  a radio" . so 
after the next trip north, I had a Babcock single channel and an 
escapement to go with my Livewire Trainer. My  most exciting experience
ever in RC flying was the first time  my plane  turned left when I told
it to.

The story then picks up in the middle 60s after college.Failing to ever
master 
reeds, I finally learned to fly proportional with Orbit and then Kraft 
single stick in the triple cities(Binghamton,NY) and bought all my stuff

from George Brooks, then operating out of his garage.. Moved to northern

californiia in the late 60s and learned to do three rolls without 
dumping it while inverted in the third roll with a kwik-fli
Then moved to England and continued to fly out of a cow pasture. I 
recall the farmer would not allow us to open the gate so everything had 
to be hauled to the top of the hill a quarter mile away. Did build my 
first retract pattern plane there( a Mach one?)
In 1974 I changed careers and moved to the mountains of Colorado to 
start a new FM radio station. After settling in for a year or two, I 
started flying again and participated in a pattern contest in 
Denver sponsored by the MileHi Rc club at Lowry Airforce base. I believe

I placed in Sportsman or whatever the class was at that time. Flew in 
pattern contests in Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and California until 1998 
when we left the mountains of Colorado. In that time I attended the Nats

in Lincoln twice (advanced and expert) and Reno once(don't remember the 
class) The Reno Nats were interesting because my son and I attended a 
ski race camp at Mount Hood for two weeks and then dropped down to Reno 
for the NATS. I actually had my son convinced for a while that flying
and pattern 
were better than other activities he could be participating in. This 
didn't last fortunately and I now have three grandchildren from that 
side of the family.
Whenever turnaround started in district 5, I participated. I recall 
flying it as a side contest sometime in Kansas(pawnee Rock?). At the
Clovis
meet one year, I actually got to fly both Masters and FAI in the same
contest. 
Guess those days are gone.
In 1998 I got back into flight Simulation engineering(worked for
Singer-Link out of college)
after selling the Radio station in Steamboat Springs and eventually
ended up in Australia 
for two years with  a contract to finish a 747-400 simulator that my 
company had bailed out on. While there I flew pattern with the Aussies 
and built planes with Peter Goldsmith in his garage. (I only had a small

apartment). We attended  a bunch of contests together despite the major 
discrepancy in skill levels. In Australia I was classified as "expert" 
class. This meant I flew the F3A pattern but was was judged separately 
from the FAI class. My classification was a concession by the APA
Australian Pattern Association) because in Australia you have to earn
entry into each class
stating with Sportsman. I attended two International events while I 
lived there (Kraft Masters) and one Australian Nats, all without any 
noteworthy results. Attendees during those years at the Kraft Masters
were
Chip, Dave Patrick,Greg Marsden, plus others from Germany and Taiwan.
Upon returning to the States we moved to Phoenix where I have been
working
for Honeywell. I competed very unsuccessfuly in FAI for several years
practicing 
some with Rusty Freid and Greg Frohreich, attending the NATS twice, once

in 1992 and again in 1996. In 1996 Peter Goldsmith and John Payne came 
to Phoenix from Autralia to practice for a week before we attended the
1996 NATS. The only one to do any good was Peter who was sixth. I did
manage
to beat John but he had one hand tied behind his back  :-)  . Watching
John tear 
down and rebuild a YS with one hand, a stump and his teeth was a 
humbling experience.
Peter also used my house and the AMPS field as a staging area for the 
TOC for a number of years. I crewed for Peter several times in Vegas 
when work permitted.
In 1994 I also returned to Australia to fly in a third Kraft Masters and

to revisit old friends. After 1996 I effectively gave up pattern and 
general flying as well. I didn't have time to practice, needed a new 
airplane, no time to build one so I quit.
Three years ago I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and met up with
Richard Lindberg. 
His enthusiasm and pushiness  :-)  has brought me back to pattern. I 
assessed my current skill level as Advanced and flew in last year's
Roadrunner Classic here in Albuquerque as my first contest in 10 years.I
enjoyed it
so much I did it again this year. I expect to move up to Masters next
year 
but I'm not particularly enthusiastic about it.
My current aircraft is a Focus one with a Webra 160 mixture carb and a 
Futaba 12Z radio.(Excelleron 90 with a 140FZ for backup)
Planes and equipment I have used in the past for competition in no 
particular order and very incomplete. There were a lot more planes I 
competed with but the mind is failing here....
Phoenix 6,7,8
Dirty Birdy(s)
Atlas
Tiporare
Super Curare(s) tail draggers with retracts
One of Ivan's designs?
Lotus 4(original 2 meter size)
Lotus 4+ (revised slightly smaller version)
Currently on my second Focus one
Angel's Shadow (now deceased due to my stupidity)
In the old days I flew Rossi, switched to YS two stroke for a while, 
then YS 4stroke starting with the original small bearing engine.
Started with Orbit, then Kraft until they stopped the single stick, then

JR back in the Circus Circus days, then finally Futaba(switched in
Australia 
due to many crashes with the JR PCM 9).

While living in Northwest Colorado, I was the hobby shop, flying
instructor, 
building problem fixer and pattern advocate for  northwest colorado. It 
was a good time.

This is actually the 50th anniversary of my first uncontrolled RC 
flight in the summer of 1957. I believe I  need to go celebrate.

Sorry to bend your ear for so long but after 60, once you get
started.......
Besides, this is the short version.

John
NSRCA District 6
Albuquerque, NM

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