[NSRCA-discussion] Matt Klein

[Atwood, Mark]

I’m not even sure where to begin…

Matt Klein, long time pattern flyer in the 80’s and early 90’s, younger brother of Mike Klein, lost his battle with brain cancer early this morning.  True to form, he didn’t want anyone to know.  The last few times I flew with him he was apparently dealing with radiation and chemo and not a word of complaint or discomfort.  Always happy, always quick to verbally jab and spar with all of us…

When I started flying pattern in ’89, Matt flew at my local field and was competing in Expert turnaround, the first AMA pattern to have turnaround maneuvers.   Matt struggled with some mild mental disabilities, but when he had a transmitter in his hands, he was a fantastic, focused competitor.     I won’t bore you with a million Matt stories, but one in particular will inform those that didn’t know him.   The pattern started with a figure M with 1/4 rolls…   Matt mistakenly rolled the wrong way coming down from the second stall and pushed out inverted rather than upright.   Now keep in mind, we use to fly 200m out at about 800mph in those days… with pencil thin fuselages.  I think he was flying a curare.   Anyway, rather than take an obvious zero, Matt proceeded to fly the ENTIRE remaining pattern inverted, only half rolling on his final landing approach.   No zero’s.   No even a downgrade.

The  last decade or so Matt turned his RC talents to Helicopters and Military scale, always busy building and flying.   His was a unique voice for what our hobby can give to a person, and what that person can give back.

Please send your thoughts to Mike and his sister Kathy, and Dave & Sherry - Matt’s mom and dad who attended and competed along side Matt for so many years.

I’m crushed…

-Mark
MARK ATWOOD
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