2009 Annual Fall Fun Fly and Cokout After a cool start to the day, the weather turned out great for a fall faun fly. We started out with over 60 members, family and friends enjoying the cookout. Lots of food, a good mix of side dishes and desserts, it is almost like a side dish cook off! I am pretty sure some tried a little of everything. We had several members fly their first fun fly, Dave Miller, Gary Melkey, Bryan Baumer and Ray Courtney. They all flew well for their first fun fly. Also, a special thanks to Ray Turner and Don Tropser for being the pylons in the Pony Express event, Andrew Maasch for helping time and set up the stick break and Mike Whitmore for taking care of the raffle and Rege Hall for organizing and running the event. We were also treated to some free style heli flights by Parker and Blake and lots of open flying. Al Hill flew his new Great Planes Christen Eagle.

After lunch, we drew teams for the three trophy events and started the fun fly. The first event was the Blacksheep Scramble. In this 2 man team event, each pilot took off from the circle with one pilot flying three loops and then landing and the other flying three rolls and landing. Time started when the first pilot left the staging circle and stopped when the last pilot had his plane stopped in the center staging circle. Best time wins and it was very close. And the winners were:

1st place - Dillon McBee and Matt Shelton, 31.12 seconds

2nd place - Tom Carlyle and Parker Hall, 32.63 seconds

3rd place - Joe Hartsock and Don Schmedake, 45.49 seconds

The second event was a skills challenge event named Blacksheep Mission. Each member of the two man team had to taxi their plane back and fourth through three pylons. Then take off and attempt a stick break. Then a touch and go for points over the target circles and then a spot landing over the target circles. If the engine was still running, a 10 point bonus was awarded. A perfect score would have been 210 points for each pilot. The stick break proved to be tough as was the touch-n-go and spot landing. It is interesting how many take taxiing for granted, several worked hard to make all the taxi gates. Here are the winners:

1st place - Bryan Baumer and Blake McBee, 255 points

2nd place - Dillon McBee and Matt Shelton, 225 points

3rd place - Tom Carlyle and Ralph McBee, 210 points

The third event was everyone's favorite, the Pony Express. This Pony had a little extra as each pilot had to perform a loop during their flight around the pylons. This is always an exciting event and quite successful this year with no mishaps. Like always, besides the loop, time started when the judge handed the mail to the first pilot and stopped after all three planes have been around the pylons and the last plane stopped in the staging circle and mail handed back to the judge. It was interesting to see the strategy of when each pilot determined to perform his loop. All 5 teams were very close and the winners are:

1st place - Bryan Baumer, Parker Hall and Ralph McBee, 2:07.4

2nd place - Tom Carlyle, Joe Kosiba and Don Schmedake, 2:11.9

3rd place - Blake McBee, Dave Miller and Matt Shelton, 2:16.

We ended the afternoon awarding the hand made plaques that adorned the Blacksheep Corsair logo along with name of event, year and place. Then we had several items for raffle:

Kaos 40 ARF - Scott Murphy

gallon of fuel - Vern Hines

tee shirt - Don Trosper

For a larger view of any of the thumbnails below, just click on it. To go back to the photos, click the back button of your browser. Descriptions are below the thumbnails:

1. Ralph starting Blakes new T-Rex 700 prior to the events.

2. Cookout

3. Blake taxis out as Dillon brings his plane back in as several others are looking on.

4. Joe Kosiba carrying back his Sonic after a go at the Blacksheep Scramble.

5. Something here just ain't right!

6. Parker Hall hitting the 50 point bulls eye with his Hawk.

7. Gary Melkey starting his Spacewalker II for the Blacksheep Scramble.

8. Blake McBee dead on the stick in the Blacksheep Mission event.

9. Ralph McBee taxiing his #24 Kaos in the Mission event.

10. Matt Shelton just over the stick.

11. Dillon McBee going at the stick in the Mission event.

12. Andrew Maasch setting up the custom made stick device for the stick break in Mission event.

13. Joe Kosiba with his Sonic going for the stick.

14. Al Hill with his OMP Yak 54, very maneuverable plane, it seen about every attitude in the last 10 feet to the stick.

15. Dave Miller just missing the stick.

16. Tom Carlyle flying his Smith Special in the Mission event.

17. Ray Courtney going for the stick.

18. Joe Hartsock just finished the taxi skill of the Mission and getting ready to take off.

19. Don Schmedake with his red fun fly special zeroing in for a spot landing.

20. Blake, Dillon and Parker.

21. Dave Miller ready for take off as Blake and Matt are changing the mail.

22. Parker Hall finishing for his team in the Pony Express, right down the center line and into the scoring circle.

23. Bryan Baumer landing for the Pony Express.

24. Parker handing the mail to the judge.

25. Ray "pylon" Turner, taking a brief siesta in between flyers.

26. Rege Hall taking off with Parker's Hawk as Dillon has just placed the mail and Al Hill just landed.

27. All the participants, what a handsome group!

28. Parker flying the Pizza King Stratus. Man, look at those blades bend. This is why it has to the PM'ed after every flight.

29. Al Hill's Great Planes Christen Eagle, powered by a new Turnegy 50 cc gas engine.

30. Andrew Maasch with Goldberg Eagle after an flight after the events.

31. Christen Eagle.

32. Yet, another shot of Al's Eagle. Have I told you lately that there is nothing more pretty than a smokin' Christen Eagle on a blue sky!