APRIL 27, 28 AND 29 2007

BOB FRANCIS MEMORIAL IMAA GIANT SCALE FUN FLYI

A TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN MODELER:  MR BOB FRANCIS

  ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST IN A LITTLE PLACE CALLED CHUALAR , CA .   WHERE A RUNWAY AND A PARKING LOT CAME TO LIFE WITH GIANT SCALE AIRCRAFT AND LOTS OF SPECTATORS.  WHAT A GREAT MEET.  THE FOOD, FLYING AND MOST OF ALL THE FOLKS WHO SUPPORTED THIS MEET HAD A GRAND OLE TIME.  FUN WAS HAD BY ALL.

  JOE FRANCIS PUT ON A FLIGHT DEMO FOR HIS DAD WITH ONE OF BOB’S OLD BIRDS. THOSE WHO KNEW BOB MISS HIM DEARLY.



  SO, LET THE GAMES BEGIN.  FRIDAY WAS PRETTY LAID BACK WITH FIELD SET UP AND LOTS OF CATCHING UP WITH HANGER TALK.  FRIDAY EVE, JOE FRANCIS AND HIS WIFE CHANTEL, TREATED ALL WHO STAYED OVERNIGHT WITH AN AWESOME BBQ CHICKEN DINNER.


  SATURDAY MORN 9:30 AM PILOTS MEETING WITH YOURS TRULY.  THE PREZ OF SALINAS AREA MODELERS, JIM ST. JOHN AND HIS WIFE LINDA DID BREAKFAST FOR ALL ON SAT. AND SUN.  YUM YUM!!!!

SATURDAY EVE WAS, OH YEAH TRI-TIP AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS.  THIS CLUB KNOWS HOW TO PUT ON A FEED.  DELICIOUS.

  WEATHER WAS GREAT.  HIGH 70’S LOW 80’S AND AS ALWAYS THE WIND.  MY,MY, THE WIND.  19 PILOTS TOOK TO THE SKY TO WOW THE CROWD.



  THE SAM CLUB ARRANGED TO HAVE SOME OF THE LOCAL FULL SIZE AEROBATIC PILOTS COME BY TO GIVE US A NOON TIME DEMO.  NAMES LIKE SEAN TUCKER, BILL KLINE, ERIC TUCKER AND SO ON.
THEY PUT ON A FOUR MAN FORMATION FLIGHT AND THEN EACH OF THEM SHOWED US THEIR STUFF.  PITTS BIPLANES, EXTRA’S AND EVEN A LANCAIR SHOWING US STALL RECOVERIES.  LET ME TELL YOU, MY HEART IS STILL ON OVERTIME AFTER THAT BUNCH. AWESOME!!!!!!! 


  THE PERFORMERS DID IT JUST FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING AND BEING ABLE TO PRACTICE ON A LIVE CROWD.  LUCKY US!


  SUNDAY WAS OPEN FLYING. AND THOSE WHO STUCK AROUND WHERE Rewarded  WITH RICK FLYING HIS BEAUTIFUL HELCAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COUPLE YEARS. JIM ST JOHN DID THE RAFFLE..  HIS WIFE LINDA HAD A SMALL BOOTH DISPLAYING SPECIALTY TOOLS AND ALL THOSE TREASURES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.  YOU KNOW!  WE CLOSED THE SHOW ABOUT 4PM.


  FOR THOSE WHO MISSED OUT, WELL NEE NER NEE NER NEE NER.

MAKE IT A MUST GO TO EVENT FOR NEXT YEARS CALENDAR.  USUALLY the LAST WEEKEND IN APRIL.

 A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLKS WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT.

MY 2 CENTS, WINGS LEVEL, YET BENT!  
CD: RICK MAIDA





Many thanks to our sponsors, listed here in alphabetical order: Airtronics for the grandprize in our raffle, Bosso Vending, Capitola Hobbies, D & J Hobby & Crafts, Flying Fortress Hobbies, Sheldon’s Hobbies, SRS Hobbies, and St.John’s Attic. Airtonics  provided us with an 8 channel radio, won by Denny Baker. Bosso Vending supplied us with all the beverages for the weekend. Capitola Hobbies supplied us with some fuel, D & J hobby gave us two electric ARF’s, Flying Fortress in Gilroy provided us with a fully equipped electric ARF trainer including the radio system, Sheldon’s Hobbies provided us with 10 smaller Laser Cut kits, SRS gave us two electric ARF’s and 2 gift certificates, and St. John’s Attic provided an assortment of building tools.



The following is a list of folks that helped make the IMAA event work, in alphabetical order:  Malcolm Beety, Malcolm Bruce, Joe & Chantel Francis, Jack Jella, Rick Maida, Bob McGregor, Chris Meharg, John Midgorden, Dick Moeller, Dale Oxford, Jim & Linda St. John, Chris Thomsen, & Jack Tossman. We also had two VIP’s from IMAA helping us out; Jim Giffin and Michael Brown. And again, MANY THANKS to Sean Tucker and his FABULOUS pilots! What a great performance!  A great job by Bob McGregor for putting it together! Many thanks to Rick, and Joe for running the event as CD’s. Many thanks from ALL of our stomachs to the fabulous cooks from the weekend; Joe & Chantel for Friday eve (that was a REALLY BIG HIT!), Dick Moeller for lunch Sat and Sundays, Chris Thomsen to Saturday eve’s Bar-B-Que, and thanks to Linda and to Chris Meharg for helping with breakfast both mornings.