Free flight association pleased to return to Marion airport
Staff writer
Despite strong winds Saturday, members of the Heart of America Free Flight Association were pleased to return to Marion Municipal Airport for their annual competition.
“We’re in a sport where you either take advantage of or are a victim of Mother Nature,” Randy Reynolds of Colorado Springs, Colo., said.
The weather was still preferable to the rain they endured in 2009, he said. The weather improved for the second day of competition.
“Yesterday was absolutely perfect for flying free flight models,” association vice president Mike Basta said Monday.
He said all of the competitors had good things to say about the site and community. The association plans to return to the airport for the 2011 contest, but no date is set yet.
The event Saturday and Sunday attracted 22 competitors, some from as far away as Houston, Texas.
Tom Bell of Houston brought a 22-ounce airplane with a 62-inch wingspan. He said it was fun seeing vehicles from Oklahoma driving to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry football game Saturday between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma.
Contestants stayed at hotels Saturday in Marion, and the group had a get-together at Country Lakes Café.
Free flight is different from other model airplane competitions because there is no remote control. When an airplane leaves the competitor’s hand, it is on its own.
Models with combustion engines can reach altitudes of 400 feet and fly for miles, said Dan Berry of Benton, Ark., who has participated for about eight years.
“At the end of the day, I’m basically looking to have all my airplanes,” he said.
Competitors like to tease each other after bad launches, he said. They play for trophies and bragging rights. The sport wouldn’t be as friendly if they competed for cash prizes, Berry said.
The association’s contest came to the Marion airport in 2009 at the suggestion of the late Paul Thomas. Thomas, a free flight enthusiast, suggested the airport when rent at Kansas Speedway became too much for the association.
The event’s return to the airport wasn’t a sure thing. Although competitors like the site, the airport board was not pleased with the condition of runways after the 2009 competition. The association’s request to use the airport again was initially denied, but the city, airport board, and association eventually reached an agreement.