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RC competition held at airport
The Bourbon County Radio Control Flyers recently held their sixth model airplane aerobatic pattern contest with 18 participants from seven different states. Tom Gilkey from Mendota Heights, Minn., traveled the longest distance with Bryan Chumbley from Peoria, Ill., a close second. Local flyers were Todd Schmidt and Jarrett Lyon of Fort Scott.
Flyers flew practice flights on Friday with competition flights on Saturday and Sunday. The competition took place at the flying field on the southwest corner of the Fort Scott Airport with Sunday flying being especially challenging with a strong west wind.
Pattern contest flyers compete in five different skill levels with each flight consisting of a predetermined set of maneuvers that must be flown in a set sequence within a defined block of airspace. Two judges score each maneuver of the six flights that each contestant flies during the contest.
Following Friday's practice flights, flyers and wives met at Rusty's for dinner and then on Saturday evening they enjoyed dinner at the Buffalo Grill.
At the conclusion of the contest on Sunday, Todd Schmidt the contest director, presented awards for first, second, and third place in each class, as well as, participation plaques to each of the flyers. Jarrett Lyon, age 10, received first place in the Sportsman class and Todd Schmidt placed first in Masters. This year's contest marked the second year of competition for Jarrett and was noteworthy in his being the only youth with all other participants being adults.