MCRCS Jumbo Jamboree

19th Annual
Jumbo Jamboree

May 24th & 25th, 2008

Although we always strive to make our public events the best that they can be, we can’t control the weather. This year the weather was in almost full cooperation with our efforts to stage a great event: The skies were brilliant blue with occasional well-defined clouds, the temperatures were in the seventies, and there wasn’t even a hint of rain. The wind, at about 15 MPH on Saturday, was maybe a bit higher than we would have liked, but we weren’t complaining.

The field filled with pilots on Saturday, a total of 57 registering by the end of the day. They came from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Some came with trailers, some came in mobile homes, and others came in cars so stuffed with airplanes that there was no room for passengers. Each pilot, it seemed, brought about three airplanes. As the event was for large models, they quickly covered much of the pit area. By mid morning, the pit was decorated by some of the most interesting and best finished models in the country.

This annual event is sanctioned jointly by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA). To fly at the event, models have to be big. This means that monoplanes must have a wingspan of at least 80” and biplanes must have a wingspan of at least 60”. An exception is made for true scale models that are at least quarter-scale in size. Of course, those are just the minimums.

Keith Zimmerly usually takes honors for the largest model with his Curtiss Jenny. But he recently donated that model to the Air Victory Museum in Lumberton, NJ. His entry this year, a 12’2” span Avro 504C, still managed to edge out the competition, Larry Alles’ Tiger Moth, but this time by only six inches.

There were a few minor mishaps Saturday morning as pilots adjusted to the wind and the field. Most were limited to a sheared landing gear or a crumpled nose, though. Except for takeoffs and landings, though, a 15 MPH wind doesn’t have much effect on models of IMAA-legal size.

As has been our tradition, the Jumbo Jamboree is a fun-fly and the only special events are at noon on Saturday. The Peoples’ Choice event drew 26 models to the center of the field and attendees were invited to look at them up close and vote for their favorite. Larry Alles’ Tiger Moth, the 140” wingspan biplane, was the favorite this year.

Although 3-D flying is not allowed during the fun-fly portion, three 3-D demos were given on Saturday. Lee Morey, a member of the JR Aerobatic Team, demonstrated his skills with his 110” Extreme Flight Yak 54, delighting the crowd with hovers, tumbles, and precision maneuvers. Twelve-year-old Alex Davis followed, flying his own SD Models Yak. Watching his repertoire of 3-D maneuvers, many of us recalled our own skills at a similar age, usually a successful loop at the end of the control lines. Trent Schneider gave the final demonstration, with his gorgeously decorated Extreme Flight Yak, offering up a mix of 3-D and classic precision aerobatics.

We were pleased to have AMA District Vice President Gary Fitch and Associate Vice President Tony Rossi attend the event on Sunday. Gary expressed interest in learning how the AMA could assist clubs such as ours and noted several programs, of which we were unaware, that may help us fund our activities.

All in all, it was a great event for both pilots and spectators. And due to the diligent efforts of our crack kitchen staff, no one went home hungry. (Except possibly on Saturday, when the crowd ate everything up.) The final accounting has yet to be done, but the result will no doubt be another generous donation to the Sunshine Foundation. Members presented a check for $2,250 in the early part of May, the result of last year's fund raising efforts. We hope, in large part due to the profits from this event, to provide a similar donation at the next Dreamlift in May of 2009.

Members presented check at 2008 Dreamlift

Photos from the event are presented in the Photo Gallery page of this website. Medium resolution photos can be copied from the site; high-resolution photos of their planes are available to pilots upon request.