MCRCS 2008 Turkey Fly

2008 Turkey Fly

Cool and Clear

Windsock
55° and 15 MPH, almost ideal weather for a Turkey Fly.

Rich and Dan
Rich Green and Dan Geerders are always careful to not intimidate others with their flying skills.

Henry Zilbauer's bright red Sr. Kadet was easy to see.

Blake Micro
So was Bill Blake's Micro Flyer ...

Micro up close
... if you looked closely enough.

Blake Stryker
In the case of his Stryker, you just had to look fast enough.

Hitesh Anklesaria
Hitesh Ankelsaria feels that a good stretch is essential prior to a vigorous workout.

Nobu Iwasawa's captured Nieuport is one of his sturdiest models.

Flying Pumpkin
Alex Nyere's Great Pumpkin is a staple at these events.

Pumpkin Flying
Some people can knife edge anything.

Rodger Fowler's Bipe
One time member Rodger Fowler brought this attractive Ultimate Pitts.

Bipe Wing
Remember that Star Trek movie when they detached the battle bridge to foil the Klingons?

Bipe Crash
Well, this isn't that movie, and this time it was gremlins.

Waiting
The annual Turkey Fly is one of the most popular events of the year.

Turkeys
Of course it's not just the flying that draws the crowd.

Frank Figurelli led the Turkey team, Pat Monacelli and Drew Watros.

This year, Bill Blake got the first Turkey.

Last Turkey
And Don Rowley got the last one.

Webmaster's Turkey
Even the webmaster got a turkey.

November is the month we hold our annual Turkey Fly. We didn't pick the month for its outstanding weather, but historically we have almost always been treated to unseasonably good weather. And this year was no exception. Perhaps some might suggest that a temperature of 55° was a bit chilly, or that a wind of 15 MPH with gusts was a bit strong. But not the hardy flyers of the Mercer County club who viewed the temperature as good for the turkeys and the wind as good for a short takeoff.

No one actually bothered to count, but Warren Kruse Field was pretty well covered with models and pilots. And most of them flew, despite the wind and chill. Many just loafed around the sky, bouncing to and fro on the wind. Some, like a couple of Strykers, took the opportunity to dogfight. And there were at least a couple of crashes. One doesn't count, though, because it was one of the Strykers; it isn't really a crash when you go in thinking midair.

But the other was pretty spectacular. Former club member Rodger Fowler brought his new gas-powered Ultimate Pitts out for a maiden flight. The takeoff was uneventful and the flight was pretty routine. Until Rodger turned his biplane into a monoplane. Perhaps you remember the USS Enterprise from Star Trek and how it could fly as two separate parts (Is it really flying if you're in space?). Or maybe you've seen the video of that Extra that lost half its wing in flight and made a landing. Well, the good news is that Rodger's top wing landed pretty much unscathed. The bad news is that the lower wing (along with the fuselage) hit pretty hard and was essentially unrecognizable. It seems the problem was weak plywood in the wing mount that broke during a maneuver. And the worst part: Rodger, not being a club member, is ineligible for the Crash of the Year Award.

But, obviously, not everyone was there because of the great flying weather. Frank Figurelli, as usual, gave out tickets (one per flight, up to three) and ran the drawing. This year, Pat Monacelli and Drew Watros helped hand out the turkeys.

Frank drew the first ticket and the winner was Bill Blake. Bill drew the next ticket and the process continued through seven boxes of turkeys. This year's final turkey winner was Don Rowley. More important, however, was the fact that the webmaster also won a turkey and didn't have to explain to his wife, once again, why he wasn't a good enough flyer to win.