Gonna party like it’s 1999!

Click to enlarge and read the captions.


Float Fly 1999 – 2000

The Soo Modellers have many years of experience with floatplanes and flying boats. In the summers of 1999 and 2000, Jeanne Tubman, owner of Pinnacle Hobbies (at the time), hosted the first of the “sometimes” Annual Pinnacle Hobby Float Fly at her waterfront home in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

1999

2000


Upper Great Lakes Yearly (UGLY) Meet – 2000

Thanks to Doc Campana for this wonderful tidbit – dated June 3rd, 2000

Paul & his O-38

Ever since 1967, the Sault Modelers R/C Club has hosted an event called the Upper Great Lakes Yearly Meet. The name derives from our fortunate location at the confluence of the three Really Great Lakes, Superior, Huron, and Michigan. Our flying field is located well within the city limits, so few of our members are more than fifteen minutes from the field.

It is always conducted the weekend after Victoria Day. Mark it on your calendar now. This year the event attracted 33 pilots and 55 planes. Of the latter, a few were for show, but 35 were for go. Pilots attended from Sudbury, Thessalon, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Goulaisgans came from Goulais Bay.

Due to the unflagging efforts of Jeanne Tubman, proprietor of Sault, MI’s Pinnacle Hobby Shop, which will celebrate the centenary of its founding next year, we had a surfeit of prizes for all entrants who flew. In all, 40 prizes were doled out. All entrants were well fed by Irene Jackson and her daughters three. Jeanne Tubman was awarded her wings at this event. She built a Pinque Plane for the occasion.

(drawing by C. Moes)

The UGLY Meet is a low-key fun-fly. This year, those attending were treated to the sight of a baited bear trap on the approaches to the field. Fortunately, none of the attendees fell into the trap. But one of the two bears who regularly likes to watch us fly was caught and escorted outta town. Our token American member, Dan Molino opened festivities by driving the riding mower around the perimeter of the field, sans contretemps. He received much applause.

Gaston Boissonneault of Sudbury brought a turbo jet Aermacchi M B 339, which he fired up several times, but he elected not to fly. He said he didn’t want to scare away the bears. The Sault Club’s Paul Butcher flew a quarter scale Cessna 180, a quarter scale Avro Avian Monoplane Racer developed from drawings by Dennis Bryant, and his own design quarter scale twin Norman-Britten Islander, dubbed the Hernia Machine. My herniorraphy is scheduled for next month. Small wonder Paul is the best muscled member of our Club.

Join us next year. We still have one bear for you. Mind the trap!


Upper Great Lakes Yearly (UGLY) Meet – 2001


The Summer of 2003


Happy New Year!  2006

For many years, the Soo Modellers celebrated New Years Day by making the first flight(s) of the year – regardless of the weather! The earliest known record of this event (1980) is located here.

These photos (below) were taken at Strathclair (one of our previous flying sites) on New Years Day – 2006.   


The Blimp 2007 – 2009

In January 2007, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie approached the Soo Modellers and asked if we would be interested in flying their RC blimp between periods at the Soo Greyhounds hockey games! Their purpose was to sell advertising to local businesses which was displayed on the blimp. One business was a restaurant that printed out coupons which we dropped over the spectators!

The blimp was made by BlimpGuys.com in Brantford, Ont. It was 12 ft (3.7m) long and 6 ft (1.8m) diameter and held a lot of helium! Neutral balance and levelling were maintained by adding or removing marbles from a sack at either end of the airship. It was powered by two propellers driven by reversible motors and mounted in rotating shrouds that acted as “thrusters”. Steering (rudder) was by a reversible propeller located in the lower fin that also acted as a “thruster”.

It took a minimum of two people to set-up and fly the blimp, but four people made it a lot easier. It was not as easy to fly as it looks, it drifted easily and was very susceptible to over controlling. Two of us would have to be there an hour before the game to set it up properly or it was a “bear” to control. All weather factors affected it!

We flew the blimp during hockey seasons from January 2007 to March 2009. Steve Dew Jr. and Meurwyn Jeffreys were the main pilots. Setup was mostly by Steve and me, with Rino and Craig helping out on occasion. It was good promotion for the club, the participants got to see the games, and had the rare opportunity to fly a RC blimp! 

Click to enlarge and read the captions.


Mall Show 2009

Click to enlarge and scroll through the photos. (all photos by June & Cec Marshall)

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