[aquila]

Haven't had time to post this yet and frankly I post very little on RCC anyway, but I know there are some people on here like me that will relate to this story.

First as some background, I was born in 1977 (this does have relevance to this story) and pretty much from that time on my dad was taking me out to the flying field. By 3 years old dad had a transmitter in my hands and by 5 I was flying on my own (well, dad was always there of course, but I could take off, fly around and land). As the years went by my dad took me to many events, Dogfight over Benalto, Classic Scale, the Nats, various pattern contests and other scale events, even just the old auctions when the Red Deer auction was held in the legion, and the calgary auction in Ogden, Edmonton auction at the Yellowhead Inn I think it was etc.
Anyway, I remember many of those events vividly and I am always sad to see so few events like that anymore. Even at the events I do attend, the community is vastly different. Those events way back when, everyone was friends, everyone talked to everybody, campfires in the evening, partying, it was such a community thing. Today at events, I mostly see everyone in small groups, each group keeping to themselves.

Anyway, fast forward to last Saturday. Recently I had posted a wanted ad here on RCC looking for an old Formula one pylon racer. I found a fellow in Delta that had some old F1 planes. I recognized his name, Andrew, but wasn't sure why. Well, I went to his house to check out the airplanes.

What a walk down memory lane. First of all, seeing the Formula one airplanes brought back huge memories. When I was just 5 or 6 years old I remember seeing those F1 planes and thinking they were the most beautiful airplanes ever. I remember seeing my first pylon race and wanting to do that! Sadly, (but I don't blame him) my dad didn't want to pay for a 10 year old kid to pylon race so I missed the formula one boat. I got involved in Quickie for a short while but the airplanes weren't "Pretty". QM40 came along but by that time I was starting in pattern so racing wasn't going to happen. Then it turned into Jets and well, that's where I am today but F1 airplanes always had me hooked.

Well, not only did Andrew have the old school cool I was looking for, but he started racing in 1977. He brought out photo albums and started showing me pictures. I recognized airplanes from the early early 80's in those pictures, not just designs, but the specific airplane and owner. We started talking about different people in the hobby and there seriously had to be 25 guys that we knew in common. It was like going back to the old sod farm, or out to Bawlf, or wherever, I could damn near smell the high nitro and hear the scream of the racers. It was great reminiscing over stories of guys that I haven't seen or talked to in decades.

It was so awesome to meet somebody again who has been in the hobby longer than I have and I've been in it 37 years now basically. It truly was a walk down memory lane and it made me feel bad a little bit for everyone who started the hobby within the past even 20 years. The ARF generation will never really know what it is to walk down a flight line and know that every single airplane there was built in somebodies garage, not a factory in asia. Every airplane there was from a box of balsa, somebodies drawings, and every modeler there wanted to learn about everyone else's airplane because they were unique. I feel that people then and from that generation have more pride in their airplanes and they know that sense of community that came from competition, even in fun flies, that came from appreciating that each modeler there created their own airplane.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the hobby today and the new people in the hobby, but I miss the comraderie as it used to be, and I do sincerely miss seeing unique models built by people who truly were "modelers", not just "hobbiest's".

Just my thoughts
Jeremy

[Daren71]

Thru one of our club members, I met Bill Brandow a few years ago. We met at his home, and went to his basement. It was full of F1 planes, hanging from their tails. They were all his own design, and my god they were beautiful. He made all his own plugs, vacuum bagged all his own wings, and a row of Nelson racing engines, just sitting near by.

I would never have enough talent to fly one of these. They could just sit on a mantle as far as I was concerned. Just beautiful to look at.

Sadly, Bill passed away several years ago, I'm not sure what will become of these racing machines.

Nice story Jeremy. Take care, Daren

[aquila]

Not 100% sure but I'm buying some F1 engines from a Robert brandow right now. Son maybe?

Originally Posted by Daren71

Thru one of our club members, I met Bill Brandow a few years ago. We met at his home, and went to his basement. It was full of F1 planes, hanging from their tails. They were all his own design, and my god they were beautiful. He made all his own plugs, vacuum bagged all his own wings, and a row of Nelson racing engines, just sitting near by.

I would never have enough talent to fly one of these. They could just sit on a mantle as far as I was concerned. Just beautiful to look at.

Sadly, Bill passed away several years ago, I'm not sure what will become of these racing machines.

Nice story Jeremy. Take care, Daren

[Daren71]

Originally Posted by aquila

Not 100% sure but I'm buying some F1 engines from a Robert brandow right now. Son maybe?

Yeah, I believe that is his son. I have not met him, but that name sounds about right.

All of Bill's stuff was top drawer. And he was a great racer as well.

[k.fluney]

Originally Posted by Daren71

Yeah, I believe that is his son. I have not met him, but that name sounds about right.

All of Bill's stuff was top drawer. And he was a great racer as well.

Attachment 551586

Daren
That's a great photo you posted, I remember most of these guys, as I was a member of the old Georgetown club. Bill Brandow, myself and some other started the club in 1970 on Mountainview Road.
I pylon raced with Bill and Reno Sovern in the old C.O.P.R.A circuit, which was Georgetown, Aurora and Orangeville clubs.
Those where fun times.
I have been helping Robert sell some of the racing stuff.

Ken

[Daren71]

Originally Posted by k.fluney

Daren
That's a great photo you posted, I remember most of these guys, as I was a member of the old Georgetown club. Bill Brandow, myself and some other started the club in 1970 on Mountainview Road.
I pylon raced with Bill and Reno Sovern in the old C.O.P.R.A circuit, which was Georgetown, Aurora and Orangeville clubs.
Those where fun times.
I have been helping Robert sell some of the racing stuff.

Ken

Hi Ken, I figured you would chime in sooner or later. I loved to go see Bill's stuff. I think I was there 3 time, and bought small stuff each time. No heavy iron here.

If any could be converted to electric, I would have been all over it, but I think it's still just a bit too heavy for electrics, even now.

Take care, Daren

[Lake Flyer]

I started flying R/C in the mid 70's and was pretty much adopted by the pylon guys out at Boundary Bay. Andrew was one of the ones that taught me to fly. We had Saturday night Bar-B-ques every couple weeks all summer long. The dinner parties after a day of racing were the best. It was a very special group and I don't thing anyone at the time realized just how lucky we were.
I was young and I thought the hobby would be like that forever. Sadly it's just not the same anymore.

[FD av8r]

If you get the chance to come out to visit Bawlf again....I promise you we will be in a big group around the campfire. Its nice to remember the friends of yesteryear but its also important to foster the friendships we have now. I hope you find some good events out your way, and if you don't, pack up and come to Alberta for one of our fun-fly's....we sometimes stop gabbing to do some flying.

Daryll

[aquila]

Originally Posted by FD av8r

If you get the chance to come out to visit Bawlf again....I promise you we will be in a big group around the campfire. Its nice to remember the friends of yesteryear but its also important to foster the friendships we have now. I hope you find some good events out your way, and if you don't, pack up and come to Alberta for one of our fun-fly's....we sometimes stop gabbing to do some flying.

Daryll

Daryll,
I hope to in the near future, not sure if it will be this year, the ability to come out to Alberta for a couple weeks again and visit some of the old flying sites and do some Alberta flying again. Does Bawlf have any noise restrictions in place yet? Might have to bring a Formula one out there if noise isn't an issue!
Jeremy

[OLD PRAIRIE RED NECK]

Originally Posted by aquila

Haven't had time to post this yet and frankly I post very little on RCC anyway, but I know there are some people on here like me that will relate to this story.

First as some background, I was born in 1977 (this does have relevance to this story) and pretty much from that time on my dad was taking me out to the flying field. By 3 years old dad had a transmitter in my hands and by 5 I was flying on my own (well, dad was always there of course, but I could take off, fly around and land). As the years went by my dad took me to many events, Dogfight over Benalto, Classic Scale, the Nats, various pattern contests and other scale events, even just the old auctions when the Red Deer auction was held in the legion, and the calgary auction in Ogden, Edmonton auction at the Yellowhead Inn I think it was etc.
Anyway, I remember many of those events vividly and I am always sad to see so few events like that anymore. Even at the events I do attend, the community is vastly different. Those events way back when, everyone was friends, everyone talked to everybody, campfires in the evening, partying, it was such a community thing. Today at events, I mostly see everyone in small groups, each group keeping to themselves.

Anyway, fast forward to last Saturday. Recently I had posted a wanted ad here on RCC looking for an old Formula one pylon racer. I found a fellow in Delta that had some old F1 planes. I recognized his name, Andrew, but wasn't sure why. Well, I went to his house to check out the airplanes.

What a walk down memory lane. First of all, seeing the Formula one airplanes brought back huge memories. When I was just 5 or 6 years old I remember seeing those F1 planes and thinking they were the most beautiful airplanes ever. I remember seeing my first pylon race and wanting to do that! Sadly, (but I don't blame him) my dad didn't want to pay for a 10 year old kid to pylon race so I missed the formula one boat. I got involved in Quickie for a short while but the airplanes weren't "Pretty". QM40 came along but by that time I was starting in pattern so racing wasn't going to happen. Then it turned into Jets and well, that's where I am today but F1 airplanes always had me hooked.

Well, not only did Andrew have the old school cool I was looking for, but he started racing in 1977. He brought out photo albums and started showing me pictures. I recognized airplanes from the early early 80's in those pictures, not just designs, but the specific airplane and owner. We started talking about different people in the hobby and there seriously had to be 25 guys that we knew in common. It was like going back to the old sod farm, or out to Bawlf, or wherever, I could damn near smell the high nitro and hear the scream of the racers. It was great reminiscing over stories of guys that I haven't seen or talked to in decades.

It was so awesome to meet somebody again who has been in the hobby longer than I have and I've been in it 37 years now basically. It truly was a walk down memory lane and it made me feel bad a little bit for everyone who started the hobby within the past even 20 years. The ARF generation will never really know what it is to walk down a flight line and know that every single airplane there was built in somebodies garage, not a factory in asia. Every airplane there was from a box of balsa, somebodies drawings, and every modeler there wanted to learn about everyone else's airplane because they were unique. I feel that people then and from that generation have more pride in their airplanes and they know that sense of community that came from competition, even in fun flies, that came from appreciating that each modeler there created their own airplane.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the hobby today and the new people in the hobby, but I miss the comraderie as it used to be, and I do sincerely miss seeing unique models built by people who truly were "modelers", not just "hobbiest's".

Just my thoughts
Jeremy

Ho-oly! And someone on this forum accused ME of always whining about how things used to be so much better! Lovely nostalgia rant Jeremy! You nearly brought a tear to this old eye...

I happen to remember your Dad, Ron Simonson and others at the first formation meeting of the CARFF club in the old Armories barracks and later we had them in the old fire hall down town. That would be about 1971 before you were even a twinkle in your Dad's eye! The field was on the sod farm on the east edge of Red Deer just south of College Park. I still have in the garage an airplane I bought at one of the first auctions in the basement of a building across from Central Junior High before the auction was moved to the Legion!

Wow am I old!!!