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MARCS History - Web Version
The following is a collection of information from the series
of articles written by Ozzie Johnson. Ozzie wrote the articles to document
some of the club’s history. I’ve simply cleaned them up a bit so they fit
together into a single presentation. – Chris Spierings - June 2002
It appears that our present club evolved from two previous clubs. The
first one goes back to the 1930’s, but it fell apart in the 1940’s,
probably due to the war. In 1956 a second club was started but it ended in
the 1960’s when they lost their flying field. We know the 1930’s club
existed because its treasury was turned over to the 1956 club. We have
some written records from the 1956 club, but none from the one that
existed before that. We do know that the 1930’s club was called the
Madison Model Club. The 1956 club changed the name to Madison Model
Airplane Club to put more emphasis on aviation.
We don’t know the exact date that our club originated. We plan to
interview Joe Unger in the near future. Mr. Unger now lives in Florida and
he was the first president of MARCS. Carl Mohs is a friend of his and has
agreed to talk to him to gather as much early history as possible.
What we do know is that many of the early members of MARCS were also
members of the previous clubs. As an example, Bill Kettle for whom our
field is named, was a member of those clubs that existed before MARCS.
Now let’s go back to the beginning. In order to start there, I tried to
find, as many people as I could that were involved in the two first clubs.
As you would expect, many have passed away while others have moved out of
the area. I was able to locate five persons who were involved in them.
They are Carl Mohs, Nels Wareham, Carl Vogt, Jim Potter and Ray Lang.
The first two you all know, as they are still active in our club. On July
first I was able to get all of these people together and record their
reports of their early experiences on a cassette tape. Carl Mohs provided
a meeting room for us at the Ivy Inn and treated us to lunch. It was a
good time with lots of laughs, many at my expense when the #@%&# recorder
gave me fits.
In the 1940’s and ‘50’s where did they fly and what did they fly? I
gathered information on that from these early flyers -- Carl Mohs, Nels
Wareham, Ray Lange, Jim Potter and Carl Vogt.
Early flying was not done at any particular flying field. There were none.
Carl remembered flying on the Mendota State Hospital grounds, but only
with a very short motor run. Early flying was all free flight, as control
line and radio control had not come on the scene as yet. Often they found
a stretch of relatively deserted rural highway flew off it.
As you might expect, the models didn’t always circle as they were supposed
to. Sometimes the timers failed and the motor would run until it was out
of fuel. One flyer would then hop in his car and drive while others stood
on the running boards to direct the driver in the chase.
The Madison Model Flyers often used Truax Field as their flying site.
Harold Evans was the weatherman at Truax in those days. It was through his
efforts that Robert Skult, the airport manager, agreed to let the modelers
fly there. They would fly off to one side, but sometimes a model would
land on the runway. They would then wave to Mr. Evans and he would come
with the pickup truck with the “FOLLOW ME” sign on the back to retrieve
the model.
The old Royal Airport (where South Town Mall is today) on what was known
as the Gisholt Property became a regular flying site later. That all came
about after 1956. We will devote more time to that site next month.
One popular, but unusual, model at that time was called the Zipper. The
Zipper was a Carl Goldberg kit that had a removable firewall. This feature
made flying more affordable by allowing you to have several models, but to
use only one motor and related equipment. You simply moved the firewall,
motor and all from one model to another.
As mentioned in a previously, the Madison Model Airplane Club operated
from 1956 into the '60's. They had several meeting places, but the most
frequently used was Nichols School. At the second meeting of the club it
was decided that the regular meeting night would be the first Thursday of
each month. It appears that tradition has existed now for over 40 years.
The first officers of the club were Norman Michie, president, Fred Lauber,
vice president, Carl Vogt, treasurer and Ray Lang, secretary. Their
meetings were much like ours. There was a business meeting, a discussion
of current flying activities and then a show and tell.
Several winter meetings included activities in the school gymnasium. There
were hand launched glider contests and also paper-covered rubber powered
contests. Believe it or not, but they actually flew gas powered control
line models in the gymnasium. When that started to produce oily circles on
the floor, that was stopped. A few special meetings were held at the
Gardener Baking Company. For a short period, the club met twice a month,
the first at Nichols School and the second at the vocational school.
Many meetings involved discussions about problems with the field. The
Gisholt property was often in need of attention, as the thistles were so
large as to be dangerous. Circles were mowed for the control line flyers
and another area was designated for free flight and radio control. Work
days at the field resulted in a $2 fine for any members who did not show
up and could not come up with a legitimate excuse.
In 1959 a survey was taken to see what members were flying. The results
were:
Radio Control
6
Combat Control Line
12
Speed Control Line
4
Stunt Control Line
9
Free Flight Gas
13
Towline Glider
4
Unlimited Rubber
5
Hand Launched Glider
9
As you can see, control line flying dominated the models. Twenty-five of
them were control line, in one form or another. An active control line
speed flyer was Glenn Lee, who went on to national prominence in this
flying activity. Glenn now writes the speed column in Model Aviation
magazine.
Nels Wareham told us how he and Carl Vogt perfected a speed control for
control line. They added an extra line to what was being used at the time
and perfected a carburetor linkage so they could vary the speed of the
plane when flying. Nels said that at a gathering of flyers he was using
the new innovation, speeding up the model, then slowing it down and
finally bringing it in for a nice, slow landing. People had never seen
this before, prompting one observer to tell Nels that it was a nice
flight, but too bad he had had motor trouble.
Radio control in the late 1950's and early 1960's was really in its
infancy. I will admit that I really don't understand the complexity of
those systems. Let's just say that they were very large, very delicate and
often undependable. I am really glad that the fully proportional systems
were developed when my son and I started in the hobby in the 1970's.
Contests and flying exhibitions have always been part of model
aviation in Madison. Probably because model airplanes were new, these
events drew more attendance from the general public in the early years
than they do today.
They were also novel and new enough that they drew more coverage from the
local newspapers. The May 19, 1946 issue of the Capital Times promoted a
contest to be held on the Truax Field runways. In some future articles, we
will reprint several of these early articles from the 1940's and 50's.
Carl Mohs has dug deep into his personal archives and has come up with
some old newspaper clippings that are 50 or more years old and
consequently are in very fragile condition. They do copy well, however,
and are very readable. I'm sure you will find them interesting. They give
us a real insight into our hobby as it was at that time.
In the 1940's, the Plymouth Motor Car Company sponsored model flying
contests all over the country. One was held in Madison on the runways at
Truax, which tells you something about the amount of full-sized airplane
traffic at that time.
Some of the larger contests of the 1950's were control line events that
were held at Breeze Stevens Field (above), on East Washington Ave., and
included combat, stunt and speed events. Here is a brief summary of the
rules that were applied to them:
Entry fees were $1.25 for the first event and fifty cents for each
additional one.
All registered models had to be weighed and pull tested.
Scale judging occurred first. Those with the greatest scale score flew
first.
There were three or four flying circles. When a flyer was called on the
PA system, he had to take his place in his assigned circle. If he stepped
out for any reason, he was disqualified.
If a flyer let go of his U-control handle for any reason while his plane
was in motion, he was disqualified.
Prizes were provided by manufactures, some of whom are still in business
today.
Contests were insured by the AMA at a cost of sixteen cents per
contestant. Fifty flyers generated an insurance fee of $8.00 and
grandstand insurance cost another $7.50. Because food was to be served, a
further insurance cost of $22.50 was incurred.
You had to be an AMA member to fly in these contests, but the contest
itself had to be insured separately. AMA dues at that time were either
$2.00 or $4.00 per year; I have conflicting information on that.
In the 1950's, flying off the frozen lakes was popular, especially for the
free flighters, since there were no trees or power lines to contend with.
As promised last month, this month we'll look at a winter fun fly on Lake
Mendota that took place in 1957. Following is an article and some pictures
that appeared in the February 11, 1957 issue of the Capitol Times under
the heading "Rain or Shine, Model Plane Club Members Hold 'Fly' Once a
Month." I really feel that this is a very good article from an historical
perspective, because it gives a lot of detail about the state of modeling
at the time, including flying sites. Free flight and control line were the
modes of choice, along with some rubber power, with radio control being in
its infancy. Notice the mention of a State Radio Control Council. Herb
Jacobs was the reporter who wrote this article.
* * * * *
WINTER WEATHER MAKES no difference to model airplane enthusiasts.
The
Madison group, recently revived, gets out on the frozen lakes to fly the
small planes members have assembled, and meets each month for an auction,
model building, or just tossing motorless gliders for fun.
On a recent Sunday afternoon at the east end of Lake Mendota, many of the
members braved biting winds to fly or watch craft which ran all the way
from foot long models flown in circles on wire, to a giant with a 10-foot
wing span, which had a motor with a real spark plug.
Many of the members design their own planes, thinking up variations of
standard models, or creating weird and wonderful combinations which may or
may not get off the around. One of the newest activities is experiment
with radio control, rather than free flight or circling on a wire.
One fellow has a real flying, saucer, looking like a good-sized yellow
platter as it soars through the air. Norman Michie, the club president,
has produced a "flying wing," covered with silk so heavily lacquered that
it can fly through tree branches and come out undamaged.
Tiny motors filled with an eye dropper power most planes, but they emit a
snarling roar which keeps spectators at a safe distance, more impressed by
the noise than the size.
Michie, of 212 Bordner Dr., is program coordinator for the State Radio
Control Council when not flying planes - or making them, which he has done
since he was 9 years old. If it's an indoor meeting, or an outdoor on the
weather too rough to put up a motor plane, even on a wire, Michie is
likely to produce some homemade baby gliders that can be tossed into the
air and whirled. away by the wind.
Other officers of the Madison Model Airplane Club are Carmen Nelson,, vice
president; Carl Vogt, 4210 Dempsey Rd., treasurer, and Ray Lang, 826 W.
Lakeside St., secretary. With 12 charter members the club was started in
June, 1956, and has now grown to a membership of 68. Many of the members
formerly belonged to the old Madison Gas Model Club, which flourished for
some years after World War 11.
The group meets the first Thursday night of each month at Nichols School,
and 10 days after each meeting, namely on the second Sunday, the members
hold a "club fly," rain or shine, in which they try out their planes.
Ages of members range down to 9 years and up to 40. Some of the members
are husband and wife teams, in which both partners are interested in
flying. Michie is hoping the membership will grow, particularly in the
younger segment, the group, which does the most flying. All club members
must also be members of the American Academy of Model Aeronautics, which
provides insurance for all contestants. All contests are held under AMA
rules, and that prevents accidents, says Michie.
A current project of the club is to build about 80 scale models for the
State Historical Society, which will be added to the 70 already in the
Society's possession, for a display of airplane types to be held late in
February or early March, showing the history of aviation.
Last summer the club held a demonstration of flying on a Sunday at the old
Royal Airport near the Belt line, and followed it a week later with a
contest meet. Some 1,200 spectators turned out for the events. Similar
meets are planned for this summer.
In former years, flights were held at the Truax Field circus site, but
club sponsors were afraid of the high tension wires nearby, from which a
spark could jump as far as 18 feet to the wires controlling planes. The
Royal Airport site is used by courtesy of the Gisholt Machine Co., which
now owns it, and Michie declares that the new site is much safer for
contestants.
"Most of the members of our club are what I would call 'sport fliers,'
rather than contest fliers," Michie comments. "They are more interested in
designing and flying planes for the fun of it, rather than the 'contest
flier.' who designs and builds for rigid specifications of a contest, to
the extent that I sometimes think it ceases to be a hobby."
What keeps a youth or man interested in model planes? Michie says the
hobby has a strong appeal to mechanically minded persons who like to try
out their ideas of wings or motors. Many a youngster who started out with
model planes keeps on, working into a life profession of aeronautics
engineer, he points out,
At the senior end of the scale, enthusiasts tend to become designers and
builders of scale models of various types of aircraft, fashioning them so
skillfully that "you could put a model on a sheet of glass, and put an
airplane view of a city under it, photograph the two, and you'd swear it
was a real plane," Michie says. The scale models are usually made on a
scale of a quarter inch to a foot, which gives a manageable size of a foot
and a half to two feet.
The 1958 issue of Air Trails Model Annual carried an article about how the
Madison Model Airplane Club was originated and some of the problems that
had to be overcome in the process. Following is a reprint of that article.
Also included as a footnote to this article were copies of the
constitution and the by-laws. There are two parts of these that are
especially interesting and I am including them as well.
Recipe for a Successful Model Club
RECIPE:
• One large dollop of that Inventiveness that only model builders possess;
• One area where modelers need support to find and keep a flying site;
• One smaller group of senior builders who have their feet on the ground;
• One appreciative public who stop when they hear the sound of motors;
• and One great desire to compete and to talk about it forever afterward.
Mix thoroughly, allow to simmer slowly, spread lightly over the entire
community.
YIELD: ONE MODEL AIRPLANE CLUB
Beginning May 31, 1956, with a nucleus of 12 members (some new to the
community; others left behind from a club defunct in '52), the Madison
Model Airplane Club has had a sure and steady growth to its present
healthy proportions of 75 "active" members.
Taking first things. first, the small group drew up a Constitution and set
of By-laws but even before these had been approved, the membership had
doubled. Since then the by-laws have only been amended once - to provide
that members, dues include their AMA membership fees.
By the middle of its first month of existence the club was faced with the
problem of available flying sites. One by one, the smaller control line
circles inside the city limits of Madison were being closed to modelers;
noise complaints and safety being the main considerations. So a compromise
was reached: we'd go outside the being closed to modelers; noise
complaints and safety being the main considerations. So a compromise was
reached: we'd go outside the city's boundaries and include room for free
flight, radio control, rubber-power and gliders as well.
Through a contact in the police force, negotiations were opened with the
Gisholt Machine Company, owners of a 180-acre field where the historically
significant Royal Airport once lay. Several men in the firm, expressing
interest in the project, were instrumental in forming a solid support for
the movement. Upon issuance of a satisfactory insurance policy (paid for
by the club through AMA) an agreement was written to permit the club's
year-around use of the field.
Many years had passed since full-size aircraft wheels had touched the
earth of the Royal Airport - a local farmer had recently reaped several
crops of corn. Taking the problem in stride, the members, with the aid of
borrowed and rented machines on six consecutive Saturdays, laid out two
dirt control-line circles and a central free flight runway strip. They
dispersed a mountain of corn cobs, resurrected the old heating plant, and
then at last a blistered hand took over the controls to lift an "airplane"
once more from the runway.
In the remaining months of that first summer and fall, the club prepared
for a public demonstration to show just what they could do. The Dane
County Highway Department loaned them temporarily 200 feet of snow fence,
the American Security State Bank donated 200 gas-filled balloons and the
three community hobby shops came up with over $200 worth of prizes and
spectator gifts for one grand fling on a Sunday afternoon.
The village police were called in to handle the comings and goings of 400
cars and 1,000 interested spectators that day.
And so, only 3 months after its formation, the Madison Model Airplane Club
had become a feature of its community's life. Two newspapers, a radio
station and three television stations cooperated with announcements
(including a lost radio control model) and publicity on its activities.
And with enough members on hand, the club applied as an AMA Chapter.
The design of a club decal was the basis of a winter competition, with
three motors as prizes, again donated by the bobby shops. Further prizes
were forthcoming to provide for a glider and rubber prefab meet to
inaugurate the new gymnasium at Nichols School.
Meetings are now held the first Thursday of each month at Nichols School,
programs including original and rented films, auctions, rules discussions,
etc., as well as on the third Thursday at a school on, the opposite side
of town for younger members learning model design and adjusting. At the
Royal Airport one Sunday each month record trials are held. This sort of
program, showing as it does a modeler's progress from plane to plane until
he becomes contest caliber, tends to attract and appeal to the younger
member and keep him interested through the sometimes disappointing early
flights.
Beginning with the reelection of last year's officers and a coffee klatch
provided by the Gardner Bakery, the club has shown a sudden growth,
particularly among the younger set and including two more-than-welcome
female members. A schedule of coming events included a control-line
exhibit during the Truax Air Force Base Armed Forces Day display, and a
scale model exhibit of 136 quarter inch to the foot aircraft in the State
Historical Society's museum.
During the warm months, weekends at the flying site have become family
affairs, and often picnic suppers take place during the week as the radio
control flyers squeeze the last drop of daylight out of the day. Sunday
afternoon finds a hundred cars lined up filled with goggle-eyed
spectator,. And best of all, there isn't a young modeler there who hasn't
received some word of advice or encouragement from the their club's
officers and senior members who are always on hand when needed.
Projects for the future include improving the facilities of the field so
AMA sanctioned meets may be held; the planning of a large indoor meet; the
construction of some club training models for all events; plus individual
participation most contests in the Midwest.
Together these model builders and flyers, in less than a year, have built
something they can point to with pride. As an accepted part of community
life it can now expect support from many agencies and organizations which
recognize the good that is being done. But without the modelers
themselves, nothing would have been accomplished. So that's why we of the
Madison, Wisconsin, M.A.C. know that you can do it too.
* * *
MMAC Constitution, Article III:
Membership: 1) Any model builders living in the Madison area, after
attending two consecutive meetings on probation, may be admitted into
membership by a two thirds majority vote of all eligible members present.
2) Any member may be removed from membership, for just cause, after a
hearing of the Executive Committee, by a two thirds majority vote of the
members present.
MMAC By-laws, Article V:
All members twenty years of age and younger shall pay dues of three
dollars per year to the Treasurer at the first meeting of the year, or at
a rate of 25 cents a month. 2) All members twenty-one years of age and
over shall pay dues of four dollars per year to the Treasurer at the first
meeting of the year. SPECIAL DUES: 3) From May 31, 1956 to January 1,
1957, dues shall be two dollars and ten cents for the younger group, or at
a rate of 30 cents per mouth, and three dollars and fifteen cents for the
older group for the seven-month period. 4) Any member failing to pay his
dues for six months shall be considered automatically dropped as a member.
5) The Treasurer of the club is authorized to receive contributions of
specially obtained funds from any individual or institution, to be applied
to the operating expenses of the Club.
Article from the Capital Times of Sunday, May 19, 1946 about the Madison
Gas Model Club, the original model club in Madison -- the Granddaddy of
MARCS, I guess you could say. In the last couple of months we have
featured old newspaper articles about the two early clubs. Have you been
struck, as I have been, by the attendance reported at club events? Note
that this article reports that there are only 25 club members, but people
are expected from Illinois and Indiana to provide 200 entries in a
sanctioned meet. Large crowds, hundreds of local spectators, also turned
out to these events in the '40's and '50's, at a time when the Madison
area had less than half the population that it has today.
Do you get the
same feeling as I that the public has become really blasé about, perhaps
it's not too much to say disinterested in, model flight - and aviation in
general? That is really too bad. Perhaps we should be thinking about how
to reverse that trend if our sport is to survive with enough strength to
merit a place to fly in an area in which population density is increasing
at such a furious pace. A recent Planning Commission forecast predicted
that Dane County will grow by 100,000 people over the next 25 years. If
so, we could become cheek-by-jowl neighbors with a housing addition on the
other side of Femrite Road. Think about it.
Model Airplane Show Held Here: Expect 200 Entries
(Capital Times, Sunday, May 19, 1946)
Madison's northeastern horizon will be thickly dotted with gasoline
engine-powered model airplanes Sunday, July 14, when the Madison Gas Model
Club holds its championship contest. which is expected to draw close to
200 model aircraft builders and fliers.
The air show will bring entries from all sections of Wisconsin, from
Illinois and Indiana, and prizes and trophies will be awarded
engine-powered models, as well as rubber-powered fuselage types and models
flown on control lines.
Carl E. Mohs, Jr., 3525 Lake Mendota Dr. is president of the Madison Gas
Model club, sponsoring the model aircraft show and meet. The club has a
membership of over 25, including four fliers who are veterans of World War
II. The group has applied to the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a division
of the National Aeronautics Association to obtain its official recognition
of the Madison meet.
Members of the local club are known as Flying Badgers a term which
Wisconsin airmen inscribed indelibly in heroic chapters of aviation during
World War II.
The mid-July junior air show will be held at the Truax runways, if
permission to use the one-time army air corps field can be obtained by the
club. If not, the club has its own trial and flight areas, two large areas
north of the Truax field, off Highway 51, that are suited for the contest.
A. Russell Sanders, 409 E. Main St., who owns these tracts north of Truax,
has made them available to the club for intra-club contests. One of the
Sanders properties is a thirty acre field on a rise of high ground, the
other a sixty acre area, forming a natural amphitheater. If either of
these tracts is used for the summer model plane contest, visitors are
assured ample parking space, since there is room for approximately 5,000
cars and spectators may watch the event from their automobiles.
In addition to the contest-show on July 14, the club plans to present a
demonstration-meet of sea plane model aircraft on Lake Mendota on or about
July 28. This will bring out the models suited for takeoffs and landings
on water and it will be the first seaplane event Madison has ever
witnessed.
Additional plans for the two July events will be discussed Tuesday at 7:30
p.m. at the club's meeting at the Madison YMCA.
* * *
Mohs, who seven with the naval aviation corps before being discharged and
enrolling in the university medical school, is a veteran model plane
builder and flier. He was among the winners at the National Model Airplane
championship meet at Chicago in 1941, as was James Conlin, 739 Farwell
Dr., Maple Bluff, who is secretary of the Madison Gas Model Club.
Don Weideman is vice-president, and this trio, along with other members
have entries in the day long meet here on July 14. The youngest member is
14, the oldest 30, and the rolls of the miniature plane group are
increasing rapidly.
This year's national meet, scheduled to be held in Chicago in the first
week in July, is expected to attract 2,500 contestants.
At the model plane meet here, there will be contests in three
classifications, Class A, B and C. Mohs explains that the Class A models
are the smallest gasoline-powered models, having a wing spread of 36
inches. the big, Class C models, have wing spreads of 6 to 7 feet and
weigh up to 3 pounds, which is heavy for these models.
* * *
Fliers of these midget aircraft have set records for keeping their
machines in the air for up to an hour, although the usual flight time is
recorded in minutes.
The motor is set to operate for a certain length of
seconds, then shut off, and permit the plane to glide earthward.
If air
currents are favorable, sustained glide flight is often attained for many
minutes.
The secret, of course, is the construction of the ship, and Mohs
points out that this is the
element which gives the most zest to
model plane building.
Members of the Madison Gas Model club are affiliated with the Academy of
Model Aeronautics and sign safety pledges before being admitted to
membership in the national body. Each plane is assigned numerals, and
builders can name them according to their fancy.
The club has two constant directors and if the July 14 meet is recognized
and approved by the AMA, records set here will be authenticated.
The Madison Gas Model club hopes to enlist the aid of the recreation
division of the school board in its contest and intra-club matches.
Previous columns have dealt with the very early history of model aviation
in Madison. First the Madison Gas Model Club and then the Madison Model
Airplane Club. As you will recall, the last club was flying at the Gisholt
property, better known as the Royal Airport. That area is now the South
Town Mall area.
In the late 1950's the Madison Model Airplane Club lost the use of that
area as a flying field. As a result, the club fell apart. Several modelers
continued to fly at ball diamonds or in farmer's fields, but without a
designated field it was every man for himself.
This brings us, then, to the early history of MARCS. Our first president
was Joe Unger, who now lives in Florida. Carl Mohs knew how to reach him,
so he and I called him and recorded a forty five minute conversation about
the early years of our club. What follows is a recap of his memories of
that time.
Joe was a salesman for a company that sold class rings and other jewelry
to high schools and colleges. He moved to Madison from Dearborn, Michigan
in 1958. He had been flying models in Michigan, so he looked for a Madison
club, but could find none. He did find a few people who were flying in
some open areas on the far west side of town, however. Some of these
individuals, such as Carl Mohs, Al Scidmore and a few others, are still
active in MARCS. This loose arrangement of flying wherever they could get
away with it continued on for several years.
In 1961, Joe thought a new club should be formed and other flyers agreed
with him. Joe remembers five flyers meeting at his house in 1961 for the
purpose of organizing a club. They were Joe, Carl Mohs, Glenn Lee, Carl
Vogt and Bill Kettle. At the second meeting they elected officers, Joe
Unger, president, Dale Sherman, vice president, Carl Vogt, treasurer and
Carl Mohs, secretary. They affiliated with the AMA and from the beginning
it was required that members join the AMA in order to join MARCS. As Joe
recalls, there were about 12 people who joined during the first year.
They had no regular field, so they continued to fly wherever they could.
For a brief time they were allowed to fly off a sod farm that was next to
the Morey Airport in Middleton. When it became known that there was model
flying at the airport in Lodi some of the MARCS members started to go
there. It was probably inevitable that the Lodi flyers joined MARCS and
the Lodi Airport became the MARCS flying field. Incidentally, as you may
realize, the site we are talking about is not the present Lodi club flying
field, but rather the Lodi Airport which you pass on your left as you
drive from Lodi to their present field.
I went out to Lyle Stone's home recently to learn about the Lodi Airport
flying site. Lyle is a long time resident of Lodi and one of the very
first flyers at that site.
Lyle said the airport was about the same size as now, but there were fewer
hangars. There were several planes that were simply tied down outside. It
was a busy place, with many planes flying in and out when the model planes
were also flying. Lyle generally flew right over the runway, but when a
plane wanted to land he would turn around and fly his model over the
hangers.
Joe Unger remembers flying at Lodi also. He left Madison and returned to
Michigan in 1968 and Lodi was still the flying field at that time. In
remembering these old days Joe said he remembered a fellow who built
small-scale models and really flew the heck out of them. When I asked if
that could have been Frank Baker, he replied that it certainly was. I told
Joe that nothing has changed, Frank is still building small-scale models
and he's still flying the heck out of them.
Lyle said that at that time most modelers were flying reed systems. I
understand that with this system, you could go right or left or up or down
by tapping the controls. They made a full range movement with each tap, so
the time interval of the stick movement had to be short to prevent serious
over-controlling. Fully proportional systems were just coming in, but were
not very reliable.
As the club grew, the mix of models and full-scale planes became less
desirable. Joe told me that when he left Madison the club had grown from
about a dozen members to about seventy-five, so you can see that the club
was outgrowing the available space at the airport. It all came to a head
one day when a MARCS member flying a high powered airplane flew at full
power into the side of hangar and punched a hole in it's metal side wall.
There was a pilot in the building and it scared the hell out of him. So
ended the official flying of MARCS at the Lodi Airport!
Fortunately, that was just about the time that the first site became
available across from the Yahara Golf Course.
Last month I wrote about the MARCS flying days at the Lodi Airport. This
column will reflect on early flying at the present Yahara site. Much of
the information was gathered from Nels Wareham who was the president of
our club when we moved here. Nels tells me that the original flying field
was in the general area of the landfill that has now been closed and
topped off. Wayne Lanphear told me that if you drive up the road onto the
landfill, a portion of the old field is still intact and can be
distinguished from the landfill, itself.
The MARCS field was on a small hill, but only slightly higher than the
surrounding area. The entry was off Highway AB, just across from the
tavern that is there today. The road was very rough, with many large rocks
and bumps, which made driving over it difficult. It was a rather tricky
entrance and it was somewhat dangerous. After there was a severe accident,
the entrance was moved to Highways 12 and 18. The entrance was near where
it is today, but you made a quick right turn, through a grove of trees, a
remnant of which remains today. The road was nothing but two ruts that
wound its way to the top of the hill.
There was a gradual fall away on most sides of the field, sometimes making
orientation difficult. There was a line of trees to the north that
gathered in many planes as they approached from that direction. Between
the tree line and the field was a cornfield. It, too, captured its share
of wayward planes. The cornfield was about where our present flying field
is located. It was a good thing that corn was not planted as close
together in those days as it is now. You could walk into the field and get
down on you hands and knees and see some distance in all directions. I
know, because I had to retrieve a few of my planes from there.
If there was any disadvantage to the field, it was that it was too close
to the Yahara Golf Course. The highway was just two lanes and our field
was on the hill on one side of it while the golf course was immediately
across it, on the other. We were close enough that the golfers could hear
our planes, which sometimes actually over-flew the course. Naturally, we
were told never to over-fly the course, but it sometimes happened anyway.
We often didn't realize just how far our planes were from us and so the
golf course's airspace was violated with some regularity.
A factor that contributed to the problem was that there was no established
flight line. There was no designated pit area and there were no fences to
indicate where the acceptable flight area was. The flyers just lined up so
that the flight line was headed into the wind. If the wind shifted,
someone would yell to move. Then everyone would pick up his gear and
establish a line that was consistent with the wind's direction.
As you would suspect, this was not a very safe practice and there were
accidents as a result. The problem was not limited to MARCS and there were
accidents all around the country because flyers were sometimes standing
where there was flight activity. This is why AMA now dictates that there
must be an established flight line, designated by fences. It wasn't safe,
but it certainly made landing easier when you could always land into the
wind.
If the wind was from the north or south, you were always taking off or
landing in the direction of the golf course. Pilots often flew over it,
not realizing how far out they were. As we all know, golfers do not take
kindly to having their concentration interrupted. Our noise was a problem.
I remember talking to a fellow who golfed at Yahara. When he found out I
was a model plane flyer, he let me know that he didn't approve of our
activity. I'm sure some of their complaints weren't justified, but bad
things did happen now and then. I recall that a flyer with a powerful
model lost control and put it straight down into the ground not twenty
yards from where four golfers were putting on a green. Not all wayward
planes crashed over there, but just as we might put one in the weeds
today, some did find their way to the golf course.
When we moved to the Yahara site, the glider contingent flew there also,
but there were no special times allocated to gliders. They just flew side
by side with everyone else. The only time they had the field to themselves
was on Sunday mornings. The church over on Highway AB was close enough
that powered flight was not allowed at that time. If the glider pilots
scheduled a meet, it meant the field was closed to powered flight. In the
eyes of some, the mix of powered and glider flight was a poor arrangement
so the glider pilots went out and found their own field. One that they
used quite regularly was the Watts Sod Farm on Prairie Road. That sod farm
no longer exists, as it was turned into the Tumble Down Golf Course, which
now fronts on Mineral Point Road. They then switched to the Polo Field and
other sod farms in the area, where they still fly.
In looking back at our sites, it seems to me that our moves have been very
timely. We lost the Lodi site just when our club got so big that model
planes and full sized ones could no longer coexist with each other. We
were moved from our original Yahara location just when our presence became
too bothersome to the golfers, across the road.
I started writing The History Corner last October. During the past nine
months we have traced the history of model aviation clubs in Madison from
the 1940's to the present time. This column will end the series, as we are
now up to date.
I thought I would end the series by providing some information about
members who have passed on, but who left their names imprinted on our
club. The first will be Bill Kettle, for whom our field is named, then Ken
Kindschi, whose name is attached to our scale event, and Owen Kampen, who
designed many planes for Ace Manufacturing. Finally, I will talk about
Scooter, a dog known to many of us, whose ashes are now permanently buried
under the newly erected memorial stone and for whom the annual Scooter
Award is named.
BILL KETTLE
Bill's full name was Roger William Kettle. Bill served for four years in
the Marine Corps during World War II. You will recall that he was
mentioned in some of my earlier columns. He was a member of the Madison
Gas Model Club, the Madison Model Airplane Club and he was, of course, a
founding member of MARCS.
Bill started with control line flying and then moved on to radio control
when that became more popular. Bill is primarily remembered for his
dedication to helping new members learn to fly RC planes. Lyle Stone
recalls Bill making the transition from control line to RC flying. When
Bill had it mastered, Lyle remembers Bill telling him that he was going to
dedicate himself to helping others to fly RC planes.
He did just that. He came to the flying field almost every night after
work, very often with no airplane of his own. His purpose in being there
was to help others. Trainer cords and buddy boxes had not come along yet,
so he would get your plane in the air and then hand you the transmitter.
At first, he would stand by your side, ready to take the transmitter out
of your hands if you got into serious trouble. As you gained a little
skill, he would still be there for you, but he would also be putting a
plane in the air for another novice.
He would often be standing on the
flight line with two or three planes in the air flown by pilots of varying
skills. He would tell you what to do and if a disaster were imminent, he
would hurry to your side. Needless to say, you lost more planes as you
learned to fly than you do today.
Bill gave unselfishly of his time to help others. He was always cheerful
and encouraging to his students. He is remembered by many that still enjoy
the hobby.
Modern Distributors, a roofing supply firm, employed Bill. He was a big
man. He died unexpectedly on April 26, 1982 while on vacation. Bill was
54. This picture shows Bill at one of our float flys that was held at
Warner Park. He is holding a radio controlled duck that he brought along
for a few laughs.
KEN KINDSCHI
Each year we hold a scale rally, which is named after Ken. He is
remembered by older members as an individual who had a beautiful fleet of
model airplanes. When I remember Ken, I think of his planes. I cannot
associate Ken with a "junk" plane. He simply prided himself on owning and
flying beautiful scale models.
He owned and built scale models from several manufacturers, but in his
last years Byron kits were his favorites. Byron just sells fuel now, but
in those days they produced a whole line of scale models. They were
constructed of fiberglass and they were the state of the art at that time.
At the time of his death, Ken had a quarter scale Cap 21, a half scale
Beech Stagger Wing and a one third scale Christian Eagle. They were big,
beautiful and admired by everyone. Ken smoked a pipe. He loved to fly and
then sit back and strike up a conversation with a fellow modeler.
Ken worked for the City of Madison's Tax Department as an assessor. He
retired in 1981. He died suddenly in September of 1987 while on the way
home from the field. His death was a shock to all of us, but particularly
to Fred Bast. Fred had been flying with him and he remembers waving to him
as Ken headed home. He never made it; he was stricken as he turned off the
belt line onto Whitney Way. He was 65 years old.
It is most appropriate that our scale rally bears his name.
OWEN KAMPEN
Owen was a member who gained national prominence as a model airplane
designer. He primarily designed 1/2 A models for Midwest Models and for
Ace Manufacturing. A few of his designs were the Whiz Kid and Bonzo for
Midwest and the Pacer, Whizard, Air Scout and others for Ace. He was one
of the first to use Styrofoam wings in his designs. Both the Pacer and
Whizard had Styrofoam wings. The RCM catalog still carries plans for
several of his designs.
Owen was an innovator. Most 1/2 models at that time had short, stubby
wings. Owen used longer, narrower wings and they looked and flew great. He
had at least seventeen articles published by model magazines.
Frank Baker tells me that before proportional radios were developed they
used a device called an Adams Actuator. Owen designed several planes for
that system. Frank remembers that he and Owen would load their cars with
five or six planes and head for the field. When all of them had been
crashed, it was time to go home and start repairs.
Owen Kampen was a commercial artist and he worked as an instructor at
MATC. Being an artist, he always included good looks as a requirement for
all of his models. He was also a portrait artist. Several of his paintings
of UW faculty members are still on display at the University.
Owen was a B 24 pilot in World War II, flying in the Italian Campaign. He
died at 65 years of age in 1985. His wife was presented with a Hall of
Fame Award on his behalf by our club at the annual banquet in February
1986.
SCOOTER
Scooter was a large dog who endeared himself to our members. He was black
in color and weighed over 100 pounds. Scooter was a mixed breed, but
primarily Labrador. He looked like a large Lab, but with somewhat longer
hair. Roy Porter, a long time member of MARCS, who now lives in Florida,
owned him.
Scooter went everywhere with Roy. Because Roy flew often, Scooter spent a
lot of time at the field and acted as the official greeter, meeting flyers
as soon as they opened their car doors. After you acknowledged him and
petted him a little he would return to the spectator area and lie down.
His manners were impeccable and he never had to be leashed. He never
entered the pit area and always wandered off into the weeds to poop.
If you had some food, he would gladly accept a handout. Many hamburgers
were bought over at McDonald's just for him. Scooter was a great dog and
he was loved by all. He was twelve years old when he died in 1993. As
mentioned previously, his ashes are buried under the field monument
plaque.
(Editor's Note: The Scooter Award, which is given annually on a rotating
basis to the MARCS nice guy of the year, is made in this dog's honor. The
author of this article is a past winner of the Scooter Award.)
