Heart of Ohio Jet Scramble

Model Airplane News, Jan 2001 by Jundt, John E

In August, pilots from as far away as Texas, New Hampshire and Florida converged on Darby Dan Airport west of Columbus, OH, for the 10th annual Heart of Ohio Jet Scramble. Over three days, the event enticed a total of 5,828 attendees, and 81 fliers from 19 states toted a gaggle of 118 jet planes.

Always hosted by The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) and now under the leadership of club president Matt Short, for all 10 years, the dynamic duo of chairman Terry Nitsch and CD Bill Midgley have headed the organizing team. These great guys work hard all year and during the long weekend to make sure the Scramble runs smoothly and is enjoyed by the participants and spectators. Safety is always a number-one priority, and TORKS ensures a great public relations event that showcases safe, entertaining RC model jet flight and model aviation in general. It's a fine example for all.

All six flight stations-every one in almost constant use-have safety barriers between the pilots and the runway. Constant communication between air-traffic control, ground control and pilots, who ask the "air boss" for permission take off, is vital. Pilot's stations all have a "spotter" equipped with a walkietalkie that allows him to keep the pilot aware of what's going on, so pilots don't have to having to worry about potential air and ground conflicts. The steady stream of takeoffs and landings lent the event an authentic "Oshkosh" feel.

Six, movable, triangular, metal-faced shields diverted the hot gases produced by the turbine-powered airplanes to protect other airplanes and any people walking behind them. Further pilot pampering was provided by two "pilot taxi squads," who drove out as needed to assist pilots and to retrieve aircraft that failed to taxi back under their own power. The "Airedale retriever teams" maintained a constant vigil for planes whose pilots couldn't prevent them from ending up somewhere on the back 40. While its pilot remained at the compound, his errant plane would be retrieved by one of the teams.

In excellent weather, the 75x7,000-foot concrete runway was put to good use, and the airport was closed to full-scale aircraft except for one noontime Saturday exception. Darby Dan is an active full-scale airport in a very large private country estate. This pastoral setting allows unrestricted flying and visibility-one of the many reasons Scramble pilots return year after year. The large, well-manicured, elliptical lawn that separates the runway and two separate taxiways from the pit area allows separate taxi-in and taxi-out, so no one fouls anyone's run. This also increases efficiency and helps keep the sky busy with jets. The layout also generates a parade of jets that pass through the protected area right in front of the spectators, so they get an up-close view of the action.

Just 500 feet from the runway, a large hangar is available for pilots to leave their planes and equipment when they charge their batteries. It was also a great place for the Friday-night Pilots and Workers Party hosted by the Dinneen Excavating Co. of Plain City, OH. Over 250 people joyfully consumed an abundance of food and beverages, and we still had room for the Saturday-night steaks at the banquet held near the active runway of the nearby Bolton Field Airport!

THE FUTURE IS HERE!

Seeing the manufacturers, vendors and pilots at an event such as this reminded me how much development this segment of our hobby has seen over the past 10 years, and it has similarly grown in popularity. Who would have foreseen this rapid growth? It wasn't too long ago that gatherings of fan-letters mainly spent their time tinkering, trying to figure out how to keep pipes on engines and the engines running for a full flight.

Much of this development is the result of the close relationships between companies who develop new fan-iet Products and the pilots who provide feedback. Many of us take the technology for granted: just crank it up and fly. Look at the rapid growth in turbine engines and the kits that support them. In 2000, 47 turbine-powered jets from six manufacturers were flown at the Scramble-a 27-percent increase over last year and making up 40 percent of all the engines used this time.

Greg Gottschang flies with the new BVM* twin-nozzle turbine tailpipe; David Ribbe does high-speed maneuvers showing that a well-designed and wellmade turbine-powered BVM Balsa Bandit will easily handle the stresses of jet flight; and, with his all-wood Vampire, Wayne Jones shows that this natural material is still very much with us and functioning well.

With his beautiful, award-winning, Maverick Pro fan jet, Anthony Weincek demonstrated the use of the new-and expensive-Chrome Illusion paints from Du Pont. Louis Patton made many flights with his AMT T280-powered Crow Aviation Inc.* Raptor jet and showed that a smoke system can be reliable as well as a crowd-pleaser. The BVM team constantly demonstrated super-smooth landing stops with their new Smooth Stop brake valve. Technology notwithstanding, when a group of us fly, we're always aware that one of us might take home a plane in a less than pristine condition. We love to hate ourselves for sympathizing with-and yet enjoying-an event's "most spectacular demise." In 2000, our feelings were with Rod Snyder of Piney Flats, TN, and his Ram 750-powered, FiberClassics* Kangaroo. According to Rod, it was "dumb thumbs" that caused his 'Roo to run out of airspeed, altitude and options all at the same time.