The Lafayette Esquadrille's "Ice-o-Lated" CL Contest

A Photo Album of
"Allen and Kim's Excellent Adventure"

The "Ice-o-Lated Control Line Contest" at Buder Park.

So, you're awakened by lightning and thunder on a day when your friend and fellow Circle Turner is gonna be twirling 60 foot lines around in the sky...what could go wrong with that?

Allen Bagg switched from steel to Spectra flying lines a long time ago, but if God can hurl a blinding stream of electrons with gaazzilions of volts and amps through miles of thin air, it's still something to consider.

We decided to roll the dice on this trip to Buder Park in St. Louis, even with the predicted storms and accompanying 26 mph winds, figuring that a washout could still be salvaged with a side-run to Schaefer's Hobbies just a mile off 270.

Cruising up I-55 through showers mixed with blue-sky-teasers, it was still a fun trip, talking model airplane nerd stuff, and whatever else came up.

We got to Buder Park in a light mist, with Dan out in the circle, putting in a practice flight.   Also, the predicted winds, thankfully, never arrived.  Allen got his gear down the line and I grabbed my cameras, just in case the weather would let the contestants get some flights in.

The weather, amazingly, held through the day with just a few moments of light drizzle, until the event was abruptly ended by a clap of thunder later in the afternoon.

Allen got his flights in, and won 1st place in Intermediate, with some good practice for the coming season.  He was somewhat tempering his victory by the fact that he was the only entrant in Intermediate, but I pointed out that it was a great chance to polish his patterns, and also gave the Lafayette Esquadrille an entry in the category.

So, the full day of flying was wrapped up with the previously mentioned stop at Schaefer's Hobby Shop, and with Allen dropped off in Cape Girardeau to continue his journey home.

Sometimes, it DOES pay to roll the dice.