Boomer783

Gang,

I just concluded what I truly feel was the best weekend I've spent in almost 20 years of involvement with R/C. The weather was perfect, the flying was great, The list of pilot's was a "who's who" of model aviation, the spectators were in complete awe of the goings on, and , oh yeah, some guy named Matt Chapman cruised around the sky for a while. I'll tell ya, Napoleon will never be the same. It's gonna be hard to top this one.

But we will. I gar-own-tee it. For those of you who know Corky, you know darned well he's got a couple of aces up his sleeve he hasn't played yet.

But I digress.

What I really want to do in this post is extend my heartfelt thanks to all the Thistledown members who pulled together, co-operated, and got the job done. I don't want to name any names fo fear of inadverdantly leaving someone out, so I'll just give a cyber tip of my hat to all of you. Thanks, everyone.

Here's but one example of the kind of stuff I'm talking about

For those of you who've been involved in putting on an event like this, you know how much work is involved and how exasperating it can to to line up enough able bodies. Then, getting those you do find to work together is a whole new set of challenges. Anyway, as is my usual habit, I arrived at the field at 7:30 AM, ready for what I was sure was going to be a long, hard day. By 8 AM, five people were there working away WITHOUT ME HAVING SAID A WORD. They just appeared out of nowhere and started getting stuff done. Totally amazing.

It's things like that that makes a person feel pretty proud and privileged to be a member of such a club. Heck, it's more fun to go to Thistledown Field and work than it is to go to most clubs and fly.

See y'all next year.

(Sorry, Bob Sadler, but I just HAD to slip that one in.)

Jim Steinhurst

exeter_acres

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Wonderful group.....

and the generoisity(sp?) shown with the radio prize in the drawing was great


Thanks to the club members... very well done!

1943

hello

just wanted to say that i had such a good time at the fly in. i was there from the tuesday before the meet and every day was a great day . so i got to meet everybody as they got there . it was great meeting all the people from across the country . the thistledown club did a fantastic job with everything and the flying was great the weather was great which made it a truly great weekend. i cant wait till next year .


bryon

IFLYRC-RCU

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Thanks for another great year.. been going since 1985 I think.. missed very few.

Nice guys, and the cookout was really good !

Oh, the flying.. yea, that. GREAT ! I tried to show off with my Cub, but there was just too much cool stuff flying ! LOL Had fun.

Seeing Mr Chapman fly for us was a great surprise.. and when Knoll flew the model with the full size.. that was amazing !

Ya out did yourself this time Corky .... You dream big, and it came true ! See you at the Pilgrims this weekend.

Jim Repp

trentmark

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I wrote a small review on my site as well as added a bunch of pictures on the picture page.
http://www.marktrent3D.com

exeter_acres

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Mark... I love how your plane screeches the breaks on every rolling circle!

Great flying!

Fly RC II

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Hey Gang!

I can say we had about the best time of all 3 years we've been going to this event. The members are all willing to put on the show and I must say this takes a lot of effort by everyone! Primetime and I had so much fun that we are still suffering from it! :-) We can not seem to get a grip on reality for the weekend fun is still with us. Thanks to everyone that made it very special for us.

I also want to thank Miles Reed in his participation in our meet and in the hobby and for all his hard work he puts forward year after year. Miles was awarded as the first recipient of the trophy that is called the "Miles Reed Achievement Award". This will be given every year to the most deserving pilot/builder in the hobby that is elected by the Thistledown flyer organization during this fly in. This award is considered to be the most desired and sought after award by anyone in the hobby. It takes special people like Miles that really deserve such an award like this one. Congratulations Miles and keep up the good work!

David Moro
and
Primetime!

Bobvz

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[8D] Just Came back from the the the Great IMAA Ditrict 3 Mini Fest and 25th anniversary at the the Thistledown Flyers field. What an event; hosted by Corky and Jeff Heitman. I was there from Thursday thru Sunday. The best event i have attended. The food was great. Especially the Saturday night cook out and the excellent Mexican food from El Toro. All club memebers were very helpful in making you feel part of their club. Matt Chapman put an spectacular show. For the first time I have seen a full size aircraft ( Matt Chapman Cap) and Great Planes Cap ( model) perform formation and aerobatics flying in harmony with Frank Noll at the controls.

Matt Chapman

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Wellllll, i just got home from the Mini fest! WOW! what fun.... really fun!
Have a look at the EVENTS< SHOWS & Fly-In list and you'll see what I'm talking about. 1463 hits....57 reply's!! this is what everyone is interested in. I now understand why. What an event! The next on the list has 10 replys....I know where I want to go next year!
Jeff, Corky and the whole team.....job well done! I only wish all the airshows I perform at would take as much care of the details as you all did. Nothing was left un-done. All I had to do was show up and fly! Except for putting smoke oil in the CAP 580...but we can work on that next year...
I had the chance to ride a harley for the first time too. WOW, that was cool. Problem is, now I need one! What to sell??? The flying was great. I had so many offers from the pilots to let me fly there models. So very nice of you all, but i only took up three of them . A very nice 1/3 Balsa USA Super Cub and of course Corky's big Super Cub.......both crashed !!! NOT ME....BTW. Was I cursed? I also got some time on the Great Planes CAP 580 of Frank Noll's. Who whould ever cover a model like that...lol. It flew great imho. BTW, Frank did a great job following me through a basic routine before my demo. I have seen a lot of people call it "formation". Don't all freak out...frank and i have many hundredes or even thousands of feet seperation at all time. it was through franks unmached flying skill that he was able to position his CAP 580 with mine so it looked like we were only feet apart!! VERY VERY COOL!!
Perfect weather, great people, wonderful food....what more do you need?? Hey...I know...how about a good announcer?? maybe next year??? (sorry Bob : ) Regardless of what you might hear...Bob Sadler is a pretty decent guy! Hope you feel better Bob!
Hey, I even lost $20 bucks to "Primetime" I bet him that Frank Noll's Great Planes P-51 done up by Greg Haun would not survive the weekend. He took me up on it in a heart beat. well, he won...however, Frank never did take tha 51 out of the trailer on Sunday.
I'll be back next year! Full scale show or not...I'll pack up the car and bring out my own stuff to fly. Including my Fury Extreme heli.....not enough heli action for me....but that can change...right/
Good job, good time, hope all got home safe and sound...sorry to ramble on so long!

MC

Redwings

Matt
Sherri said the Harley was not for sale!!! Thanks so much for your preformances and spending the time with all of us. You truley are a class act and we all hope you can make it next year with or without your Cap. We the club are so proud of all who attended and are planning for next year.
Thanks
Peter

rnav

We'll what can I say. Another show has come and gone, and the trees are turning colors, witch mean's the flying season in the northern half of the country is slowing down.

The members of this club should be commended on there hard work and dedication. It's a pleasure to be surrounded by such great people. Brian Bazen, Dennie Coozno, Peter Beck, Scott Detray, Jim stienhearst, Matt Mahnke, Randy Hammond, Kim Bazen, just to name a few. Our friend Miles Reed for all the years he has come to the show, and for a lifetime of dedication and heart to this wonderful hobby. There hard work made this show go off. It was fun working with them. HATS OFF !

I hope, we can top this years show next year.

I would also like to thank Frank noll and his wife Tarry for coming, along with all the donations from Great Planes. Also Chip Hyde and his donation of the 34% Extra 330. And Z Planes From Indiana for all they did.

Last but not least I would like to thank Matt Chapman for his role in making this show unique, and allot of fun. I would also say if you have the means to get him to one of your shows to fly his Cap, it's well worth it.

Once again thanks to all the pilots and sponsor's that made this show the best we have ever had.

Jeff Heitman.

Galloping Ghost

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Hi,

I am extremely proud of my fellow Thistledowns Flyers members for the job well done putting on the District 3 Mini fest and 25th Anniversary IMAA Fun Fly.

All the Thistledown members can be justifiably proud of a job well done, but I think special mention needs to be made for Dr. Jim Steinhurst. All year long, Mr. Steinhurst was in charge of keeping the field mowed and looking sharp. Sure he had help now and then, but more often than not, he and Dennis Cousino were out there mowing the field.

Jim was also in charge of the kitchen during the show, and he put in untold hours grilling burgers and hot dogs and keeping the pilots happy. Were it not for the efforts from people like Jim, this would have been just another show. Instead, it was a GREAT show!!!

Of course, there are many, many others who helped make this show a success, but I can't think of anyone who deserves more credit than Jim. (and Corky)

Thanks to all who attended,

Scott

Redwings

Yes GG I agree with you for once.
These two are A1 and worked to keep the field looking great and all the club members pitched in and made this event a success. I am ready to do it again because of all the great people that came to the event.

jdetray

I just want to mention that you can now see more than 40 pictures from the fly-in at www.ThistledownFlyers.com. Check the [link=http://www.thistledownflyers.com/cgi-bin/pro/emAlbum.cgi?c=show_thumbs;p=September%202005%20IMA A%20Mini-Fest]September 2005 IMAA Mini-Fest gallery[/link].

- Jeff

Redwings

I would like to thank Detray Associates for all of the help they provided on the day of the show and being our WebMaster. You do a wonderful job on the development and maintaining of http://www.thistledownflyers.com/
Thanks Lynda and Jeff for all you do.

Fly RC II

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Fellow RC'ers

It is with great dispear and heart-felt emotion that I have to report Mr. Jim Stienhurst lost his life on October 19, 2005. Recently, Mr. Steinhurst was named the District III Director of IMAA. His Id name on this forum is Boomer783, from Waterville OH. Jim, as a member of our club, also had a major role assisting our flyin with the kitchen and cooking activities. Jim's main objectives were to have the consessions run as smoothly as possible. He covered everything in great detail to help make the Thistledown Flyin a complete success that it was, because Jim gave his services with such zeal and passion!

Jim had a very high-level lust for this great hobby of ours and he never refused to help anybody in need. I can't find all the words to continue on to describe Jim's great qualities about him - he was a good person!

It is the wishes of Jim's family to have his ashes be spread over the Thistledown flying field sometime in the near future to demonstrate that he really loved this hobby.

He will be truly missed by all who knew him.

David Moro

sealh4

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IMAA District 3 Mini-fest in Napoleon Ohio sponsored by Thistledown Flyers. The Thistledown Flyers is Corky Heitman's home club. This group knows how to put on a great show, as well as Corky knows how to pick a great wine! Let’s start with no landing fee, no camping fees, and a free air show for all 3 days by Matt Chapman. There was even flying at night under stadium lighting. It is like nothing you have ever seen before a premier event. Next year it will not be the Dist 3 Mini-fest, but it will be a great event with rides on a B-25 "Panchito", and everything free to the pilots including a saturday night chicken Bar-B-que free.

At the District 3 Mini-fest the Thistledown group and I started a perpetual trophy named the Miles Reed Life Achievement Award. The first recipient was Miles Reed. I believe Miles has represented the IMAA as few have over his years as a member. For anyone that knows Miles Reed I hope you can understand the stature and importance of this award.

Sincerely
Tom Hayden
LM 069
IMAA President

saddler

My Feedback: (93)

Man where have i been, i just read about Mr. Steinhurst's passing in the new High Flight magazine. My stomach just sank reading that article. I can remember him standing in the concession stand all weekend at the Thistledowns fly-in making sure everyone was fed and happy! I was there for 3 days that weekend and he was there each day with a smiling face wanting to make sure everyone was having a good time. I didn't know Jim personally but i did talk with him a few times over the course of the weekend and my heart goes out to his family and friends. It is really sad that someone would do something like this to an innocent man.

Happy landings Jim!!