ORIGINAL: kwilfong
Well; it means more than the Nobel prize! Look at the last few of those.
To be recognized by the Stalwarts at SMALL is pretty special... the plaque and t-shirt I got at SMALL last year mean more to me than any award I have ever gotten, even more than my 2nd at the Speed 400 Pylon nationals. I spent 20 years reading about SMALL in Flying Models before I went for the first time, and the people that 'make' the event what it is are special people to me because of all the articles, design plans, and event coverage I have seen over the years. I see guys like Randy Randolph, Steve Staples, Paul Willenborg and their co-conspirators as modeling heros for the light hearted approach to modeling in a 'hobby' that tends to slot people into categories and have them push extremes in a way that is not for the faint of heart or wallet.
As for Tee Bee, I'm just glad I don't have to come up with a JATO assisted ducted fan .010 next year!