Back in 1976, the STARS club in Olean, NY started the 1/4 scale movement with a squadron of six Bristol Scouts. These were powered by Roper industrial engines converted to glo. A year later, we were the first to get a Quadra engine, and with those installed in the Scouts, we became the most noted club in the USA. The magazines were full of our big planes and accomplishments. We started an "all scale" meet in 76, with "all scales welcome". It was a huge success. There were 95% small scale planes and 5% big ones. In 1980 (I think), I and several other STARS attended the inagural meeting of the IMAA in Toledo where the STARS obtained charter number 003. By then, there were many others getting into giant scale. Also, by then, our meet was probably a mix of 30% big scale, and 70% small, totaling about 150 planes. By 1985, or thereabouts, our meet had grown to 80% giant scale and 20% small - and that's when we clashed with the IMAA. The IMAA was now getting rather powerful, and started to flex its muscles and authority - by telling us that we could no longer fly "small scale" airplanes at our annual meet. WHAT? Why not? Because they aren't big enough - they say! Well - so what - we say! Our meet had been predicated on the fact that "all scales were welcome" since day one - and this was ten years later.
To make a long story short, the IMAA decided to kick us out of that organization because we would not comply to the new 1/4 scale or 80" wingspan rule. So - chapter 003, the biggest club in the USA flying and promoting giant scale was no longer a part of the IMAA.
The STARS just held their 25th. anniversary scale meet this past summer, and we opened the show by flying five of the original Bristol Scouts that made us famous 25 years ago. Three of the original pilots have passed on, but others flew their planes.
What have we learned here? The first thing is that the meet has continued to be very successful without any help from the IMAA for the past 15 years. We learned that we do not need the IMAA dictating to us what we can and cannot do. So who loses? Certainly not the STARS. Also- we have proved that small scalers and giant scalers do not need to be segregated to have a good time. Next year - the 26th annual event will once again be held with "all scales welcome" - and that's the way it should be!
After all - we are in this hobby to make friends and have fun. Although I only build giant scale planes - most of my local flying buddies only build small ones, and we have "fun" together, and we respect eachother. That's also the way it should be!