Florida Jet Flyers 8th Annual International Jet Rally Lake Wales

Florida Jet Flyers 8th Annual
International Jet Rally
Lake Wales, Florida
November 4th, 2001
By: Jim McNeill
617 South Ave
Birmingham, AL 35205
205-322-2127

The Florida Jet Flyers Inc. held their 8th Annual Florida International Big Jet Rally. A sight to behold. The turbine powered jet models look like real airplanes, sound like real airplanes, fly like real airplanes. Almost frightening to see. The Jet Association maintains a tight control on all aspects of safety. All models are carefully inspected before flight. Flight patterns are carefully monitored. AMA restricts jet planes to fly at no more than 200mph. This premier modeling event attracted modelers from all over the world. From Germany, Scotland, the Netherlands, South America, Costa Rica in Central America, also California, Michigan, and New York. 60 flyers registered, more than 1000 spectators. If you get an opportunity to do so, try to catch the Florida Jet Flyers bash next year.
The big Jet Rally was held at the Lake Wales, FL, Municipal Airport. As you can see in this picture, the runway is massive. Probably 3500 feet long and plenty wide. The flyers were not permitted to fly over the spectators or cars in the parking area. They circled the other way, over mostly grass and trees.
	Here in picture #2, Jay Smullen and Mark Rufo are standing behind Bob Violette's miniature U.S. Air Force FW-730. A magnificent model airplane. I was told by a hobby shop dealer that Bob's airplanes are among the very best in kit form and can be purchased for $5,000 to $6,000. That is the price without the turbine engine. Engines cost $3,000 by themselves. He told me to expect to pay up to $10,000 to own & fly a turbine powered jet plane.
Here is one of those marvelous jet models parked on the edge of the big run-way. They were having trouble starting the engine. Those turbine motors, by the way, idle at about 10,000 rpm and run at up to 80,000 rpm full throttle. That gentleman on the right in the picture is Mr. Dave Platt, your AMA Scale Contest Board Chairman, from Palm Bay, FL. (If you flyers want to learn something, you better listen...)
	Meet Torrey ward who flew in from Simi Valley, CA, to attend this Florida Jet Flyers Annual Jet Rally. Torrey told me he was in Costa Rica not long ago in a show with 8,000 spectators and he won "Best of Show". He said he is going to Thailand, Bangkok, soon to attend another fly-in for jets.
Here are 2 modelers preparing their jet plane for flight. Dean DiGiorgio from Port St. Lucie and Jim O'Connell with their ST336 model. Jim represents "Century Jet Models."
	Meet Lewis Patton and Wayne Mason from Louisville, KY, with their "Predator 175" model. Lewis represents Crow Aviation, Inc. CAI, and handles "Gas Turbine Model Products." He is their field rep. The model flew very nicely.
Here is Jack Studnik from Miami, FL, with his "Bandit" airplane. It also flew very well.
	Rob Lynch and Frank Foytik from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, are preparing their RAM model out on the runway for flight. Rob said this plane can easily hit 200 mph, maybe more. In the background of the airport field real airplanes were dropping parachutists down from the sky with oblong square parachutes that can be maneuvered somewhat to operate as hang gliders on their way down. Thank God one of those jets didn't hit one of them.
Meet Alberto Enriquec from Ecuador and Bruno Filio from Mexico. This jet bash attracted modelers from all over the world.
	Here on the left is Vern Kramer from Naples, FL, with his son Larry Kramer. Vern is standing under a large collapsible tent which shelters two of Vern's models. This one is his 'Bud' model. The top shield has been removed temporarily on his model and you may be able to see the very large turbine engine contained therein.
Here, under the same tent is Vern's other model. His "Red Barron" airplane.
	Here are Bill McKinney, Fred Kruse, Antonio Tahan, and Paul Hopkins hovering over Paul's "Fiorenze" P-38 Talon model.
I snapped this shot of the lineup of some of the portable tents erected to shelter the models and the people. As you can see, the tents stretch a great distance from where the picture was taken. They also stretch the same distance in the other direction. About 1/4 of a mile of shelters running parallel to the runway.
	Here is a snap of some 7 jet models resting on the grass. They represent $50,000 to $70,000 in cost of acquiring. Are they toys?? No, absolutely not. They are a serious hobby for fun and enlightenment. Many of a break-through in military come from model planes. So the old wives tale, "The difference between men & boys is the cost of their toys" doesn't even apply. Not at all. Trust me.


	These modelers not only travel 1/2 way around the world to fly their jet airplanes, they afford their model planes every comfort and convenience possible. Example: Jet planes are usually not transported by car, rather by vans and carts towed along behind the cars. This gentleman in the snap is setting his model up on a special rig on a special table. All unpacked from his trailer rig hauled behind his vehicle.
Warm Springs, Georgia, has a Jet Club, the Georgia Jets Flying Club. This club was well represented by important flyers whose models flew as well as anybody's. If you get a chance to take in a Jet Fun-Fly don't miss it. When you see those models going down the runway at several hundred miles an hour, and you hear the noise
	Aero RC Hobbies of Lakeland, FL, had a nice sign on the fence.. I have to thank them for information I plucked out of them over the phone & on prices and so forth.