With Bill Riegel Model Air Park at Salem's airport given an indefinite reprieve from the bulldozers and an empty space seen on the 2025 contest calendar, Western Oregon Control-Line Flyers mover and shaker Mike Hazel decided midseason to host a gathering for Speed and Combat fliers at the beloved Salem field.  Turnout was light for Speed but better for Combat, so two days of flying ensued in excellent control-line weather.

We had a very small turnout of speedsters enter this event. What little activity that happened on Saturday was just some testing as the focus was on the Combat flying then.  Weather was very pleasant for both days. 

Before reporting the Speed results, it should be noted that a small cadre of WOLF members worked hard before the event to take care of the major cracks that were in the asphalt circle. With those areas filled and smoothed all takeoffs and landings were done nicely with no bumps and jerks.
 
OK, so here was the Speed action:

Will Naemura was testing two of his F2A (FAI speed) planes prior to a World Cup event and the USA team trials in St Louis later this month. He was checking for those nebulous little things that make that class of Speed flying so tricky.  He did not record an official but did have one very successful fast flight.

Ken Burdick had damaged his .21 Proto the previous testing, but also had a .21 Sport Speed entry. Alas, he only managed an attempt after an unplanned ground contact.

Mike Hazel had a Profile class .21 Proto that was brand new. After a test flight it went up for a successful official flight.

Scott Newkirk worked on his 1/2A Proto for a while but gave up after he discovered a problem with the fuel system. He next hooked up his Nelson .40-powered class ‘C’ ship and put up a very nice flight.

So there were only two official flights (Northwest standings points in parentheses):

Scott Newkirk, Snohomish, Wash.: C Speed, 172.34 mph (1)
Mike Hazel, Mehama, Ore.: .21 Profile Proto, 103.35 mph (1)

Combat event director's report

I want to begin by thanking Mike Hazel for making this contest happen. And thanks to Mark Crouse and Terrance Bardue for doing the judging. Mike put on this contest so there would be a sanctioned Speed event that he and others could use for testing and offered the chance to have a Combat contest to go with it. Mike spent the whole day flying Combat and pitting for the rest of us. Terrance and Mark spent their entire time judging.

We started out flying double elimination ½-A for five entrants. By the end of Round 3, John and Mike were the only ones left, and both were clean. John, who claimed he had never before beaten Mike, won two in a row for first place. Final results were John first, Mike second, Bob third, Gene fourth, and Russ fifth.

80 MPH had only 3 entries but some of the best Combat. When the dust cleared, Bob was first, John second, and Russ third.

While I think we all had a good time, here’s hoping more combat flyers can show up for the Fall Follies. See Where the Action Is for details of that contest coming up on Sept. 27-28.

Here are the Combat results (Northwest standings points in parentheses):

1/2-A COMBAT (5 entries)
1. John Thompson, Eugene, Ore. — 5 wins, 1 loss (5)
2. Mike Hazel — 4-2 (4)
3. Robert Smith, Roy, Wash. — 1-3 (3)
4. Gene Pape, Eugene, Ore. — 1-3 (2)
5. Russ Hester, Florence, Ore. — 0-2

80mph COMBAT (3 entries)
1. Robert Smith — 3-0 (3)
2. John Thompson — 1-2 (2)
3. Russ Hester — 0-2 (1)

Combat Director Gene Pape handles administrative duties. Flying Lines photo.