(last updated 09/15/2005)

Float Fly Report (below) - Float Fly page 1 - Float Fly page 2 - Float Fly page 3 - Float Fly page 4 - News page

An event like this could possibly happen overnight, but we wanted this to be an event worthy of attending. Several members of JCRC volunteered to be on the Float Fly committee (see first row of photos below) and the planning started early in the year with preparations being made right up until the start of the event. In one way or another nearly every member of JCRC helped to make this event possible. I hesitate to mention individual efforts because I fear I will forget to mention someone and run the risk of offending, albeit unintentional, but as long as I'm breathing, I'm sure I'll offend someone anyway, so here goes.

John Dussold was always first in line to help as well as setting an example for all of us to follow with his work ethic and his ideas on making this a first-class event. He didn't stand-by and watch either, he put all those muscles to good use and gave his full support to making this work. It was also John's idea to get more door prizes and many people got some very nice things while he walked away with a bag of epoxy mixing cups! Very unselfish, thanks John.

Rick Poire worked as hard as anyone and provided the majority of the things we needed to have an acceptable site. He brought the recovery boat, the materials needed to make the launching ramp and lugged around the Club tent which is no small task, plus he brought out his airplanes, boats and nearly his entire family! Thank-you Rick!

Prior to the event, Kent Imhoff contacted many vendors seeking door prizes or donations and maintained the list of assignments. Kent obtained a very nice donation from the Balsa USA company, a NorthStar kit valued at a street price of $110. Plus Kent obtained the clothes pins and markers necessary to make the radio impound work properly.

Also prior to the event, Mark Brothers took the time to make up a flyer for the event that he helped distribute to various hobby shops and news organizations throughout the state and he wasn't even able to attend the event. Click here to see the flyer for 2005.

City Liaison, Chris Byrd, coordinated the efforts with J.J. Gates and the rest of the very helpful staff of Jeff City Parks & Recreations. They gave us permission to use the public land for our event, provided bleachers for the spectators, trash cans, sign posts and they even cut the grass to make the site look nice. Chris also helped in contacting Phil Pitts and Conservation Agent, Pat Masek, of the Missouri Department of Conservation for their permission to use the lake for our event. We appreciate Conservation's willingness to work with us and trust us with this property.

Dr. Jim Crago got his hands as dirty as anyone and really came through for us with the use of his trailer, his gardening tools and EZ-up canopies and I believe his efforts were rewarded as he was able to fly and land his Neptune seaplane solo for the first time and perhaps an even more satisfying moment came when he put his R/C Tugboat in the water for the first time - why is that significant? Jim has been working on this Tugboat kit, on and off, for over 20 years! It really looks awesome in the water too! Thanks Jim!

Stacy Gillmore brought out a carpet remnant that Roger Geller was able to obtain at a ridiculously low price and the carpet was placed on the launching ramp to make it safer with better grip for our feet. He also brought out his frequency pin board so that he and Gordon DeBroeck could maintain the most important safety aspect of the event - the radio impound. I'm so glad to report that there were no incidents with radios during our event. Great job guys! Stacy also brought out the raffle ticket for our drawings and a couple extra marine batteries to keep the recovery boat running all day, plus a truck load of airplanes and other gear. 

Chris Wilson helped by bringing out a very nice Public Address system and kept us all hydrated with an enormous cooler full of ice-cold bottled water, plus three big water coolers full of more ice-cold water (Doesn't that sound good right now?). Plus he posted the event notification signs prior to the event so that the other patrons of Binder Lake would know that we were going to be there.

However, without a doubt, the biggest help provided by Stacy Gillmore & Chris Wilson was getting their wives to come out and help with the Registration area. Lori Gillmore and Lesa Wilson were there early to help take in the money and write down the names of all the participants and made sure that all pilots had proper A.M.A. documentation. Both of them did a wonderful job and certainly made it more pleasant for all of us to be out there as they not only helped the pilots, but the public spectators as well. Thank-you ladies!

Paul Pennington, Jim Crago, Gordon DeBroeck, John Dussold, Rick Poire, Chris Wilson, Mike Anderson, Randy Morris and I all showed up on the Friday before the event to get as much work done as we could prior to the event. I am grateful for their willingness to come out and help despite a repressive heat. We're not talking a normal heat wave for July - this was extraordinary heat with temperatures reported to be between 105 to 110 degrees - the type that just drains you and makes you sick after being out for just a short while. We thought the heat was bad during the MMRCA Summer Sizzler Fly-in, but this was 10 to 15 degrees hotter, yet our guys were out there helping to set up. Roger Geller brought out his temperature gun which is normally used to take the temperature of an operating R/C engine, but he just happened to take a temperature reading on the plastic seat of the recovery boat - it was 165 degrees!! Some of them did get a chance to either fly their float planes or run their R/C boats on the water and we have some photos of those activities below as well so perhaps that made it a little more appealing for them to be out in the ridiculous heat.

The heat had us all worried. We figured it would affect the attendance and we knew it would not be very pleasant to be outside in this heat, but there was really nothing that could be done - months of planning and preparing - announcements made and published - the show must go on...

Brian Nutt provided us with the directional signs that had previously been used for the R/C Show-Me Extravaganza and they were very helpful in getting people to the right location. I started out very early in the morning thinking that setting up the signs would be a quick 15 to 20 minute job, but the ground was so dry and so hard that it took almost an hour to get all of them in place 

The first guys out there early Saturday morning were Roger Geller and his son, Shannon, who both stayed all day and worked like slaves in a sweat shop! Non-stop and tirelessly. Both of them, as well as Tom Gillmore, made many trips out in the boat to recover stranded planes, they helped in the impound, they set up tents, they helped spot for other pilots and they didn't even bring out a plane of their own to fly! Thanks guys!

Chris Bogg, recently back from service in the U.S. Navy and re-joined JCRC member also came out and tirelessly worked and looked for work to do. Being a former Navy-man it seemed a natural thing for him to be in the boat and he was out there, back and forth, all day. Again, another member who helped without even flying. Thanks Chris and it's great to have you back!

Several people brought out drinks to keep everyone hydrated and as cool as possible and I'm very grateful for that. I wanted to make sure that no one overheated or got dehydrated and you all came through in a big way. Chris Byrd, despite an injury to his hand, really helped keep lot of us cool by bringing out his electric generator with extension cords which powered fans up and down the entire flightline and registration / impound area. He brought an extra tent too. We actually owe Chris an even greater vote of gratitude for allowing us to post this website on his web server. Even though we take up more space than should be allowed, he has quietly lets us display our news, pictures and other goodies. Thanks Chris! 

Prior arrangements had been made through Sid's Sub Shop to have a food vendor on site during lunch hours. Dan Jacquin of Collegian Dogs brought out a really neat hot dog stand to offer up very reasonably priced food for us to eat. Normally Dan's son, Eric, runs the stand, but he just had surgery the day before so Dan filled in. We are so grateful that he was out there and enduring the heat with the rest of us. In addition to the expected hot dogs he offered up Brats, beef hot dogs and some very good BBQ sandwiches. We certainly hope that they'll join us again for next year's event. Dan called to let us know that despite the heat he had a good time visiting with us and apparently sales were good. We certainly hope that Eric will be able to join us next year as Eric is also a student at Warrensburg studying to be a commercial pilot, flying full-scale airplanes.

Throughout the day, Gordon McEntire, Tom Copeland, Paul Pennington, Gordon DeBroeck, Chris Byrd, Kent Imhoff, Chris Bogg, Stacy Gillmore, Tom Gillmore, Roger Geller, Chris Wilson, Jim Crago, John Dussold, Rick Poire all helped at one time or another to be safety officers, run the radio impound, go out in the recovery boat, or any number of other duties that were asked of them without complaining.

I hope and pray that I haven't forgotten to mention someone else who deserves my gratitude for their help at this event, if so please accept my apology and you can slap me upside the head later. Thanks to everyone who helped or participated. Here is a list of the people who signed up as pilots in the event, we certainly hope to see each of them at the 8th Annual JCRC Float Fly to be held sometime in 2006 and hope that they'll bring at least one more friend next time. We'll try to pick a Saturday when the water is at a temperature somewhat lower than boiling. :-)

Now on to the photographs. The sunlight during the event was causing many of the photos to be back-lit which doesn't always make for the most colorful pictures, but sometimes the additional contrast between light and dark can make for some interesting photos. These photos are available for your viewing and you may download them for personal use only. Absolutely no use on other websites or for commercial purposes without my written permission. I love taking photos of these events and it's my pleasure to share my photos for others to enjoy and I hope these bring back fond memories of a memorable event. As you'll see, Stacy Gillmore and Stephen Brooks of the News Tribune also provided some of the photos featured on these pages. Stacy was able to get some really nice aerial photos with a modified digital camera mounted to the fuselage of his electric-powered GWS Slow Stick.

Thanks again!

Shaun Zimmerman, 2005 JCRC Float Fly Contest Director, A.M.A. Sanction 05-1259

Float Fly Report (above) - Float Fly page 1 - Float Fly page 2 - Float Fly page 3 - Float Fly page 4 - News page