Control Line is the code that really got started in Portland, Oregon in 1940 when Jim Walker invented and patented the ' U ' control system that C / L flyers use today. Some consider the heyday of C / L to be the 1950s. From about the mid 1960s reliable proportional R / C was becoming available and nowadays the vast majority of ' Sport ' fliers choose R / C. The stronghold of C / L is now Europe, with most international competitions held there.
In N. Z., North Island clubs, such as New Plymouth and Hamilton, regularly stage C / L competition meetings. Since the demise of the South Island Champs and the Otago / Southland Champs, meetings in the S. I. that include C / L are sporadic at best. I recently flew C / L at the Mandaville meeting and loved the atmosphere and just being able to fly at such a gathering. Peter Salmond, the organiser, allocated an area for C / L. In Dunedin there is a circle at the D. M. A. C. site. Jeff Smart, the President of the D. M. A. C. asked me late last year if I ' d like to run a C / L meeting at the club. This came as a welcome surprise.
So on a hot February morning our first competitor, Don Burt, flew a ' Sportsman ' pattern minus the Vertical and Overhead 8s. Dons ' Pizzaz ' runs an L. A. 46 and weighs 60 ounces. The manoeuvres were big, but he got through them O. K. Kevin Thompson followed with a Bob Palmer ' Thunderbird ', an elegant elliptical plan-form aircraft from the early 1950s. Kevins loops were close to perfect, his inverted erratic at 45 degrees. Mike Watt from Timaru, with a P. A. W. powered stunt trainer, got into the air well and scored the highest Straight & Level run of the day, with a rock steady groove at 1.5 metres. The two stunt rounds were followed by speed runs with the same models. Don was fastest at 59 m. p. h. with Kevin ' s ' Thunderbird ' 1 m. p. h. slower. Overall winner was Don Burt who won the club C / L trophy. This is officially the Speed cup, last competed for in 1951. The first winner, in 1949, was Jack Coker. Jack still flies with the Dunedin club. The afternoon was dedicated to sport flying. Kevin Thompson cranked up 2 E. D. Racers in his 43 year old Heinkel. Two R / C flyers came over to watch as soon as the second ' Racer ' cracked into life. There is something intriguing about the sound of twins and Kevin ' s flight was as good as the sound. Les Pilgrim, from Timaru, attempted to get a Classic ' B ' Team Racer into the air but a blown plug and snagged lines had the final say. There were some more aerobatics and a solo 10 km run with a Slow Goodyear. We finished at 5 p. m. Although our gathering and events were modest, everyone, flyers and spectators, had a great time. Thanks to our grounds ' Staff ' Don Nisbet and Colin Chalmers for all the circle work they have done in the last decade.