The final pilot roster for the 2011 event saw 22 pilots enter the contest. Jody Miller made some extra-ordinary trophies for the event including real Gator heads on the 1st place trophies in Expert and Sportsman classes. We also had a limited supply of commemorative Embroidered Polo Shirts with the new GatorF3B Logo (on the left.)
We were proud to host a very talented group of pilots from Germany, CA and the New England area as well as some from IL and OH. The entire USA F3B Team was in attendance along with the US Team manager Tom Keisling. It was a huge commitment for some of these guys to travel so far was very exciting for US F3B pilots to get the opportunity to compete against some of the best from across the Atlantic.
The finishing order for the 2011 contest was as follows:
1st – David Klien – CA – US F3B Team – Expert
2nd – Thorsten Holtmeyer – Team Germany – Expert
3rd – Kyle Paulson – CA – US F3B Team – Expert
4th – Mike Lachowski – US F3B Team – Expert
5th – Tom Keisling – CA – US F3B Team – Expert
6th – Sven Hollenbeck – Team Germany – Expert
7th – Reto Fiolka – VA – The O Team – Expert
8th – Helmut Edenhofer – Team Germany – Expert
9th – Glauco Lago – MO – The N Team – Expert
10th – Rich Burnoski – IL – The O Team – Expert
11th – Dennis Phelan – CT – The N Team – Expert
12th – H.J. (Heinz Jürgen) Holtmeyer – Team Germany – Expert
13th – Don Barker – MD – The N Team – Expert
1st – Jody Miller – The A Team – Local FL – Sportsman
2nd – Gordon Buckland – The A Team – Local FL – Sportsman
3rd – Kris Van Nostran – The I Team – Local FL – Sportsman
4th – Rick Eckel – The I Team – Local FL – Sportsman
5th – Jim MacLean – The I Team – Local FL – Sportsman
Thanks to all who participated in this amazing event. It started with my quest to do F3B again after a couple of decades absence and ended with the most amazing contest weekend anyone could hope for. It was simply a dream come true and so magnificently supported by so many! I need to add a little about a special group of individuals who actually made this happen.
Thank you Jody Miller….. You are an amazing man. Your unfaltering support, encouragement and daily inspiration kept me going along with enthusiasm even when it looked hopeless. Your behind the scenes imagination and creation of some simply amazing trophies was icing on the cake. Taking on jobs like making the sighting devices and surveying the course took a load off my shoulders. Then believing enough in our vision to actually purchase a competitive plane to fly gave me belief we could get it done. Thanks mate.
Rick Eckel our CD stepped up to the plate and provided just the right amount of support and help we needed by creating fantastic score cards, learning a scoring program and creating a pilot matrix – all for a contest type he had never even seen before. Rick also provided the direction and tools to layout our course after studying the F3B info on line and think we got it right on the weekend with a great course. We could not have done it without you Rick. You too are an amazing man.
Kris Van Nostran – (my partner in crime) was the “go between” to help get the contest OK’d with his local club the IRKS. But he was much more than that with daily conversations over many months about everything from 12V batteries (which he borrowed from a local supplier for free) to encouraging others in his club to come out and be that team of helpers we desperately needed to make such a F3B contest possible. You did an incredible job Kris and you have an incredible club of individuals who kindly provided their support and helped to make this such a success. Thank you mate. You Kris are also one amazing man.
There were many others amazing people also and Steve Formanek and Sherry MacLean on scoring and Jim MacLean helping plan and prepare are people that worked behind the scenes to get this done. Thanks guys.
Jerry O’Keefe – you are the type of person every club needs lots of and your unselfish commitment to man the gate for hours every day will never be forgotten. Thank you. Also a great big thank you to the wonderful job Dale Kai did of providing a running commentary during the contest, videoing and photos and then printing fantastic photo mementos for all the pilots. Thanks mate. Also Gerry Armstrong the IRKS president stood behind this effort and rallied the troops. Thanks Jerry. Sorry if I missed anybody.
Gordon Buckland
Click here for 2011 Gator F3B Score Sheet