The long road to Tucson.

[Wayne]

Written by Mike Bargman.

The road to Tucson is a long but fun road to travel. At the beginning of the year, my whole goal was to gain enough points to be considered to fly in the 2007 Tucson Aerobatic Shootout. Even if I didn’t make the list, I would have made the trip anyways to see the show and cheer on my buddies. To me, making the list and being able to fly in the contest is a huge accomplishment and I congratulate everyone that’s ever made the list. I now know what it takes to make the cut, and it was not easy. At the end of the year last year, I decided to take my Aeroworks 35% Extra 260 QB and set it up for nothing but precision flying and dedicate every single flight this year to either practice, or trimming the plane for precision. I started out by moving the CG forward and cutting all my throws down and putting mixes in the radio. I’ve never touched the mixes on the radio. I’ve always flown the airplane the way it flew out of the box. So, after mixing the throttle to elevator for down lines, and the rudder to elevator/ailerons, the airplane was flying very well, but as time went on practicing, I noticed that it just didn’t present as well as a 40% and got tossed around by the wind way too much for me to be completely competitive in any major competitions.



So began the competition season, and the search for a nice 40% airplane at the same time. Now, between paying for rent, groceries, insurance, keeping a couple of websites running, and buying fuel for my gas-guzzling truck that eats up $110/tank, things were looking pretty grim for hitting a lot of contests. So, I decided to rough it and only go with the bare minimums. I figured as long as the weather wasn’t too hot, camping wouldn’t be so bad. So at most contests, I either camped or slept in the front seat of my truck. At very few contests, did I stay in a hotel to keep costs down. After the first couple of contests, the goal of making Tucson was looking like it was going to be tough while chasing my buddy Seth Arnold at EVERY SINGLE CONTEST. Seth and I are constantly neck and neck at each contest and it’s really fun to compete against such a great pilot. He makes me wanna fly better and better myself. It makes things interesting and fun at each contest.



I flew a friend’s 40% airplane one day while practicing and I was convinced that I needed a 40%er. So, after talking with my buddy, Walt Beike, I decided to get a 40% Carden Extra 260 kit and the plan was to have Walt build the airplane for me to fly after the Nats and take to Tucson. As time went on, Walt found himself with his plate full of other projects and some personal business, so the Carden project was looking grim, so I decided to cancel that project and see if I could find someone with a 40% airplane RTF or close to being RTF. A couple of weeks before the Nats, I put my Aeroworks 260 up for sale to help fund the costs for the 40%. No luck…not one bite. I had that airplane up for sale for almost a month. In fact, the ads were still running when I left for the Nats.



I got to the Nats and had an absolute blast. I’ve never been to a better flying facility with a better group of people. The day before we left for the Nats, I met up with Wayne Geffon and Larry Arseneau for a heavy duty practice session before we left. Ryan Gonsoulin and Phil Oubre came all the way up from LA on the way to the Nats to spend a couple days and practice. Phil and Ryan are a blast to hang with and we all had fun. We would sit at the picnic table and take turns flying one at a time and the guys sitting at the table would critique the man flying. What a big help that was! We got to the Nats and started out well. The Saturday night banquet rolled around and I was right on the bubble going into Saturday’s rounds. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the cut for the finals or not. The cut was 7 pilots and if my name wasn’t called when they got to #8, I knew I was in. I was sitting with Wayne, Larry, Jason Noll, his wife Amanda, Frank Noll, Ken McGuire and Kurt Koelling. When they called the #8 pilot and I didn’t hear my name, I saw nothing but smiles at my table and I knew I had made it. I was so happy to be able to fly on Sunday in the finals, I wasn’t really worried about how I finished.



Sunday morning rolled around, and my turn came to fly the final unknown. The line boss clicked the button on the stopwatch to start my 2:00 min window to get in the air and wouldn’t you know…the engine wouldn’t start. NO! I must have flipped that prop 400 times in 1 min. My buddy Seth Arnold was holding the plane while I was flipping and I had 2 guys basically push me out of the way to help me flip and Jim Fowler came running up to the line with his 40% Dalton 260 with his transmitter “Fly mine! Fly mine!” and Jim was competing against me! I really can’t say enough about that kind of kindness…



Time was up…big ole’ 0 for the unknown guaranteed me last place in the finals…bummer right? I was bummed at first, but I was happy to have been granted the opportunity to fly that day. That was the last time I flew my 35% Extra 260.



2 days after I got home from the Nats, I got a phone call from Wayne Geffon. He knew I was looking for a 40% airplane. He had just gotten off the phone with Jon Leyland and the only thing Wayne said was that I needed to call Jon because he had an airplane for sale. I was to hang up the phone with Wayne and dial Jon’s number and call him ASAP. So, I hung up with Wayne and dialed Jon. He told me about the 40% Dalton 260 airframe he had sitting bare with nothing in it and it was mine to buy if I wanted to come and get it. I agreed to buy it, and THEN asked Jon where he lived. At that point, I didn’t really care where he was, I needed an airplane. He lives in Philadelphia and I live in Chicago…I told Jon to tell me when and where, and I’d come get the airplane. So, we decided that Pittsburgh sounded like a winner, so I left Chicago that Sunday morning and got to Pittsburgh at about 9pm that night. Grabbed a cheap hotel and Jon and his wife Kat met me at the hotel the next morning with the airplane.



So, I have the airplane…now what? I don’t have a 150cc to put in it, nor the money to buy one, don’t have the servos, batteries, receiver…WAIT! YES I DO! They’re in the 35% Extra that I haven’t sold yet! Yes, the Dalton would need more servos, different regulators and batteries, but that wouldn’t be hard to get. I decided to part out the AW260, so I sold the engine, mufflers, prop and spinner to help fund the 150cc and sold some other miscellaneous stuff to help out. As of last week, I acquired a DA-150 from Larry Arseneau, bought the rest of my servos from Horizon, bought the extensions, arms, fuel tank, and other parts from my local hobby shop. Time to start stuffing. Easy right? Not really…



I don’t have a place to work on an airplane this big, so I had to either work on it at work in our hangar at the airport, or take my buddy Dan Wilson up on his offer to work on it in his shop. Dan’s awesome, he’s got all the tools I need, and loves putting things together, so for the past week, we’ve been spending nights after work and weekend nights stuffing the 260. Slowly but surely, the airplane got ready to fly. I really got motivated to get this airplane airborne when the TAS list came out last week. I still don’t know if it’s hit me that my name was really on that list.



I’m going to meet up with Wayne, Larry, Lew Sheffield, and TBob….that’s right, I said TBob at Larry’s field on Saturday and do the maiden flight. This will be the first flight of many practice flights on my road to Tucson with my new Dalton 260. The more comfortable I get with this airplane, the better chance I have at doing well in Tucson. Even though we’re on the backside of the season, and the points race is over, the road is still going uphill. We’re gonna have a blast when we get there and I’m sure there’s nothing like it, but until then…practice practice practice!! It’s been a long, hard road, but fun nonetheless. I can’t wait to put a sweet end to this season with a bunch of great friends at a great field at the greatest contest in the nation. I’ve never been west of the Mississippi River (Sad, I know) so this will be a trip to truly remember for more reasons than I can count. I’ve got so many people to show my appreciation for all the help they’ve given me this season and helping me to keep going. I just want to say thank you to my best friend Heather. She’s been behind me this whole season. I missed a lot of weekends of fun get togethers to go to all these contests all year, but she supported me throughout the summer and even brought me something home from her trip to Tucson this summer and it reminded me of my goal. She supports me in everything I do and have ever done, for that I thank you, Heather.



Wayne, thank you for pushing me all year and helping me with setups and advice and keeping my eye on the goal. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know, my friend.



Dan Wilson, thank you and Emily for all the hospitality and giving me a place to work on my stuff. I hope you enjoy my AW260 as much as I did. It’s the very thing that got me into Tucson, so I hope you enjoy it.



All you guys that are still looking for a reason to pursue a big goal like this, the reward of all the hard work and sacrifice isn’t to win a trophy, it’s to better yourself as a pilot, make tons of new friends and see new places and have FUN! If you’re not having fun, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.

[NCFRgal]

Mikey,

You missed your calling dude, you should have been a writer!!! We are going to have a blast in Tucson this year--you are right, this will honestly be a trip you (or any of us) are never going to forget!!!

Marian

[Dangerous Dan]

Mike,
That is really awsome!

I remember sitting in the scoring trailor and entering the scores after my fatal flight. It was time to enter intermediate unknown and yours had all zeros, My jaw dropped. I wasted no time calling the line boss to ensure you and your plane was ok, that is when I found out that your engine didn't start. I am sure you was upset, but you took it like a true sportsman. I am sure you will absolutly love the 260. They are great flying planes. You live in a area rich in IMAC with lots of top notch people near you. Best of luck in Tuscon, I will be pulling for you and Dan B in Intermediate.

[Cracky]

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!

Best of luck to ya in Tucson!

[Craven]

Great story Mikey!

Good luck in Tucson!

[rcplane]

I really enjoy it when a person is in this hobby for the right reason.
You are and you just described them all.


Good luck in Tucson Wayne.

Mike

[Boulder]

Mikey,

You've got writin' skills, bro!!!

Hopefully see you in Tucson!

[PTS]

Great Inspiring Story! If you run short of funds to get to Tucson or simply need a few parts, please let us know! I would be glad to contribute a few dollars to get you there. Me and some other buds will be spectating at the TAS and we will be pulling for you.

Best of Luck!

Perry

[Mike Bargman]

Thanks, guys. I guess I should have been a writer, cuz computers are not being very friendly to me this morning. Thanks for all the kind words, guys. TAS is going to be a TON of fun!

[DKnippen]

Mikey,
That was a great and inspiring write up. I was once told by a good friend "that success is the result of hard work". And that is what you have done. Will be seeing you before then but anyway, good luck and have a great time in Tucson. Don't forget to breath.

[sTACYLLOYD]

hay mike nice wright up you have got skills on the key board and the transmitter.
p.s. you'll be hard pressed to find two better gentleman like Larry and Wayne!

[rcplanefan]

Really good stuff, Mike. You are going to do very well out there this year. I am looking forward to seeing you fly that new plane!

Ken