12 ModelAirplaneNews.com
Top Gun
Scale Invitational
31 YEARS OF SCALE EXCELLENCE
BY THE MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS CREW | PHOTOSBY DAVID HART & RICH URAVITCHTHE MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS CREW has been covering the
Top Gun Scale Invitational since the very first one, and now that
this amazing extravaganza has celebrated its 31st year, the
world-class event shows no sign of slowing down. Hosted at
Paradise Field in Lakeland, Florida, this location is one of the best
RC venues you’ll see anywhere. Well maintained, expertly staffed
with flight judges and experienced ground personnel, the flightline
and pit areas are well organized and are run safely and efficiently.
About the only thing that cannot be controlled this year was the
weather. During the event, severe storms blew through the area
causing two delays. Although the wind and rain curtailed the
number of rounds flown, Frank Tiano’s team adjusted the flight
scheduling and managed the situation so that everyone could
compete albeit with fewer rounds. There’s little wonder why Top
Gun is considered the best RC scale event in the world.
With 122 registered pilots on hand, the crowd enjoyed nonstop
flying. This year, there were nine classes of competition with the
most popular being Pro-Am Sport Prop, with 31 entrants. The Team
class had an impressive 17 teams competing, while the Expert
class enjoyed 15 entries. This was followed by the Pro-Am Jet and
Pro-Am Prop classes, with 14 entries each. The X class drew eight
entries, the Pro-Am Sport Jet class had seven, the Unlimited class
drew six, and the Masters class had five. These numbers just go to
show how popular the Top Gun event is.
From its beginnings in 1989 to this year’s hotly contested 31st
rendition, Top Gun has always set an amazing level of excellence,
and it remains the most popular scale competition in the world. If
you’ve ever wanted to try out and see how well you could do at Top
Gun, getting an invitation is fairly easy. You do have to have some
scale-competition experience, then get in contact with Frank Tiano
and tell him about yourself. Frank is always looking for new and
fresh competitors to join the Top Gun family. Find out more about
the event and download the rule book at franktiano.com. Mark
your calendars for next year, when Top Gun is scheduled for the
dates April 29–May 3, 2020.COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY