CD Norm Poti and the new US F5J team: John Butler, Tom Kiesling, and Steven Wilcox Jr.
By Mike Bergerson
It's a beautiful morning at Site 5 of the AMA International Aeromodeling Center! It's warm, a big change from the cold, damp mornings of the past two days. The wing tape actually sticks! This makes for nice, buoyant morning air.
The forecast called for overcast skies and a threatening storm around 1 p.m. Group 1 of round 13 starts with a typical high launch and lots of surfing to get a max time and landing. By group 3, the light lift is rearing its ugly head, making it tough to get times. By round 14, the winds begin to pick up, with some pilots changing out to heavier ships while others added ballast.
The wind was a factor for round 15 as well, when the lighter ships definitely needed ballast. It became a necessity if you wanted any capability to go search the field and penetrate upwind. Quite a few of the pilots opted to go high and surf the field, I among them. I ballasted my airplane up to 49 ounces from 42 ounces and found it perfect to be able to slide and move upwind to stay in the spotty lift. We flew while fully expecting the storm to end the contest, but it dissipated and passed west of the field.
By the last few groups in round 15, the wind began to ease off a little bit. By the time we flew group 1 of round 16, several pilots in that first group removed their ballast. As the clock counted down to launch, the wind became stronger and left those lighter airplanes without the ability to range to find lift, some landing early and compromising their scores as a result.
![:] Tim Johnson, of CA, finished eighth at the US F5J Team Selects.](/files/f5jclosing3_resized.png)
Round 16 concluded with three new US F5J team members named, in addition to an alternate. Tom Kiesling was named the National Champion, while Steven Wilcox Jr. was second and John Butler was third. Brady Baggs was named the alternate. The roster changed dramatically as those in contention took low-level risks to improve their scores. Some pulled it off while others, greatly disappointed, did not.
Here are a few of my observations that I feel are notable, as I, too, was competing and didn't always notice everything. Young Junior Oscar Cytrynowicz put up two brilliant rounds in tough conditions to finish in 11th place! Each flight garnered a huge round of applause and shoutouts of praise. Steven Wilcox Jr. had a nailbiter of a round coming back from what seemed to be an international flight, and he made it look easy! Tom Kiesling and John Butler flew in the same group with each other, cementing their spots on the US F5J team with winning flights. Contest Director (CD) Norm Poti conducted the awards ceremony with scorekeeper Melissa Dumas naming off the top ten pilots in descending order.
The National F5J Team Selects are in the books with a new F5J team to represent the US at the Worlds to be held in Argentina at the end of February 2025. Go get ‘em, Team USA!
A big thank-you to AMA, CD Norm, the League of Silent Flight, Jim McCarthy, Ed Dumas, and the whole crew who ran a tight, well-run competition!
Blue Skies!
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