EAA Winter Flight Fest 2025 Contest – by Jeff Annis

Attendance this year was up with 14 contestants, flying 117 official flights in 12 different events, coming from the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio. The contest ran for 3 days starting on Friday Feb. 9 at 2 PM and ended about Noon on Sunday Feb. 11. After the museum closed we were able to fly until 10 PM on both Friday and Saturday. On Saturday the museum was open to the families from 8 AM until 4 PM with numerous aviation related activities and displays for kids to participate in.  Our group, explained about free flight models on display, demonstrated indoor free flight models, and participated in indoor air shows by flying a Big Smash P18 Mass launch.  The B17 had been moved out of the Eagle Hangar to another nearby hangar to service the tail section, which allowed us to have this event again.

A new one-design event added this year was the Bostonian Beancraft Banana, featuring a V-tail, and was most popular with 7 entries. Bostonian Beancraft models flew well with a best duration time of 87 seconds by HG Frautschy. HG won both the Beancraft duration and mass launch events. Other winners of events were Jack Tisinai in Peanut scale, Jeff Annis in Dime scale, Alden Frautschy in No Cal scale, Jocelyn Buxton in P18, and Kurt Krempetz in Cat. Glider.

Many thanks to HG Frautschy for organizing this event with the EAA , assistant CD Mike Kirda and John Lorbiecki for making the outstanding laser engraved awards incorporating the classic Bong Eagles logo. All had a great time flying in this unique Eagle Hangar venue surrounded by historical vintage WWII aircraft.