Bluewavestudios

Ever dreamt what it would be like to actually climb into one of your models and drive or fly it away...?? I am sure we have all done it at some stage.
Here is a story of someone who has done just that:

This concerns a local Club member called Dave Williams who sadly died earlier this year aged 72. Dave was a well known face on the local model flying scene here in Llandudno. He used to fly all sorts of aircraft ranging from Very Expensive powered Byron Kits to Gliders.

More recently I have known Dave to be mainly Flying a variety of gliders off the local slope on the Great Orme. The latest one being a very expensive Fibreglass Scale German sailplane built by Dave in 2004, sadly the model name escapes me...I have seen him fly this one and have even helped him rig it up ready for flight (It is quite a large model)

Dave was very knowledgeable and quite an expert when it came to models, he didn't put up much with casual questions but if he knew you were genuinely interested or a fellow modeller then he would be more than happy to talk and help....I have known Dave to teach novices and new flyers using his own models to do so.

Anyway, after Dave's death, The family invited his fellow Flyers to a ceremony at which they could pay their respects. One of them, (Jonathan Harty) came up with an idea to give him a special send off. That idea was to scatter Dave's ashes using a model aircraft.

The Aircraft chosen was that large Expensive German Sailplane mentioned above, yes, Dave's own model. Modifications were made to it to incorporate a release hatch by fellow flyer Neil Evans.
The idea was to take the plane up to the slope where Dave spent many happy hours flying his models and scatter the ashes there from his own model.

As you can appreciate this was not going to be an easy task given the extra weight on board the plane and only one chance to get it right.
This took place last Sunday (23rd October) the plane was taken up to the slope, the ceremony was attended by Dave's Family and fellow flyers.
A short eulogy was read first and then the plane launched airbourne up over the slope. She flew perfectly and Dave's ashes were released over the place where he loved to be.

Quite a fitting Tribute to a Fine fellow Modeller and Flyer and I am sure Dave would have been proud.....Even I'll bet he never thought he would be taking his Final Flight in his own Model....!!!

At least when we fly off the slope now, we know Dave will always be there.

Dave Williams R.I.P.

Regards.......Mark

Nigel.D

wow what a send off im touched very deply

adzam

a very fitting tribute mark,original and sounds like it was executed with aplomb.will make your flying site somewhere special.


regards

Chris

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wonwinglo

Mark,how wonderful to have been part of this unique send off,I have never heard of it been done via a model before but why not ? a friend did a similar thing at Old Warden but from a full sized Miles Magister,the idea was to run low across the strip and release the casket,said pilot was flying from the back and ashes were released from the front,it does not take too much imagination to visualise the effects of an hot sticky day and ashes flying backwards from a strong slipstream,of course it should have been done from the rear cockpit ! even the best plans can go terribly wrong.
Aircraft flypasts at funerals are also becoming commonplace these days,we have had a Dakota do a slow peaceful run across the church grounds only last year to a well known local modellers funeral.
Whichever way it is a fitting tribute to a lifelong love of flying.Thats a great story Mark,thank you.

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'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Bluewavestudios

Thanks Barry,
Like I said, I am sure Dave would have been proud of this himself,
I got to know Dave many years ago when he was Flying one of his Byron Models down on the beach and I recognised the kit, as soon as I said it was a Byron Kit he knew I was a modeller and we had been friends ever since.

Regards.....Mark

wonwinglo

***Byron originals are a legend in themselves,sadly the company decided to abandon kit production a few years back and concentrate purely on the manufacture of model fuels.
The impressive scale model shows organised with great attention to detail in the States are now a thing of the past,where else could you have seen a staged model show of the Pearl Harbour attack with large scale Zero fighters flying through all of the amazing pyrotechnics ?
They did such monsters as a PBY Catalina,Douglas C-47,B-25 Mitchell and their famous P-51 Mustang kit.
For those not familiar with these models the Byron principle was that any average modeller could successfully build one of these ambitious model designs as they took most of the heavy donkey work away,fuselages and wings were sometimes pre-moulded in blue foam with a clever series of structional members in place without adding too much weight,all cowls,undercarriages,canopies could be purchased as replacements,the one outstanding feature was a first class power to weight ratio.I would imagine now that these kits unbuilt would be worth a few bob as they have been out of production for some time.
Look in any old American flying model magazines and you will see their ads,I wonder why they decided to give up their unique kit production ?

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

wonwinglo

Further to what was said about Byron,they seem to have a few models on their books still,however an on-line trade directory states 'Model fuel manufacturer' which is what was announced a few years ago.The WW2 stuff seems to have vanished.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Kiwi

The Byron kits have now passed to Iron Bay Model Works.
http://www.ironbaymodelcompany.com/index.html

Bluewavestudios

and there it is, Dave's Plane on flyby complete with Hatches open having scattered his ashes over his favourite slopes.
Local papers have just covered the story and this is it.
Regards....Mark.

Attached Images

Dave's Flight.jpg (59.0 KB, 10 views)