Arlene Mears’ Contributions To CL Combat

Smiling man in USA flag shirt and woman outdoors under cloudy sky.

Control Line Combat

By Mark Rudner | [email protected]

CHOP, CHOP! Yes, it’s true! That is what we aim to do in Control Line (CL) Combat: chop each other’s streamers off. If you have been out on the contest circuit in recent years, though, you probably have a different association with those words. "Chop, chop!" is the endearing refrain that Arlene Mears uses to get people moving and to keep our contests humming right along.

Man and woman in flag-themed shirts smiling on a grassy field. — Arlene and Bob Mears are shown at the FAI F2 World Championships for CL Model Aircraft in Muncie IN. Arlene put in a huge effort to make this a world-class event for all competitors to remember.

I’ve mentioned Arlene in past columns, but this month, I want to take some time to specifically recognize her contributions to CL Combat. Our sport would not be a sport if we didn’t have contests, and we couldn’t have contests if we didn’t have people willing to put in the hard, unglamorous work of organizing and running them. Arlene is not a flier herself, but she has dedicated much of her time and energy to supporting the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA) Special Interest Group and becoming the go-to event director for many of the biggest competitions in the country.

Last year, Arlene went above and beyond by taking on a huge responsibility of helping with the organization of the 2024 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) F2 World Championships for CL Model Aircraft, which was held at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana.

When word circulated in late 2023 that no other countries were prepared to put in bids for the World Championships, Bill Lee stepped up and put together a bid for AMA to host it (thanks, Bill!).

Organizing a world championship is a huge undertaking that usually builds up over more than a year, with a team of many people involved. With less than a year to prepare, Arlene quickly sprung into action to help out and play a key role in the organization of many aspects of the event (both Combatand non-Combat-specific).

Group of people holding American and F2D Danish Vikings flags outdoors. — Team USA took first place at the F2 World Championships last summer. Team Finland came in a close second, with Denmark rounding out the top three.

From the beginning, it was clear to all who spoke with her that her primary goal in this effort was to make sure that AMA and the US would show up as gracious and professional hosts for the competitors and supporters who would travel from all over the world to participate.

There were many who helped put together and run the CL World Championships, both behind the scenes and in front of them. I want to thank everyone who devoted their time and energy to this event, particularly James McKinney. Although he couldn’t be there in person because of his work schedule, James helped throw MACA’s support behind the event, even getting the safety fencing organized from hundreds of miles away.

Another person I’d like to recognize is Tammy Jo Johnson, who has devoted a lot of her time to providing high-quality judging at contests around the country. Additionally, last year, Tammy Jo collected and organized notes and words of thanks from members of the CL Combat community into a beautiful book of appreciation for Arlene.

This article, dedicated to Arlene, is my entry into the book. Thank you, Arlene, for all that you’ve done for the hobby and our community!

2024 CL Combat Events

Getting back to the action, a lot of streamer chopping took place in the second half of 2024. Over the long July Fourth weekend, the Kansas City, Missouri, and Minnesota crews put on a double-header of two consecutive, full F2D contests in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City. Although Kansas City has been a major stop on the F2D circuit for many years, this was the first time I was able to attend. The club has a beautiful site at a dedicated model airplane field, and the contests ran as smoothly as you’d expect, with Arlene and her team at the helm.

Without F2D March Madness in Phoenix or a Houston F2D contest in the spring, these were the first big contests of the year that many competitors traveled to from around the country. There were a lot of great matches, and a good time was had by all.

In addition to the fun on the field, the Minors hosted a great July Fourth barbecue at their house. When the dust settled, the winners of the Kansas City F2D were Cary Minor, first place; Mark Rudner, second place; Allen Deveuve, third place; and Jeff Johnson, fourth place. The winners of the Minnesota Combat Challenge were Nikolay Mungalov, first place; Bob Mears, second place; Allen Deveuve, third place; and Andy Minor, fourth place. It was a great weekend for Allen!

August saw the running of the US F2D World Cup in Muncie, immediately preceding the F2 World Championships. The World Cup was a good opportunity for pilots, mechanics, and judges to get tuned up and ready for the World Championships. The World Cup drew competitors from around the world, but in the end, it was all the USA at the top. Greg Machen placed first with a strong showing the entire contest; Andrey Nadein placed second; and Cary Minor placed third. Sergey Khachatryan, of Armenia, placed fourth.

Five men holding remote-controlled aircraft, smiling in a grassy park. — Winners of the 2024 F2D Money Nats in California (L-R): Fred Quezada, fifth place; Bob Mears, fourth place; Bill Maywald, third place; Nikolay Mungalov, second place; and Dave Fischer, first place.

Two men in helmets and colorful vests, one pointing, outdoors with trees in the background. — It’s all eyes on Dave Fischer’s airplane, as Jeff Johnson plays it cool in the Kansas City heat. Photo by Greg McCoy.

Two people with helmets, one wearing a "USA" shirt, gazing upward in a forest setting. — Allen Deveuve and Austin Minor do battle at the Kansas City F2D contest. Photo by Greg McCoy.

The US continued its dominating performance into the World Championships, with Austin Minor taking third place overall and first place in Junior, and Team USA took home the Team gold medal. Jussi Forss, of Finland, won the individual gold, and Natasha Dementieva won the silver. Aimee Olson brought home the Women’s bronze as well.

Finally, in October, Bill Maywald, with help from Arlene, Anna, Tammy Jo, Wanda, and the Southern California Combat team, put on another great F2D Money Nats at Whittier Narrows Park in South El Monte, California.

If you’re looking for a good time and some beautiful weather as the rest of the country turns cold, put this one on your calendar for fall 2025!