A gallery describing famous control line aeromodellers and their contributions to the sport during its years of popularity in Australia.

Australian aircraft modellers and former aeromodellers are invited to contribute to this page.  If you have photos of, or can remember any of the people who helped to make control line modelling what it was, please share your stories with modern day readers by contacting the author, David Kidd.

Quick links:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Jack Finneran:
Highly respected speed flyer for many years early in the history of control line in Australia.

Brian Eather:
Stunt pilot and winner of teamracing events at Australian Nationals dating back to the early 1960's, by the turn of the century Brian was an aerobatics flier well known for his carbon fibre props, pipes, and original model designs.

John Tidey:
Moved to Newcastle from Melbourne in 1963, and eventually won aerobatics at Australian Nationals.  John became a member of Australia's first Aerobatics team to attend the World Champs in 1976.

Phillip McGee:
Competitor to be reckoned with in speed contests who went to the USA to make his fame and fortune.

Reg Towell:
A top aerobatics flier for something like forty years, Reg is a dual Nats winner well known for his big Caudron designs.  He has won aerobatics at a Trans Tasman challenge, attended the 2000 world champs in France where he was the highest placed Australian, and won several major Classic stunt events as well.  More...

Peter Tilley:

Alan Shing:
Teamracing enthusiast who, with Peter Tilley, formed the best F2C team in Australia for several years during the 1960's.  Alan died in August 2007 but will be long remembered by his friends.

Hutton Oddy:
One of few Australians to really make an impression in the international class of FAI team racing. With Julius Reichart, he dominated this event in Australia for many years.

Mike Bellamy:
Successful Sydney FAI Combat enthusiast of the early 1980s who shares his memories of those times in his combat page.

Mark Batty:
Forced his way to the fore in aerobatics competition around the start of the twenty-first century with outstanding piloting skills that enable him to use simple planes to outdo the more refined ones of his rivals.

John Quigley:
Proud member of the Tempe Park Sky Hawks Model Flying Club of Sydney during the late 1950s and early '60s, before becoming contaminated with wireless.

Robert Owen:
Combat flyer who has won multiple State and Australian championships.  A World Champs representative who also flies team race.

Hugh Simons:
Talented young flyer who was catapulted to fame by winning the junior division for F2A speed at the World Championships of 2002.

Dave Simons:
Originally from Britain where he flew mainly free flight, Dave now flies at KMFC in Sydney, pits for his son Hugh, and helps with his campaign to be the fastest in the world.

Tony Bonello:
Highly skilled modeller who builds superb stunt ships and team racers.  Known for his smooth flying in both disciplines, Tony was winner of Advanced Aerobatics at the Albury Nats of 2002/3.

Geoff Potter:
Geoff Potter has specialised in team racing for many years, flying in most events and winning many championships.  He has represented Australia in F2C at the World titles.  A colourful personality, Geoff and his family travel regularly to interstate meets.

Paul Turner:
Australian Nationals champion in aerobatics nine times starting in 1962, and still flying at the turn of the century. Known in the earlier days for his Windwagon design.

Norm Bainbridge:
Pitman for a racing team consisting of himself and son Duncan from late 1970's to early 90's, and one of the longest serving Secretaries of Ryde Epping Model Aero Club, being made a life member in the early 1990's.  Norm retired to Tasmania, and was a member of Launceston Model Aero Club until he died in February 2002.

Duncan Bainbridge:
Started flying mini Goodyear with his dad at REMAC in Sydney, and later graduated to other racing events.  Now based in Britain where he flies F2C whenever he can, Duncan competed in this event at the Albury Nats of 2001/2.

Andy Kerr:
Combat champion and metal machinist who made engine tuning his specialty.  Andy is noted for his special Oliver Tigers, and set an Australian record for Vintage A teamrace.

Laurie Folbig:
From Newcastle, Laurie may never have won anything of note, but he taught a lot of kids to fly CL in the 60's.  Laurie did, and probably still does, give of his time at no cost.  He appeared each week at District park with fuel mixes from Leo's shop for those of us who forgot to get some and other bits and pieces. A true gentleman.  Nominated with gratitude by Bill Olive.

Stuart Sherlock:
Also known as Joe Supercool, Stuart ran the Ryde Model Aero Club in the early 1960's, and won Open Combat at the Melbourne Nats of 1964/65.  Also a talented free flight expert, he now spends his time designing and building superb props, and has his own website.  Nominated by Greg Ardill.

Ivor F:
One of the most influential figures on the Australian aeromodelling scene, in free flight and control line.  Founded the Doonside Club in NSW, which has one of the best collections of aero modelling magazines and FF/CL motors in the world.  A rather controversial figure, Ivor changed his surname from Stowe to F by deed poll to make a point, but he served education and the local community exceptionally well.  Nominated with gratitude by Justin O'Grady.

Brian Gardner:
Nationals aerobatics champion as a junior in 1985/86, Bri is one of Australia's leading modern day aerobatics exponents.  See his planes here.

Dallas Hanna:
Better known as Herb in aeromodelling circles, was Nationals aerobatics champion in 1969 and retains a keen interest in classic stunt.  Along with Doug Harlow and John Tidey, formed Australia's first team to attend the World Champs aerobatics in 1976, and attended again in 2000.

Bill Logan:
Combat flier of renown and campaigner of some very fast SuperTigre .29 powered Class 2 teamracers around the mid nineteen sixties.

Richard Justic:
Recognised as one of the best pilots in Australia, Richard has won many C/L racing and speed events, including FAI Speed at the 2002/3 Nationals. He was also earlier named Control Line Champion at the Toowoomba Nats of 1998/9.

Andrew Heath:
Once very active in combat and now a regular finalist at most Bendix events in Australia, Andrew's pit stops and engine development abilities are widely recognised.

Charlie Stone:
W.A. State Champion several times over, this versatile modeller's story is so typical of boys who grew up during the golden age of control line that it is worth telling in full.  See Charlie's page for a description of his aeromodelling adventures in Western Australia, and his trip east to attend the 1963 Nationals.

Hans Bertina:
Builder of some beautifully finished teamracers, Hans had a winning time as a teamrace pilot during a year he spent in Victoria.  An enormous picture of him with his Startiger appeared on the front page of the Warrnambool newspaper after he won four teamrace events there in one weekend of 1965.  Also successful in Stunt, Combat, Speed and Free Flight power, Hans once built his own FAI speed engines.

Jim Stivey:
Started modelling at around 12 years of age, enjoying all of the aeromodelling disciplines.  Jim's primary interest is C/L combat and he has flown in every State FAI combat championships since the original trial in 1969.  Was the highest placed Australian combat competitor at the 1978 World Championships.  A co-founder of the active Thornlie and Regions Model Aircraft Club, Jim has also served as a president and contest secretary for the WA association.  Don't miss his Tarmac website!

Bob Fry:
An all round aeromodeller with top flying skills, Bob loves to fly fast and specialises in control line Jet Speed.  He also flys numerous other events including Bendix racing in which he is a record holder and dual Nats winner.

Tony Ostle:
Combat flier responsible for the initial promotion of FAI Combat in WA.  Tony was extremely active before his untimely death in a traffic accident, and is now remembered through the State Combat trophy which has been named as a memorial to him.

Graham Byass:
Started flying C/L models in the mid 1950's, with his greatest successes coming in A Class team racing, where he was virtually undefeated for several years.  Probably his most impressive model was a scale P38 Lightning powered by a pair of Fox 35's.  Graham's main interest today is in building a full size aircraft, a 2 seater Zenith Zodiac.

Rod Ashton:
Began building and flying models at ten years of age, opened West Coast Hobbies in Oxford Street Leederville in 1948, and in 1950 won the WA Stunt Championships for the third time in consecutive years.  Rod flew an `All American Senior' powered by a Fox .35 engine, and later fitted home made floats to a `Stunt Queen' and flew aerobatics over water!  He had a break from modelling between 1953 and 1963 until his son Kim discovered some of his model plans and provided the excuse for a return to the fold.  At 67 Rod could still stunt like a man possessed.  Rod passed away in January 2001 aged 75 years.

Dick Gibbs:
Started control line modelling with a Mills 1.3 installed in a "Junior Cham-peen" then progressed to teamracing and scale.  Somehow he became addicted to scale modeling and still has an Albatross DVA control liner that has placed twice at National championships.  His favourite was the APS free flight Tiger Moth that won the State Free Flight Scale Champs five years in a row.  Dick has flown Radio models since the 60s and is currently dabbling with Vintage C/L stunt.

Noel Mitchell:
A top competitor in Western Australian teamracing during the late 1950s, and builder of models of immaculate perfection (even those for Combat that risked a short life).  Noel excelled in most facets of aeromodelling, helping many younger modellers and providing an excellent role model for them.

Len Armour:
Versatile modeller, full sized gliding instructor, mentor to many younger modellers, and one of few to become famous as operator of a pulse jet, which he demonstrated at the annual night flying display at Perth's Royal Show.  Len started modelling in 1942, aged 12, and enjoyed free flight gliders and radio controlled sailplanes as well as his favourites, control line stunt and speed.  His famous stunters called Lasher were developed through 8 variants between 1955 and 1968.  Len died in 1994 aged 64, after a long illness

Bernie Sparks:
Builder of lots of very pretty planes with lovely finishes.  His speciality was low pullouts from a wingover that would almost raise grass clippings every time.  Like many of the more influential modellers, he seemed to be permanently surrounded by youngsters that he was helping.

Alasdair Taylor:
Alasdair's safe catching and speedy re-starts in the segments has enabled the Fry/Taylor team to claim many wins and records at State and National Championships.

Richard Bellis:
Likes his events fast and furious.  Streamer chasing specialist Richard always does well in combat events and was winner of the Open class at the Albury Nats of 2002/3.

Geoff Barnes:
Began aeromodelling making solid scale models, then progressed to free flight, jetex, and active competition in control line combat and C class team racing.  Geoff took a break from modelling around 1970 but returned in grand style by appearing at the Causeway to enter the 1986 open combat state championships.  In later years he developed a preference for radio control, in which he indulged until his death in 2001.

Ray Sherburn:
A foundation member of The Perth Balsa Butchers club formed just after the finish of WWII, Ray remembers the usual method of filling model tanks in those days was to put a tube from the fuel bottle to the fuel tank, and then put your mouth over the top of the bottle and blow.  With a Frog 500 powered `Juggler' stunter he entered the W.A. State Stunt Championships in 1951and placed third, then using the same stunt model he won the first combat competition to be held in WA.  Ray has flown mainly radio controlled models in recent years.

Phil Trueman:
While still a junior modeller aged 16 years Phil won four important championships in one year.  Since then he has won state stunt about ten times and become skilled at all classes of aeromodelling.  He flies with the down line at the top of the handle, which is the opposite of normal practice.

Gary Ryan:
Remembered as the winner of the WA State Stunt championships while still a junior in 1958 & 59.

Jim Trevaskis:
Flier of stunt and speed, Jim has always been fascinated by miniature engines whether for boats, cars or aircraft.  One of his talents is that he has an eye for finish, both in the manufacturing of accessory equipment and in the painting of models, so the finishes on his models are outstanding.

Ron Chernich:
Past Qld state champ in F2B, F1A and other events, Ron also makes his own engines and runs a large web site dedicated to model engines in all their noisy, smelly glory called Model Engine News.

Van Richards-Smith:
Van "Outside Square Loop" Smith is renown at the Brisbane Thunderbirds for his inverted landings. He flys old-time, F2B, and all forms of free-flight.

Joe Parisi:
A frequent placegetter in aerobatics competition at Australian Nationals since 1988, Joe knows how to build impressive models and has twice won the event.

Arthur Gorrie:
A free-flight, stunt, combat and teamrace flier and designer during in the early days of control line in Queensland, Arthur was a character with a sense of humour who ran a well known hobby store in Brisbane for many years.

Ron Morrison:
Winner of class 2 and 3 teamraces at the 1953 Toowoomba Nats, Ron was a proud advocate of K&B engines.  Included in his many contest successes are several state championships, a Nats win in class 3 speed, plus a win in an indoor free flight event at the 1998 Toowoomba Nats.  Ron has served several terms as president of the Brisbane Thunderbirds club.

Ron de Chastel:
Another well known Brisbane hobby shop proprieter.

John Taylor:
A regular competitor at Nationals for many years, John placed in Jet Speed at Albury in 2002/3.  Also active in aeromodelling administration in Qld, he served as control line Co-ordinator for the Toowoomba Nats.

Peter Morandini:
A member of the Control Line Aeronautical Society Inc. at Ipswich, Peter's passion is for jet powered models.  An enormous pulse jet he once commissioned proved too powerful for a full sized pushbike, and was eventually installed in a go-kart.

Rob Edgerton:
Became interested in control line flying at the age of fourteen with the Panthers MAC.  Flies for sport rather than competition, and in 2002 serves as Secretary of Brisbane Thunderbirds club.

Max Newnham:
A character of considerable repute, Max's specialty has for long been the construction and flying of superb control line scale models of full sized man-carrying aircraft.  Caused a minor sensation at one Nats with his four engined Viscount replica.

Mark McDermott:
The flying milkman, president in 2002 of the Control Line Aeronautical Society Inc. based at Ipswich.  Mark does not have much time for building models these days and prefers to just operate them, having built up a collection of fine planes (mostly racers) produced by various builders.

Paul Dillon:
Another C. L. A. S. I. member, Paul is predominantly a combat flyer and a regular pilot for Mark McDermott's racers.  The pair are particularly proud of a world record heat time they established at the Queensland State Championships in 2002 for Vintage A class teamracing.

Mark Dillon:
Now concentrating mainly on combat flying together with his son Paul, Mark started control line flying with his own father, Jim, in January 1972.  Mark and Jim scored many contest successes as a father and son team throughout the seventies and eighties, flying mainly Ratrace and Goodyear.

Jim Dillon:
Remembered as a regular racing competitor throughout the seventies and eighties with his son Mark, Jim also liked combat and had at least one of every class of competition model.  He was proud to see his grandson Paul become a third generation Dillon family control line flyer.  Jim maintained a keen interest in control line models until his death in April of 2003 at the age of 80.