Top Gun Scale Invitational

31 Years Of Scale Excellence.

THE MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS CREW has been covering the Top Gun Scale Invitational since the very first one, and now that this amazing extravaganza has celebrated its 31st year, the world-class event shows no sign of slowing down. Hosted at Paradise Field in Lakeland, Florida, this location is one of the best RC venues you’ll see anywhere. Well maintained, expertly staffed with flight judges and experienced ground personnel, the flight line and pit areas are well organized and are run safely and efficiently. About the only thing that cannot be controlled this year was the weather. During the event, severe storms blew through the area causing two delays. Although the wind and rain curtailed the number of rounds flown, Frank Tiano’s team adjusted the flight scheduling and managed the situation so that everyone could compete albeit with fewer rounds. There’s little wonder why Top Gun is considered the best RC scale event in the world.

With 122 registered pilots on hand, the crowd enjoyed nonstop flying. This year, there were nine classes of competition with the most popular being Pro-Am Sport Prop, with 31 entrants. The Team class had an impressive 17 teams competing, while the Expert class enjoyed 15 entries. This was followed by the Pro-Am Jet and

Pro-Am Prop classes, with 14 entries each. The X class drew eight entries, the Pro-Am Sport Jet class had seven, the Unlimited class drew six, and the Masters class had five. These numbers just go to show how popular the Top Gun event is.