Sky Dawgs will be putting on their first annual “Super Bulldog Balsa Bash” this Super Bulldog Weekend.
Sky Dawgs, an MSU club of model aircraft and rocketry enthusiasts, will host a series of model airplane flying competitions for spectators.
A model aircraft club at MSU is a fairly new development.
“A few years ago, there were a good many aerospace students who had R/C experience,” said Cedric Gould, vice president of Sky Dawgs. “[These students] had been in the hobby for a while and wanted to continue it while [they] were at State. In October we became an MSU- and AMA- [Academy of Model Aeronautics] registered club.”
This weekend’s event will take place at North Farm on Miss. Highway 182 across from Waffle House.
“People have been flying at that field for 30 years,” said Nathan King, president of Sky Dawgs. “We decided to have a fly in out there for Super Bulldog Weekend.”
Sky Dawgs hopes for a good turnout at the event.
“We encourage people to stop by and talk to the pilots,” Gould said. “We’ve encouraged pilots to come in from afar. There are people coming from Memphis, Oxford and Jackson. We’ve had good feedback from different modelers in the area. We’re looking for at least 20 pilots. We ask that people respect the roped-off sections (of the competition area) for their own safety.”
The event will be divided into four primary competitions. “Climb and Glide” is the first event, in which competitors are given a set time to reach a high altitude and then required to shut off their engine and glide back to the runway.
“All Up-First Down,” or “Musical Runways,” is the next event and is set up much like musical chairs. The pilots are all in the air simultaneously and fly until told to land, at which point the last pilot to land is eliminated.
“Airplane Limbo” is, much as the title implies, a game in which pilots are required to fly under a ribbon that is progressively lowered.
A type of combat game will also take place in which pilots attempt to cut a ribbon trailing from the planes of their competitors with their propeller.
“The events are designed to encourage competitive, on-the-edge flying,” King said. “When you do that, [there are] a lot of crashes, which should be fun for the spectators.”
In addition to the flying events, there will be an on-site concession stand and the raffling off of a small model airplane. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and can be purchased at the event. Money from the raffle will benefit more than just Sky Dawgs.
“We’ve decided as a club to make a donation to the Palmer Home for Children,” Gould said. “The amount will be determined after the event.”
Admission for the event will be free. Members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics who aren’t in Sky Dawgs can participate for a $20 landing fee.
Sky Dawgs would like to encourage anyone interested in model aeronautics to look into their club, which, in addition to students, includes alumni, faculty and staff.
“We have the ability to train new members,” King said. “All that’s required to become a member is to show up at a meeting and pay dues.”
Meeting dates, times and other information is available at Sky Dawgs’ Web site, ae.msstate.edu/skydawgs.