A gallery describing control line aeromodellers past and present, some of their models and their contributions to the sport in Australia.

Tony Farnan:
O.S. engine distributor and successful competition flyer in all control line categories before defecting to radio control.  Wrote for the Model News magazine under the pen name Nitro.  Ran the aeromodelling department of Melbourne's Model Dockyard during its heyday.

Ron Wilson:
Racing mechanic at the top of his fields for many years, and mentor to several younger competitors.  Ron's death in November 2003 was lamented by many who remember his racing accomplishments.

Don Boughton:
Victorian State Champion for 3 years 1958-1960, Don's skills in free flight and control line earned him the title Australian Champion as well, at the Camden Nationals of 1974.  Teamracing and speed were his control line favourites.  Don enjoyed the theoretical aspects of designing his own aircraft and gadgets, and was an early manufacturer of accurately made fibreglass propellers.

Andrew Kimonides:
Leading speed specialist of the early 1960's and holder of numerous Victorian state records and championships.  Won FAI speed at the 1972/3 Nats.  A prosperous stamp and collectibles dealer today, Andrew is still proud of the achievements of his younger days when he had very little money.

Geoff Lawson:
Speed and teamrace competitor who won Class 2 teamrace at the 1963/64 Strathalbyn Nationals.

Doug Grinham:
Dedicated and highly skilled aerobatics pilot and builder of superb stunt models. Has excelled at State and National contests, winning many trophies.

Bob Hyde:
Successful control line competition flyer in the 1950s, and dual Nationals winner in aerobatics before defecting to radio control. One of the first to weild the famous Veco Thunderbird.

Graeme Wilson:
As a teenager in the 1970s Graeme was already a keen and capable pilot in teamrace, ratrace, and combat competitions, flying with the VCLA at Moorabbin.  He has now won more State and National titles for team racing and combat than anybody in Australia. Has represented his country with distinction at World Championship level and is a tireless worker in aeromodelling administration.

John Hunting:
Together with his brother Ken, John has won numerous State and National Championships.  He has been a great supporter of control line racing in its many forms since the early seventies.

Ken Hunting:
Together with his brother John, Ken has won numerous State and National Championships.  He has been a great supporter of control line racing in its many forms since the early seventies.

Paul Stein:
Paul is a team race specialist who has the ability to record world class times. He has won many State and National titles and has flown in the World Championships.

Steve Mitchell:
Dedicated aerobatics pilot for many years, commencing with the Stuntmasters in the late 1960s.  Competing in the 1978 World Champs in England was a highlight of his career.  Often accompanied by his brother Vic, Steve has given countless hours of time to administration of the sport and acting as stunt judge.  Served as president of CLAG in 2008.

Harry Bailey:
Won Class 2 Team Race at 3 Nationals in a row and holds Australian records for the event. He began flying team race in England in the sixties. A dedicated aeromodeler, Harry is also the Editor of Australian Control Line News.

Peter Van Meurs:
A regular competitor at major championships, winning Vintage T/R at the Bendigo and Wakerie Nats in the early nineties. Peter is also well known for his professional work with motorbikes and firearms.

Alwyn Smith:
Alwyn has been flying C/L continuously since 1948.  An avid collector, he is well known for his knowledge of plans and engines.   Now retired, the former T.A.A./Australian Airlines Captain spends a lot of time at his Doncaster club teaching young people to fly.

Cliff McIver:
A promising and active junior member of the Sandringham club during the late nineteen fifties who in later life became the owner of a hobby shop and flyer of radio controlled models.

Johnny Lamont:
An active stunt flyer in the early nineteen fifties, John won junior stunt at the 1950 Nationals.  Today he flies in vintage events with a replica of his Nats winning Super Skylark plane.

Roger Wise:
Roger learned to fly control line in the late nineteen fifties with a Sabre Trainer powered by Taipan 2.5cc diesel.  As a member of Melbourne's Western Suburbs club he made a serious assault on the class 2 teamrace event at the State Champs, after which he put his plane, motors, control lines, wheels, and props in a box and never looked at them again for 40 years.

Lance Smith:
Began flying in New Zealand in the late 1960's in a very strong C/L club, flying all classes of speed and team race. Once held Jr records for class II speed, and still has his original ST G15 in going order. Since moving to Victoria has become a regular competitor in most things T/R, concentrating on Vintage A and Classic B. Lance has become actively involved in both fuel and engine development to satiate his scientific bent, and is striving one day to develop the perfect fuel mix for the perfect Classic B engine.

Murray Wilson:
It is not surprising that the son of Graeme Wilson was introduced to competition flying at an early age.  Or even earlier. In 2020's Murray flies most kinds of combat and teamrace with the CLAMF club, and already has wins at State, National, International and World Championship levels. More here...

Les Squires:
Famous teamrace flyer of the 1950s, from the Terang MAC.  Les' Nationals winning Class 2 racer called Grassfire set a performance that for years served as the benchmark for others to aim at.

Athol Holtham:
Craftsman aeromodeller whose models were always admired for their strength and beauty.  President of Sandringham MAC for several years, and versatile pilot with successes in speed, teamrace, and stunt.

Tony Cincotta:
Known to some as Ali Chilli, Tony has long been involved with Melbourne's aeromodelling trade, being a leading figure at the Model Dockyard, then Hobby Hangar, and finally Saturn Hobbies.  His interests have included combat and speed, and his Bentleigh hobby shop was as good as any Melbourne has ever had.

Doug Harlow:
A champion as a junior, and successful aerobatics pilot for many years, at one stage winning the Nationals for four consecutive years.

Ken Taylor:
Ken has been a prolific designer and builder of stunt models, a successful aerobatics competitor and three times winner at Australian Nationals.

Monty Tyrrell:
Originally a free flight modeller, around 1946 Monty joined the "spin dizzies" as he called control line flyers, and soon became a winner of the stunt event at two early Nationals.  Being a key member of a team that toured Australia demonstrating control line flying he did much to promote the sport during its early days.  As a leading member of Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs MAC he flew all sorts of models, with stunt and scale becoming his favourites.  Monty's death was lamented by many Australian modellers at the beginning of 1993.

Peter Ellis:
A free flight, control line, and motorbike enthusiast with the Sandringham club in the late nineteen fifties, Peter produced some fine speed models and Class 2 teamracers, winning Class 2 speed at the 1959 Gawler Nats.  He built up an impressive collection of model engines, but became a bit of a loner in later life.  Those who knew him were saddened by his death in mid 2002.

John Hallowell:
First flew team race with John Tidey in the late 50's.  Has won numerous State and National events in racing and aerobatics, including Vintage Team Race at the British Nationals in 1996.  An enthusiastic promotor of the events he flies.

Robin Hiern:
Speed specialist still flying actively at the turn of the century, after 40 or more years !  Holder of most Australian speed records, and two times winner of combined speed at the British Nationals (in 1996 and 1997).  For years a commercial engine tuner.  See Robin's models for pictures of some of his models, his speed page, or his engine building project.

Mark Ellins:
An all round control line flyer, participating in racing, combat and stunt.  His team race efforts have resulted in many wins, including F2C at 2004 US Nats and World Championship in 2010, teamed up with Rob Fitzgerald.

Colin Ray:
Colin races successfully with his dad Jim. Known as the 'Cosmics', the team has won many State and National titles.

Jim Ray:
Jim started flying in competitions for PADMAC around 1957 and then flew team race with Adrian De Voss when he joined Oakleigh MAC in the early sixties.

Keith Baddock:
A highly skilled model builder whose work is in the aviation industry.  In his role as a teamrace mechanic, he has set records and won a number of State and National events with fast work in the pits.

Alan Lumsden:
Well known in racing circles as a formidable competitor, and winner of 2.5 Rat race at the 2002/3 Nationals.

Theo Georgiadis:
A meticulous aeromodeller, active during the nineteen seventies with the VCLA and later CLAM in Melbourne.  Theo's favourites were aerobatics and FAI teamrace, for which he attended World Champs as pilot with Dennis Prior, at which they achieved 4th place in 1978.

John Wynne:
One of the first anywhere to fly control line, John's first control line model dates back to about 1942.  An active flyer during the nineteen forties and fifties in Melbourne, John later became famous as a developer of racing cars and is now retired on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Neil Baker:
Neil Baker, better known as 'Nobby' or 'Ledge', has been flying control line since 1971. As a junior, he flew with best mate Peter Barrett and Ron Lacey. Renowned for his love of a good social life, Neil is a regular at State Champs and Nats where his scintillating pitwork is displayed in F2C and Goodyear.

Peter Roberts:
Began flying models in the mid nineteen fifties, and since then has flown and competed in most classes of Control Line as well as Free Flight.  His favourites have been Aerobatics and Team Race.  Peter was proud to represent Australia in F2C at the 76 World Champs.  In 2008 he is still a member of CLAMF flying most of the racing classes, and has a lot of good memories of the 70's and the flying at Moorabbin Airport.

Brian Horrocks:
Brought fame to Australian aeromodelling overseas by twice winning the Gold Trophy for aerobatics in Britain.  Provided inspiration to several aerobatics pilots who reckoned they were better flyers than he.

Jack Oehme:
Mechanic for the popular Oehme/Silva racing team of the 1950's and early 1960's, winners of Class 2 teamrace at the 1961/62 Nats.

Ray Silva:
Pilot for the popular Oehme/Silva racing team of the 1950's and early 1960's, winners of Class 2 teamrace at the 1961/62 Nats.

Frank Coombes:
Innovative and persistant enthusiast.

Ken House:
Versatile modeller, for long active in the administration of the sport in South Australia.

Greg Pretty:
Greg is a multi record holder in Goodyear and is known for his passion for C/L's horsepower event, Open Rat Race.  Also a former motorcycle ace, winning the Australian Unlimited title in 1979.  Won Scale Racing at US Nats in 2004.

Maris Dislers:
A highly skilled and successful speed and combat flyer and a hard worker in administration of control line modelling.

Bill Evans:
Famous as publisher of the early Australian Model Hobbies magazine and as a teamracing fuels guru, formulator of the Airspeed commercial range of fuels, and reputed to sometimes add water to them to get the best out of high compression engines.

Norm Moore:
Pilot for the famous Moore/Green racing team of the 1950's and early 1960's.  Won the Advertiser trophy at one of their last appearances, the 1963/64 Nationals.

Kevin Green:
Versatile modeller and mechanic for the Moore/Green racing team of the 1950's and early 1960's.  Australian Champion at the Nationals of 1960/61.

Rob Fitzgerald:
Rob Fitzgerald is regarded as one of Australia's best pilots. He is a multiple record holder and championship winner in team race events.  Flew winning racers in F2C and Goodyear at 2004 US Nats. A regular World Champs competitor, he won this event in 2010 teamed up with Mark Ellins.

Ian Bristow:
Well known combat enthusiast.