Long before digital screens, simulators, and ready-to-fly drones, the passion for aviation began with balsa wood, tissue paper, and imagination. For the past century and still today, Guillow’s has helped countless kids and the young at heart experience the thrill of flight. For thousands of dedicated modelers around the world, those first steps sparked a lifelong passion, which continues today in the Flying Aces Club (FAC).
Founded in the mid-1960s but rooted in the spirit of the 1930s golden age of model aviation, the Flying Aces Club is devoted to preserving and promoting the traditional building and flying of stick-and-tissue free-flight model aircraft.
FAC members share more than a hobby. They share a passion for craftsmanship, history, and the pure joy of seeing a hand-built airplane circle into the sky.
Guillow’s recently interviewed Dave Mitchell, President of the Flying Aces Club, for some background.
For readers discovering the Flying Aces Club for the first time, how would you describe the FAC’s relationship with Guillow’s?
Dave Mitchell: Ask long-time FAC members how they got started in modeling, and you will often hear them lead off with “My first Guillow’s kit…” For generations of builders, especially those who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, Guillow’s kits were a gateway to aviation history. They offered young hands a way to connect with aircraft of the past, and to begin building the confidence and skills that would shape their modeling lives.
In your view, what part did companies like Guillow’s have in maintaining aviation history and scale modeling for young builders, long before the digital age?
DM: The FAC emphasizes craftsmanship, historical accuracy, and “learning by doing” values long associated with Guillow’s. Guillow’s has been one of the standard bearers among kit-makers for decades and, importantly, has always been widely available. Especially for those of us who were not alive in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, their long continuous history and strong emphasis on a broad range of scale aircraft gives young modelers a tangible way to connect to a time they never knew.
How do you describe FAC’s mission and spirit today?
DM: The Flying Aces Club is a society of individuals with a common interest that at times borders on a passion. It is our intent to preserve and promote the traditional building and flying of free flight, stick and tissue model aircraft, as first practiced in the “Golden Age of Aviation” of the 1930s. The “FAC spirit” is a continuation of this golden-age tradition of Free Flight. The club intentionally preserves the materials and methods of early Free-Flight modeling, even resisting some modern materials to stay true to the era that originally inspired our founders, Bob Thompson and Dave Stott. We also strive to keep things FUN! While competition is part and parcel of what the FAC does, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. This philosophy is reflected in the timeless appeal of Guillow’s classic stick-and-tissue kits. Build it yourself! Learn how to trim your model! Watch it fly! Above all, HAVE FUN!
What originally inspired the founders of the modern FAC to rethink traditional free-flight scale competition and bring the focus back to fun?
Guillow’s “Modern era” by Tom Nallen II
DM: Dave Stott and Bob Thompson of Connecticut founded the FAC in the mid-1960s. Both felt the fun had been sucked out of FF Scale under the AMA (American Modeling Association) rules of the day. Their vision was clear; to rediscover the freewheeling joy and passion for Free Flight that they had felt as kids in the 1930s, inspired by the daring exploits of the pioneering pilots of the day and the pulp magazines that chronicled their adventures.
FAC events are often described as unusually welcoming and generous. What do you think truly sets the FAC community apart?
DM: Although competitive at times, the sharing of innovations, assistance, and camaraderie is second nature to all who believe in the spirit of the FAC. We are a 100% volunteer organization; everybody pitches in to help out at our contests, whether it’s a small local meet or a large national event. Members share building techniques, repair tips, trimming advice, and encouragement as freely as they share the sky. Friendships formed on the flying field often last a lifetime.
Does the FAC emphasize historically significant aircraft?
DM: Well, yes and no. There is considerable interest among some modelers in making flying replicas of complex or historically significant aircraft of the past. This is driven at least partially by the desire to see the things in the air, where they were intended to be! Most of us will never see these aircraft flying in any other way. That said, there is equal interest in building and flying both simplified scale designs and non-scale sport aircraft. For some modelers, these designs, which tend to be pure flying ships unencumbered by drag-producing scale details, best express their interests. And some folks simply prefer to spend less time building and more time flying! The FAC aims to promote and support a broad array of free-flight interests in an engaging yet challenging way.
Guillow’s “Classic Era” by Tom Hallman
Guillow’s “Modern Era” by Mitch Kimball
What does hands-on building, especially rubber-powered scale modeling, teach that modern or ready-to-fly approaches sometimes miss?
DM: FAC builders will tell you that hands-on modeling teaches lessons no shortcut can replace. Translating flat plans into three-dimensional structures builds fine motor skills, tool handling knowledge, and the ability to visualize complex structures. Rubber-powered scale models especially demand a careful balance of strength, weight, and design. To achieve the best flight performance, the modeler must observe carefully and respond to the input that the model is giving them. This challenge rewards patience and creativity; to be successful, you often must think outside the box.
Guillow’s and FAC both trace their origins to the golden age of aviation enthusiasm. How do you see FAC fitting into that same historical continuum?
DM: While the FAC technically begins in the mid 1960s, in fact, we think of ourselves as stretching back in an unbroken line to those early days of aviation. In this way, our history directly parallels Guillow’s. Our entire mission is to preserve and promote the techniques and history of early Free-Flight model aviation. In fact, we strongly identify with it to the point of resisting many (though not all) modern developments, especially in materials and technology that might otherwise be considered beneficial to our interests. Good examples of building materials we resist include carbon fiber, boron, Styrofoam, and Mylar. All are commonly used in high-level international Free Flight competitions due to their high strength-to-weight ratios. However, since none of these were available to kids in the 1930s, we discourage and limit their use. This stance confuses many, who cannot understand why we wouldn’t take advantage of ANY available material that might provide benefits.
Are there legendary FAC moments, models, or personalities that still get talked about at events today?
DM: Oh, yes. Our traditions are less about trophies and more about honoring participation, persistence, pushing the envelope of what can be done, and the shared joy of flight. Stories of remarkable models and unforgettable flights are told and retold at FAC gatherings year after year.
The Flying Aces Club Set to Honor Guillow’s 100th Anniversary at the FAC Nationals
We are excited about the Flying Aces Club’s plans to recognize Guillow’s 100th Anniversary at this year’s FAC Nationals Competition. Can you tell us about it?
DM: This July, the Flying Aces Club will honor Guillow’s 100th Anniversary at the FAC Nationals in Geneseo, New York. This 3-day event runs from July 15th to July 18th. Special recognition will be given to Guillow’s designs across multiple events, celebrating both the lightweight all-balsa kits of the 1930’s and 40’s and the better-known postwar kits that introduced plastic parts and inspired generations of builders.
Flying Aces Club Website with Event Information | Event Location Website
The anticipation and buzz among our 875+ members continues to build, with many beautiful models in the works. You’d be hard-pressed to find an FAC modeler who doesn’t have a soft spot in the heart for a Guillow’s design. Some are revisiting builds of their youth; some are going for it and building the model they could never afford as a kid or felt was beyond their ability at the time. We’ve designed the contest to reward creativity; the modeler must use all the parts provided in a given kit or specified on the plans, but those parts can be lightened as much as you dare to make for an even better-flying aircraft. It’s an engineering challenge that is very much in the spirit of the FAC!
This 3-Day Event will Include:
- Classic and Modern-Era Guillow’s Recognition – Models from different eras of Guillow’s design history will be celebrated at regular FAC competition events.
- The Guillow’s Flying Horde Mass Launch – A sky full of Guillow’s models will be launched together, with the last one still flying declared the winner.
- The Guillow’s Jet Stream Event – Contestants will fly simple Jet Stream models over three days while chasing their best flight times in a fun, open challenge.
- The Guillows Best in Show Award for you to shoot for! And we’ve invited Guillows to send some factory staff down to help us celebrate their 100th anniversary!
- CARRIER LAUNCH! These carrier events are not restricted to Guillows, but your new Guillows built-to-plan models can surely participate here, too (if the original plane was designed for carrier use – see the rule sheet)!
- You say you can’t attend the Nats?
Well, we didn’t forget about you! There is a Guillows Scale POSTAL contest, too! And it is open to anyone* anywhere – even international flyers!
*Attending the Nats disqualifies you from the Postal contest.
Rule Sheet Downloads:
- Guillow’s Fever – Basic rules: Get the PDF file HERE
- Guillow’s Nats FAQ – GHQ details to help you build and fly all legal-like: Grab the file HERE
- Carrier Event Info – Includes how to plug in acceptable landing gear: Grab the file HERE
- Guillow’s Scale Postal Rules – Get the file HERE
We’d like to emphasize that the FAC is about building…but we are even MORE about FLYING! All these Guillow’s models will be built to fly, and many will fly very well indeed—flights of 40-60 seconds will be common, and there will be instances of models flying for two minutes or more!
If you were speaking directly to a young builder assembling their first Guillow’s kit today, what would you want them to know about FAC and the community they could one day be part of?
DM: I’d like them to know that they are getting started in the greatest hobby in the world! From kitchen tables to flying fields, from childhood curiosity to lifelong passion, the path from Guillow’s kits to the Flying Aces Club is a well-traveled one. As Guillow’s celebrates a century of inspiring flight, FAC members will be looking skyward in 2026, honoring the past, flying in the present, and welcoming the next generation of builders into the circle.
