Scott Marshall knows that if he flies, he's going to crash sooner or later. But that doesn't stop him from looping and spinning his slope-soaring plane dangerously close to the ground.
Yet Marshall doesn't worry about a trip to the hospital - or the graveyard - just yet. He's too busy enjoying his radio-controlled stunt plane. "The great thing is I don't have to go to the hospital if I crash. It hurts my ego, but I don't have any broken bones," he said.Dozens of people watched scores of brightly colored planes dip silently through the air Saturday, as members of the Intermountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) gathered to show off their flying prowess. Formed in 1979, the IMSF now attracts participants from across the country, according to Marshall, who serves as publicity chairman for Soar Utah.
The planes are radio controlled and depend on the wind to fly. Point of the Mountain is one of the three top sites in the country for slope soaring. "It's good for landing because it's fairly flat," said Marshall.
The club also offers instruction to beginners on how to fly. Because most people spend hours building a plane, they're afraid to fly it, Marshall said. "If you fly, you're going to crash. Hopefully you can rebuild."
During the day, fliers presented their planes for two categories of judging - actual flying stunts and craftsmanship. Another award is given for the most popular plane.
Dave Sanders came from California for the event. He has made his hobby into a business by selling plane kits and parts. "My wife is a big part of the business. She got interested because of me. Now our children are getting into it too," Sanders said. His plane was made from a kit, which he modified extensively, spending more than 400 hours constructing the aircraft. "Slope soaring is for the cowboy fliers. It's risky, the flying is done close to the ground. Fliers have to have true grit," he said.
There are three categories the planes fall into: modern class, vintage class and power slope scale. The modern class planes are scaled from real, full-size planes. Vintage class are planes modeled after aircraft built before 1950. Power slope scale planes include World War II models. Plane craftsmen carefully re-create their models to look like the real thing by painting and chipping the plane's surface to give it a weathered look.
Carl Maas, also from California, said he's been flying - with his feet firmly planted on the ground - for 30 years. "The wind is great for flying. When you smile and get bugs in your teeth," Maas said with a grin. "For me the fun is in the building."
The event will continue through the Labor Day weekend with pilots flying from Francis Peak above Kaysville and Farmington on Monday. The public is welcome. IMSF meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the City County building, 2100 S. State.