Larry Bolich

Bob and Doris Rich watched with pride as their Radio Controlled model aircraft, Liberty Bell, winged gracefully out over the Pacific Ocean like a beautiful gull under blue California skies and brilliant sunshine, and then turned inland to continue some few miles away for the historic landing of the first trans-continental flight of a Radio Controlled model aircraft. The official landing took place at a shopping mall in Oceanside, Calif., on October 29 at 4:16 p.m. (P.S.T.). The historic flight of the Liberty Bell began October 1 at 10:02 a.m. (E.S.T.) with a takeoff within sight of the Wright Memorial at Kitty Hawk, N.C., where another historic flight was made just about 72 years ago. Bob and Doris Rich were talking about this "dream" flight back at the `75 Nats in Lake Charles, and although everyone seemed to share their enthusiasm for this project, it was doubted by many that such a flight could successfully be made with so little time to prepare. Their target date, October 1, was to tie in with National Hobby Month and also to be one of the first model aviation Bicentennial events.