Local Mother and Daughter Compete in Radio Controlled Rocket Glider World Championships

Jasper- Mother and Daughter, Tracy and Madalynn Pund, competed in 2023 FAI World Championships for the event of Radio Control Rocket Glider in Austin, TX on Wednesday July 5th, 2023.

Madalynn (daughter), placed 1st out of the female flyers, and her team placed third. Tracy (mother) placed 2nd out of the female flyers and her team place second. Tracy and Madalynn launched radio-controlled gliders into the air using rocket motors, achieve a specific amount of time in the air and have a bonus for landing in a specified area.

Tracy Pund (mother) has grown up launching model rockets with her dad and brother. She has been a part of a local Rocketry Club based in Holland, IN. The club called Laünch Crüe is a chartered section of the National Association of Rocketry since July 1990.  Tracy has competed in many competitions for rocketry in the past.

This year Tracy and Madalynn have taken on a new event to them a combinations of what they know, rockets, with the new to them, radio controlled gliders. So they turned to Jasper RC Flyers in late 2022 to learn to fly radio controlled gliders.  Jasper RC Flyers is a local radio controlled aircraft club and  chartered by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Jasper RC Flyers President, Ryan Bratton, gladly became their instructor teaching them to fly gliders.

Federation Aeronautique International, FAI-The World Air Sports Federation, is an international organization with the basic aim of furthering aeronautical and astronautical activities worldwide, ratifying world and continental records and coordinating the organization of international competitions. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  It organizes many competitions for both rocketry and radio controlled aircraft, which both Jasper RC Flyers and  Laünch Crüe can compete.

Both Laünch Crüe and Jasper RC Flyers are proud of Tracy and Madalynn Pund for their dedication to and exploration of the hobbies.  

To find out more about Laünch Crüe visit www.launchcrue.org

To find out more about Jasper RC Flyers visit www.jasperrcflyers.org