Jetex.org: History - Hall of Fame: Charlie Sotich




		Designers Hall of Fame


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Charlie Sotich

Over three decades of flying, Charlie Sotich built up one of the most impressive contest records of all United States competitors, and certainly the most impressive record of any Jetex competitor. Beginning with his first contest entry in 1948, at the age of 15, and staying exclusively with non-gas free flight events, he began accumulating wins in local contests, eventually achieving the first of a string of wins at the US Nationals with 'Double Dip', an A2 glider, in 1959.

From the late '50s, Charlie's designs all played variations on the "Dip" theme. In contrast to modelers who used "fancy or prestigious names", Charlie says, "I wanted something that would be more fun. Models would often dip while flying, especially towline gliders coming off the line. So my windy weather towline glider became the 'Double Dip'". When he turned to designing for Jetex power in the late '60s, he created 'Dummy Dip 50' and 'Zip-Dip 150' and made his mark with these craft on the US contest scene.

Charlie's plans on the Jetex.org website include:
Dummy Dip 50 (1959) for Jetex 50
Zip-Dip 150 (1970) for Jetex 150

Successes achieved by Charlie with his Jetex designs in the US Nationals Rocket events were:

1967: 1^st
1968: 4^th
1969: 2^nd
1970: 4^th

1972: 3^rd
1977: 3^rd
1978: 2^nd
1979: 1^st

1980: 3^rd
1981: 1^st

Nor was Charlie content to restrict his influence to the contest field. He also contributed generously to the administration of the sport. A charter member of the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) and its Treasurer, he was a regular Symposium Report patron. During a long tenure on the Indoor Contest board, he was regarded as one of its most productive and faithful members. He also held executive positions in the Chicago Aeronuts, the Illinois Model Aero Club and the Northern Illinois Association of Model Airplane Clubs. In 2001, Charlie Sotich was inducted into the NFFS Hall of Fame, and in a tribute to him in that year's 'NFFS Symposium', Charles Markos wrote, "Without people like Charlie in our sport, it would cease to exist. He is the one you can always count on to do what is needed to keep things going."

In the concluding paragraph of his tribute to Charlie, Charles Markos said, "Charlie is one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He is devoted to his family, polite and respectful, curious about everything, diligent in everything he does, generous (but not wealthy). Every time I'm at a contest, no matter where, someone will come up and ask me to say hello to Charlie."

Charlie Sotich with 'Zip-Dip 150' competing at the 1971 US Nationals

- NFFS, Oct. 1971 (p. 20)

- NFFS Symposium, 1972 (p. 110)

Charlie Sotich launching his Coupe d'Hiver 'Dwarf Dip III'

- American Aircraft Modeler Annual, 1969 (p. 62)


	Acknowledgements - Research, articles and illustrations contributed by Bill Henderson - Private correspondence of Charlie Sotich with Bill Henderson and John Miller Crawford

Queries? Corrections? Additions? .