Welcome to Torrey Pines GullsRobert Mohrlock – Modeler of the Year - 1988
A San Diego native who graduated from Clairemont Senior High, Robert Mohrlock joined the Gulls in the mid-1980s mainly as a fun fly enthusiast rather than a contest pilot. Given he wasn’t flying the contest circuit, the newsletters have only scant information to go on about his history with the club. However, in 1987, incoming President Larry Fogel convinced Robert to serve as Vice President for 1988. Usually anyone coming in as VP knows that it’s a good chance that you’ll soon end up being President. But for Robert it wasn’t the case - perhaps that was part of the bargain!
Larry and Robert arranged for some fabulous speakers for the club meetings that year. This included Bill Ivans (world record holder for manned sailplanes), Dr. Don Edberg (our own TPG member who competed in the US RC soaring World Championships and was at the time working for AeroVironment), Walt Mooney (designer of full scale aircraft as well as peanut scale free flight models), TPGer Carl Gwartney (who flew troop transport gliders in WWII), even Don Bentley, a former Navy fighter pilot who was commanding officer of the Blue Angles from 1972-1973. The meetings were held monthly at the Aerospace Museum and included a raffle which usually had some great prizes (also arranged by Robert).
Given his consistent effort throughout 1988 in his role as Vice President, the club awarded the Modeler of the Year trophy to him at the awards banquet on February 25, 1989 held at the Salmon House in Marina Village near Pt. Loma. Robert continued to fly with the club for several years, again serving on the Board as Secretary in 1991.