Savannah Aero Concepts TT Model Aircraft Club

🇹🇹✈️ THROWBACK TO 1972: MODELLERS FOR BIM ✈️🇧🇧

Did you know that in January 1972, a team of eight members from the Modellers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) travelled to Barbados to help promote and develop the hobby of aeromodelling?

According to this newspaper article, the team staged a demonstration show in Barbados on Sunday, January 30, 1972, with sponsorship provided by British West Indian Airways International (BWIA).

The initiative came after a model flying demonstration by an English resident in Barbados generated tremendous public interest in the hobby. Recognizing the opportunity to help establish a formal modelling organization in Barbados, MATT answered the call.

Led by President Willie Pinheiro, the Trinidad and Tobago team spent time teaching and mentoring local enthusiasts before participating in the public demonstration. The hope was that Barbadian modellers would soon be able to take part in future events themselves.

This little-known chapter of Caribbean model aviation history highlights the regional leadership role played by Trinidad and Tobago's aeromodelling community and the support provided by BWIA in helping to spread the hobby throughout the region.

More than 50 years later, the spirit of sharing knowledge, building friendships, and inspiring future generations of aviation enthusiasts remains alive.

Do you recognize any of the names or remember these early days of model aviation in the Caribbean? We'd love to hear your memories in the comments.

Sean's P-51 Mustang sitting pretty on the runway! Think this looks good on the ground? Wait until you see it in the air.

Good Morning from the airfield!!!!

This afternoon, Phil Diaz had a successful maiden flight of his HobbyKing FW190A warbird 1200mm wingspan (48 inch). It runs on 2200mah 4S Lipo battery. He removed the original 45amp ESC and replaced it with an Aerostar 60amp esc. The motor is a Sunnysky 3120 680KV. It has a 12x8 3 bladed propeller, 7 x 9g servos, and Servoless Electric retractable landing gear with scale struts, and sequencer/Servo Controlled Gear Doors. Wing tips lights and a Spektrum AR7350 receiver.

When we celebrate the life and legacy of Lio Mendonca, we are also celebrating a family tradition that continues to soar today.
Lio's passion for model aviation was passed on to his sons, Mark and Chris Mendonca, and now to his grandson, Adam Mendonca. Mark and Adam have proudly represented Trinidad and Tobago on multiple occasions at the F3A World Championships, competing against some of the world's best precision aerobatic pilots.
Chris, meanwhile, combines his love for model aviation with a distinguished full-scale flying career.
From father to sons, and now to grandson, the Mendonca family's contribution to aviation and model flying remains an enduring part of Trinidad and Tobago's aviation heritage.
Pictured at Wallerfield are Mark, Chris, and Adam Mendonca—three generations united by a shared passion for flight

Who was Lio Mendonca?

A Pioneer of Model Aviation in Trinidad and Tobago

Lio Mendonca was born on August 27th, 1936 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, during a period of growing uncertainty in Europe leading up to the Second World War. Recognizing the difficult conditions that lay ahead, Lio’s father made the courageous decision to migrate to Trinidad in search of better opportunities and a more secure future for his family.

With World War II fully underway by 1939, bringing the family to Trinidad immediately proved impossible. It would not be until 1949, following the end of the war, that Lio himself would finally migrate to Trinidad and begin a new chapter of his life in the Caribbean.

After arriving in Trinidad, Lio attended Fatima College, where he continued developing the discipline, creativity, and technical curiosity that would later define his contribution to local aviation and aeromodelling. By the time he married in 1960, he was already deeply immersed in the world of control-line model aviation.

During those early years, Lio met Peter Pereira through a work colleague at Coelho. The two quickly formed a friendship rooted in their shared passion for model aviation and began flying control-line aircraft together at Walker Park, located directly across from what is today the Mike De Freitas RC Flying Field. It was at Walker Park that Lio would also meet Gerard De Gannes and Roy Moutou, both respected free-flight modellers who helped shape the growing local modelling community during that era.

As model aviation technology evolved, so did Lio’s interests. His time at Walker Park would eventually come to an end as he transitioned to Waller Field and ventured into the emerging world of radio controlled flight. It was here that Lio achieved one of many historic milestones, becoming widely credited as the first person in Trinidad and Tobago to own and successfully operate a radio controlled airplane locally.

Waller Field would also become the meeting place of another historic friendship, as it was there that Lio met Captain Mike De Freitas of BWIA. Mike’s career as an airline pilot gave him access to the latest model aviation technology and equipment from abroad, ensuring that the local modelling community remained connected to international developments within the hobby. Together, Lio Mendonca, Mike De Freitas, and Peter Pereira would help elevate model aviation in Trinidad and Tobago to unprecedented levels through their innovation, technical knowledge, leadership, and passion for the hobby.

In the early 1970s, The Modellers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) was conceptualized at Lio Mendonca’s home by a group of passionate aeromodellers: Lio Mendonca, Peter Pereira, Mike, and Willie Pinheiro. Their shared vision and dedication laid the foundation for what would become the country’s premier model aviation organization. Willie Pinheiro went on to serve as the Association’s very first Chairman, helping to guide its early development and growth.

Under their leadership, Trinidad became host to three major international airshows held in Chaguaramas and sponsored by BWIA. These events attracted world-renowned modellers from across the globe, placing Trinidad and Tobago firmly on the international model aviation map.

Internationally recognized names such as Bill Werwage, Les McDonald, Nick Ziroli, and Iven Christensen travelled to Trinidad to participate in these landmark events, creating an atmosphere unlike anything previously seen within the local aviation community.

Beyond flying, Lio possessed an exceptional mechanical mind and a lifelong interest in aeronautical engineering. Though he never formally became an aeronautical engineer, his talent for design and fabrication was evident in everything he built. Through several modifications and redesigns of the famous Joe Bridi Kaos pattern aircraft, Lio eventually developed his own original aircraft design known as the “Kaiso.”

The Kaiso became yet another milestone in local aviation history, earning recognition as the first locally designed radio controlled aircraft in Trinidad and Tobago. It reflected not only Lio’s technical skill, but also his creativity, innovation, and determination to develop something uniquely Trinidadian within the international modelling world.

Soon after, Lio Mendonca, Mike De Freitas, and Peter Pereira established Hobby Inn, a hobby shop located on Tragarete Road in Port of Spain. Hobby Inn quickly became the heart of the local modelling community, supplying everything from balsa wood, kits, engines, radios, fuel, and accessories to generations of modellers throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

For many enthusiasts, Hobby Inn was more than just a store. It was a meeting place, a classroom, and a gateway into aviation. Through the efforts of pioneers like Lio Mendonca, the foundations of organized model aviation in Trinidad and Tobago were firmly established, inspiring countless individuals and helping shape the aviation culture that continues today.

Lio Mendonca’s legacy lives on not only through the aircraft he flew and designed, but through the generations of modellers, builders, pilots, and aviation enthusiasts who continue to benefit from the path he helped create.

Mark West and our brothers out in Jamaica aren’t wasting any time with this build!! This control-line model is coming to life!!!!