Most people with their feet on the ground don’t get to have their heads in the clouds, too. But luckily Smithfield teen, Angstrom Eberenz, gets to do both.
The fifteen-year-old is the 2026 Junior Representative for Team USA’s FAI F2B (control line model aviation precision aerobatics) team. This type of flight allows the pilot of a model airplane with a wingspan of about five feet to operate a vessel with a handle attached to 60-70 foot control lines. Essentially, the pilot is tasked with drawing figures in the sky with various constraints and obstacles applied. Angstrom competes in a number of events, including speed, racing, precision aerobatics, and Navy carrier. He has earned three National Championship titles in precision aerobatics, several Navy carrier titles, and eight national records at the National Aeromodeling Championships (NATS) in Muncie, Indiana.
Angstrom shares that he caught his first glimpse of this type of flight at the Brodak Fly-In in Carmichaels, the second largest control line competition in the country. When he was eight years old, Angstrom took his first flights with the help of a seasoned pilot at the Brodak Fly-In and advanced enough over the week to take first place in the Basic Flight competition.
Encouraged by the support of his family, Angstrom realized that he had unlocked a deeper passion and continued pursuing his own career in this type of aviation. He began building his own planes and training consistently in the backyard of his then-Carmichaels home.
“Space is a huge constraint,” says Angstrom. He explains that 120-140 feet of space is needed to practice a full monty of aerial maneuvers in a circular overhead space without running into the nearest obstacles.
“Wind is also a really big setback,” continues Angstrom. At USA Team Trials last fall, Angstrom was met head-on by 20 mph gusts that made him the only contestant daring enough to put up a test flight before his moment of truth. In a devastating moment of competition, Angstrom omitted a singular maneuver in his flight outline that barely edged him to second place against another nationally-renowned teen. Fortunately, the competitor backed out a few months later, and Angstrom was excitedly offered the spot as the Junior Representative on the four-person control line team for the USA.
“Some guys are legends of the sport. Having just joined the ranks, I enjoy learning from them,” says Angstrom. And as all three of his other team members have already achieved a Walker Cup– the most prestigious control line honor to their name– Angstrom is training with the best.
Angstrom’s spring is slated to be a busy one, with the preliminary World Cup in late April, followed by the 2026 Control Line Model Aircraft World Championships in Perth, Australia a week later. “I love to travel for different events. I’m very excited to compete, show what I can do, and make everyone proud,” he shares.
Angstrom and his entire family encourage readers to get involved with the rich aviation opportunities in Greene County, especially the Brodak Fly-In, held each summer the week before Father’s Day. The whole family can be found every day of the event with their eyes to the sky. They are also excited to partner with the community to allow for Angstrom’s dream to continue to stay in flight. Those interested in learning more about control line flight are welcome to search Angstrom Eberenz on YouTube for examples of this exciting sport and support his season via Facebook at AngstromtoAustrialia.
