AMA News
Announcements, news, and information from the
Academy of Model Aeronautics and the elected district representatives.
IN MY LAST article I described the
incredible good fortune of the Sun Lakes
Model Airplane Club. For months
president Tom Tilley had been working
every angle he could think of to acquire a
new flying site for his club.
A chance comment at a 2006 Halloween
party resulted in the acquisition of a worldclass
flying facility, just as urban sprawl
chased them from their previous flying site.
Hard work, good luck. The new field,
situated on private property, is located
within the town of Florence, Arizona.
Nearly a year before that Halloween
party, Lyle Bohn, an AMA member who
lives in Florence, called to request my help
in convincing the town to build a modelaviation
facility on some of its park land.
Lyle and I met with city council
members, Parks and Recreation staffers,
local landowners ... everyone we could
think of who might help in the siteacquisition
effort. At the same time, Lyle
gathered the requisite members and
chartered the Florence Aero Modelers with
the Academy.
He was making some progress. He was
working hard.
After Lyle floated various ideas past the
local officials, and in cooperation with
some recreational land users on an
adjacent parcel, a workable plan was
constructed. But, as is often the case, the
wheels of progress turn ever so slowly.
As you will recall from the article on
the Sun Lakes Model Airplane Club, Tom
Rankin, the mayor of Florence, attended
the dedication ceremony.
While I was talking with the mayor, he
mentioned how nice the facility was. He
commented that there was a request for a
flying site on town park property, and that
he would be making sure that consideration
for the development of the site received
some quick attention. I sensed some good
luck for Lyle.
A mere two months later—last night, in
fact, as I write this—I attended a meeting of
the Florence City Council and witnessed the
approval of an agenda item giving
authorization for a five-year permit for the
Florence Aero Modelers to use a yet-to-be
constructed model-aviation facility in the
city.
Construction on the 600-foot asphalt
runway is scheduled to begin before this
issue hits the mailbox!
During the same city council meeting,
the park’s master plan was approved. It
was that master plan that will provide
funding for the model-aviation facility.
For both clubs, plenty of hard work
netted a load of good luck.
I read it somewhere, and I’ve heard it
repeatedly, “Gee, the harder I work, the
luckier I get.”
Flying Site Assistance Wes De Cou|[email protected]
Wes De Cou
Coordinator
Western Region
AMA Districts VIII - XI
202 W. Desert Flower Ln.,
Phoenix AZ 85045
Voice: (480) 460-9466;
Cell: (480) 296-9515
Fax: (480) 460-9434
E-mail: [email protected]
Joe Beshar
Coordinator
Eastern Region
AMA Districts I - VII
198 Merritt Dr., Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281;
Fax: (201) 261-0223
E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Lyle Bohn, the prime mover behind our efforts in Florence, Arizona, stands on the barren ground that will soon become the Florence
Aero Modelers’ new flying site. The city approved the plan on Monday, January 7, and work on the new facility began the following
Friday. Simply amazing!
“Gee, the harder I work, the luckier I get.”
166 MODEL AVIATION
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/03
Page Numbers: 166