IN 2009, the district officers and I choose
three district members to receive our most
prestigious AMA District I Appreciation
award in the form of engraved plaques and
$100 cash prizes.
Art Alfano, Irv Searl, and Bob Wallace
were selected to receive the awards because
they have provided years of service to the
AMA by volunteering their time and energy
to advance the mission of the Academy, its
members, clubs, competitions, and the future
of aeromodeling. Art’s contributions were
written about in the August 2009 issue of
MA.
During the New England Scale
Championships, it was my pleasure, on
behalf of the AMA, to present Irv Searl with
the second AMA District I Appreciation
award. Irv has represented District I on
AMA’s Scale Contest Board since 1980. He
served as the chairman from 1982 to 1986.
Irv has been actively involved in building
and flying numerous scale airplanes in
competition events since 1946. Much of his
early years were spent at sea during his Navy
career; however, he still managed to build
and fly Scale CL airplanes and competed in
the 1948 Control Line Nationals in Illinois.
From 1960 to 1963 he was a member of
the San Diego R/C Club. In 1968 Irv returned
to New England and since then he has been
an active member and officer in several clubs
including the Southern New Hampshire
Flying Eagles, the Concord Aeroguidance
Society, and the 495th RC Squadron.
Irv has competed in Scale and Pattern
contests throughout the Northeast and on a
national level in the Scale Nationals,
Master’s Qualifier and Finals, Top Gun, and
the WRAM Show. Irv has won six
significant first- and second-place Scale
Championships.
A measure of the character of this man
can be found in this statement from his son:
“My father would rather talk about all the
special people he has had the privilege of
meeting and counting among his friends
through his experiences in the sport, than the
awards he has received.”
Congratulations, Irv!
Bob Wallace, District I’s longest-standing
associate vice president (AVP), decided that
it was time for him to step down and allow
someone new to be appointed as
Connecticut’s AVP.
Bob has served our district extremely
well. He has been an ideal AVP—always
willing and able to respond to clubs and
members issues and concerns. Bob has sent
numerous event reports that have been
published in MA district columns. The district
officer team will be losing one of its most
valuable members.
Few modelers have had such an illustrious
career in aeromodeling. Bob competed in his
first Nationals in CL Speed events at the age
of 15. Once hooked, he never stopped
competing, participating in, and occasionally
winning regional, national, and international
FAI F3D Pylon Racing and RC Scale
Combat competitions.
Bob was manager of the 1987 US F3D
Team that took the top three places at the
World Championships in Australia.
Bob, an AMA Life Member, was awarded
the AMA Fellowship, and serves as our
District I RC Combat Contest Board member.
As if all of this isn’t enough, Bob has been a
contributing editor for R/C Modeler
magazine since 1977 and has designed and
kitted RC Pylon Racing and Combat aircraft.
In Bob’s words, “So many of the
wonderful, exciting, rewarding, and
unforgettable things that have occurred in my
life would never have happened if it were not
for my involvements in model aviation.”
Bob will be receiving the third AMA
District I Appreciation award and the title
AMA Associate Vice President Emeritus.
This honorary status will allow Bob to
continue to attend AMA district events and
activities as guests of the AMA district team
of officers. Congratulations, Bob!
The district officers and I wish all a happy,
healthy, and safe holiday season.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/01
Page Numbers: 171