158 MODEL AVIATION
“FLY THE RC Adventure,” published in
the May 2008 MA, is about a school
program designed to help clubs introduce
students to RC flying.
The Paragon Aero Club first instituted
the program in the Cavallini Middle School
in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. The
club recently added Smith Middle School
in Ramsey to its program to encourage
aeromodeling in the youth community.
The Paragon club issued the following
press release promoting Fly the RC
Adventure. I would like to share their press
release which follows:
“On Thursday, October 23, Paragon
Federal Credit Union of Montvale, New
Jersey, continued the Fly the RC Adventure
at Smith School in Ramsey, New Jersey.
Paragon FCU President and CEO, Richard
Rays, is both an avid pilot and modeler. He
approached his associate Dave Kopec about
introducing the virtues of model airplanes
to the various (52) Bergen County school
districts the credit union serves.
“Jim Gorab of Cavallini Middle School
in Upper Saddle River was gracious
enough to help Paragon spread the word to
other schools after their own fly-in. (See
the May 2008 MA for full coverage.) This
kinship resulted in a fruitful relationship
with Jeremy Truppi, a science teacher at
Smith School.
“Mr. Truppi had been at a follow-up
appearance at Cavallini and was excited to
be a part of the RC Adventure. It must be
said that Jeremy deserves a great deal of
credit for bringing aeromodeling to the
youngsters at his school.
“It was a great day for flying as the 7th
and 8th grade kids lined the edge of the
beautiful athletic field at Smith School.
Richard Rays and ‘RC’ Joe Beshar had the
undivided attention of the students as they
spoke about the many virtues flying model
airplanes.
“As a World War II pilot, Mr. Beshar
always does a great job discussing the
history of flight as well. The bottom line of
their message is that model flying is
educational, fun, and exciting.
“With school principal, Richard Weiner,
and Ramsey assistant superintendent, Tony
Kemps, on hand, Paragon started things off
by donating a beautiful Hobby Zone Piper
Cub (RTF) to the school. Tremendous
enthusiasm was now already generated
even before the first plane hit the sky!
“Once ‘RC Joe’ got the Piper Cub
airborne, the excitement was palpable.
Seeing this beautiful white plane soar
against a clear blue sky was a sight for
everyone to behold. Much credit should go
to everyone at Smith School for doing such
a tremendous job organizing such a great
group of well behaved (and awestruck)
students.
“Richard Rays (who nailed a beautiful
landing) and local flying pro Bruce
Giumarra got into the act of dazzling the
youngsters with their considerable talents,
as well.
“The greatest part of the day is always
when the kids can get their hands on the
controller and fly the planes themselves.
The Piper Cub is so easy to control that a
buddy box is not a necessity. Beshar, Rays,
and Guimarra, were all terrific in assisting
the students in navigating the Piper Cub
through the air.
“One by one several students took turns
in what had to be a real memorable day of
flying. At one point, Bruce was mobbed by
students like a celebrity as he put the plane
through its paces.
“Fly-ins never fail when it comes to
delivering excitement and education to
everyone on hand. The very next day I
received an e-mail from Mr. Truppi
regarding the great response he received
from everyone at the school. The students
were especially excited, as Jeremy’s inbox
was flooded with requests by parents on
how to obtain a plane. Many parents joked
how their kids were now costing them even
more money.
“It will come as no surprise to see these
planes find their way into many more
homes come the December holidays.”
—Dave Kopec
Flying Site Assistance Joe Beshar | Joe [email protected]
Joe Beshar
Coordinator
Eastern Region
AMA Districts I - VII
198 Merritt Dr.
Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281; E-mail:
[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]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Fly the RC Adventure Continues
AMA offers the following special
promotions to its members.
• Dental and vision benefits
• A directory of Academy members
• The Ultimate Model Aeronautics Video
Library DVD series
• A Visa Platinum card that supports the AMA
Go to www.modelaircraft.org/
promos.aspx to learn more about these
programs that will benefit you!
Do you want your club to stand out?
Let AMA Custom Products help! It offers:
• Made-to-order screen-printed apparel
• Engraved awards
• Customized vinyl banners
Call (800) I-FLY-AMA (435-9262), E-mail
[email protected], or visit
www.modelaircraft.org/products.aspx for more
information or a price quote.
“Once ‘RC Joe’ got the Piper Cub airborne,
the excitement was palpable.”
04amanews:11amanews.qxd 2/24/2009 11:28 AM Page 158
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 158