IN the Air
AMA Club Bounces Back Following Tornado
It's a beautiful day for flying, so you pack the car and leave for the club field. What happens when you get there and learn that it has been the site of a natural disaster?
Southern Eagle Squadron (Leesburg, Florida) Treasurer Tom Craig was one of the first to arrive at his club field after tornadoes swept through Central Florida on February 2, 2007. He said:
"I was one of the first members to arrive at the field, never guessing the tornado had hit us. I had come to fly. Instead I made a bunch of phone calls, and when I got home I sent e-mails to all of our members. The next day, Saturday, we had over 40 of our members there and the cleanup started.
"On Sunday, people returned with rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows and started the repairs to the east-west runway. Others sorted out the barrier fences for the pit area and repaired what they could.
"Monday they returned again, and the fences started going up, new tables were built, six new pilot stations were built, and the fence for spectators was put together and up. We ordered a new storage container which arrived on Tuesday, and the company was nice enough to remove the damaged one from the end of the runway."
By Wednesday of that week the club was able to have a grand reopening ceremony for one of its two runways.
There is still much more to be done. Many of the larger items, such as a new shelter and new lawn-care equipment, must be acquired if the club is to be ready for the pylon-racing season, of which it is a major supporter.
Through hard work and cash donations from members, AMA Headquarters, AMA District V, local and distant clubs, and other individuals, the Southern Eagle Squadron got its flying site back up in record time.
AMA has a program designed to provide immediate financial assistance for AMA-chartered clubs with flying sites damaged by natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or firestorms. The grant is intended to assist clubs with clearing debris and making the field accessible and usable to club members.
Key points about the grant:
- The grant is not designed to pay for repairs to structures or facilities, except to the extent necessary to make the facility and runway adequate for flying.
- The Southern Eagle Squadron received $500 from AMA and $500 from District V (from Vice President Tony Stillman) to help get it back on its feet.
- You may qualify if your club flying site sustained damage as a result of a federally declared disaster.
- Your club must provide adequate pictures and information to receive funding.
- The application process is streamlined to allow for quick payments to help clubs resume flying.
- This is a grant — not a loan. You will not be required to repay AMA.
To apply, send materials to: Academy of Model Aeronautics c/o Staff Director Joyce Hager Flying Site Disaster Grant 5161 E. Memorial Dr. Muncie, IN 47302
—Michael Ramsey, MA Associate Editor
Foam-Core Wing Sets Now Available From AMA!
The AMA Plans Service is expanding and now offers foam-core wing sets for plans that include them and that have been featured in Model Aviation. Wing cores for plans not previously featured in the magazine can be quoted on a per-plans basis.
The cores are cut from high-quality white foam using a computerized foam wing cutter. Wing sections up to 48 inches can be produced on the equipment.
Please allow two to three weeks for delivery, and longer for overseas orders. For ordering assistance call (765) 287-1256, ext. 507.
Don't forget the more than 16,000 model plans in AMA's files, just waiting to be built. Somewhere in the collection is the plan set for the airplane you've always wanted to build — or you can revisit your childhood and rebuild your first model.
—John Zgunda, AMA Plans Department
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
