The Academy’s Safety Code is the
cornerstone of our national safety
program and is the foundation upon
which our organization is anchored. As
such, it requires occasional revisions to
keep up with changes in technology and
lessons learned.
As the AMA National Model Aircraft
Safety Code workgroup reviewed all of
our programs in preparation for
presentation to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), some
modifications seemed necessary. After
much wordsmithing and debate, a
proposed revision was presented to the
AMA Safety Committee, which reviewed
and tweaked the recommended changes.
Then the document was given to the
AMA’s Insurance Committee for
comment, after which it was submitted to
the Executive Council (EC) in July. Not
to be outdone, the EC made some
alterations of its own during the meeting.
The new Safety Code was adopted with
an effective date of January 1, 2010.
The Safety Code is presented in its
entirety on page 162. It will be included
in every club charter kit, on every
membership application, available on the
AMA Web site, and in poster form for
display at club fields.
Following is a review of the changes
that were made to the Safety Code.
Foremost, the definition of a model
aircraft should not be a numbered item in
the Code. Therefore, it was pulled and
made a general statement, with
adjustments to follow the terminology
used by the Aviation Rule Making
Committee in its recommendations to the
FAA.
In the “General” section:
• Paragraph 1 was moved up from the
body of the Code, because it is the most
significant paragraph and sets the tone
for the rest of the Code.
• Paragraph 2 was extracted from the
middle of paragraph 5 of the old Code
and moved up, to demonstrate its
importance to all modelers.
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
November 2009 9
It also
introduces
a new
term: “See
and
Avoid.”
This
technique
for ensuring the safety of other aircraft in
the National Airspace System (NAS) is
outlined in detail in a new PDF that can
be found in the documents section of the
AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/
files/540-D.pdf.
• Paragraph 5 added piloting skills and
intended maneuvers into the airworthiness
paragraph for sanctioned events and air
shows, and combined the old paragraph 3
from the “Radio Control” section.
• Paragraph 7 deleted reference to
tetranitromethane and hydrazine.
Although they are still hazardous for use,
they have gone out of favor and their
reference in the Code is antiquated.
• Paragraph 9 combined alcohol and drug
use into a single paragraph, and the eighthour
statement was deleted.
• Old paragraph 11 was deleted. This
does not mean that the flightline is a
playground for children younger than 6,
but it allows the parents, club officers,
and safety coordinators to establish their
own procedures.
In the “Radio Control” section:
• Paragraph 1 was changed for
grammatical reasons, with no change to
intent.
• Paragraph 2 added that the groundrange
check should be done in accordance
with manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Old paragraph 3 was deleted and
combined with “General” paragraph 9.
• Paragraph 7 added, “This does not
apply to aircraft flown indoors.”
• Paragraph 8 deleted reference to speed.
Clubs have no easy way to measure the
speed at night, and there is no conclusive
evidence that speed is more important
than pilot skills, wing loading, or
anything else in flying at night.
Changed wording from equipped with
lighting to “a lighting system must be
utilized that provides the pilot with a clear
view of the model’s attitude and
orientation at all times.” This allows
lighting from the ground. It also requires
aircraft, regardless of speed, to be
visible/controllable at all times, which
should self-regulate speed by requiring
better lighting for faster aircraft or slower
speed to stay within sight.
• Paragraph 9 added new terminology,
First Person View (FPV), used with this
technology.
• New documents are referenced
throughout the Code and are listed in the
document section on the Web site.
The goal of this round of changes was
to clean up the Safety Code so that it
better presents our program to modelers
and the FAA. As a part of the process,
there was an intent to shorten the overall
document, to make it easier to understand
and read. It is hoped that those efforts will
encourage modelers to follow the Safety
Code more closely and make it easier to
enforce.
The Safety Code will be reviewed
annually, and future changes will have the
same goal of shortening and
strengthening. They will also try to give
flexibility to modelers and clubs, to
incorporate new ideas and flying styles
into their modeling activities.
The EC and the Safety Committee want
to find ways to allow aeromodelers to have
fun in a safe manner, as opposed to saying no
because it is the easy thing to do.
Fly safely. MA
—Jim Rice
AMA Safety Committee Chairman
Safety Code
Amendments
for 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:42 PM Page 9
As announced on page 9 of the September
2009 MA, the AMA is planning to launch a
digital version of the flagship publication next
year. The staff is currently evaluating several
vendors that work with magazine publishers, to
provide this popular resource to Academy
members.
Based on an MA readership survey
conducted less than two years ago, a significant
percentage of respondents expressed an interest
in receiving a digital version of the magazine.
In the September “In the Air” write-up,
members were asked to provide their input.
Following are some of the comments we
received.
“I read with interest that AMA will go
digital next year and I’m excited about that.
I’m running out of space here in the house to
store them.”
“What a terrible idea! That would be the
worst thing you could possibly do. MA is a good
publication and the only one worth reading ... ”
“I would much prefer to receive Model
Aviation on the Net.”
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
25 Years Ago in MA: November 1984
• The cover shows Lisa and Kris Kopski
with three versions of Bob Kopski’s (their
dad’s) RC electric-powered Spectra (plans
set 457). It is unique in that the plans come
with the same fuselage and three versions of
the wing, so the model can be built for
sport, aerobatics, or soaring. The Spectra
uses six to eight cells and a 05-size motor.
• The Profile Dauntless SBD-3 (plans set
458) is this month’s CL building project by
Gerry Deneau. The .15 engine-powered
model has a 28.75-inch wingspan and
makes a great beginner aircraft for the Navy
Carrier event.
• John R. Walker brings us yesteryear’s
Sky Pursuit (plans set 459), which Joe Ott
designed. The little 23-inch-wingspan FF
model flies as well as it did in 1932—and
perhaps better, with today’s rubber.
• “The Fascinating World of Ornithopters”
is Kenneth B. Johnson’s interesting article
about flapping-wing aircraft that attempt to
emulate birds in flight. Ken describes some
of his experiences with these unique
machines.
• “Help Someone Join the Fun” is an
inspirational article by Joseph M. Nunes. In
it, he describes how he has been working
with young people in an attempt to lure
them into the hobby we love.
• Electronics buffs will enjoy the article
“Updating the Old Airtronics Frequency
Scanner” by Eloy Marez. He explains how
to change the circuits to handle all of the
new frequencies.
• Bob and Dolly
Wischer report on
the Scale World
Championships
with words and
many colorful
pictures. Paris,
France, was the site
of this year’s
contest. First place in RC was awarded to
David Masterton of Australia. Vladimir
Fedesov of Russia won the CL Scale class.
• The Flying Aces Nats was held in Utica,
Michigan, and it attracted fliers from
across the US and from Canada. Bill
Warner captures this event in words and
color. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
Beginning in the July 2009 issue, Jay Smith began authoring a bimonthly “About Us”
section in MA. It provides readers with a look behind the scenes of some of the companies,
brands, and organizations within our hobby.
Not only is “About Us” informative, but it also allows you to interact by answering trivia
questions. And doing so enters you in drawings to win prizes from each installment’s
featured company! Contest guidelines are featured on page 183 of this month’s issue.
Winners from the October issue’s feature, about 3D Hobby Shop, will be determined on
or before November 13, and entries will be accepted through October 31. In addition, you
can turn to page 140 of this month’s issue to read about Troy Built Models and have a
chance to win!
The winners of the Du-Bro contest, which ran in the July MA, are John W. Ribble (CA),
Robert Bostian (FL), Frank Fischer (FL), Charles H. Parish (FL), Brian Morris (MI),
Douglas Jackson (MO), Tom Dagostino (NJ), Bill Garrett (NC), Mark Taylor (OH), and
Michael L. Mosbrooker (WA). MA
—MA staff
First “About Us”
Winners Are
Announced!
“I voted no on the survey ... I do not want
to sit in front of a computer screen to read any
magazine. I want to sit in my easy chair with a
cup to sip.”
“I think a digital version of Model
Aviation is a fantastic idea. I would love to be
able to search past issues and easily find
information fast.”
“I think this (digital version of Model
Aviation) is a great idea and a good
illustration of forward thinking of the future of
MA.”
Members can follow an online discussion
about this on the AMA Community Forums at
www.modelaircraft.org/forums/tm.aspx?m=2
90. You must be a member and a registered
forum user to post comments.
What is a digital version of a magazine?
It’s the print version delivered to your desktop
computer and typically enhanced with
features commonly found in an online
environment.
Those features include keyword searches,
archiving, and hyperlinks to authors’ e-mail
addresses and advertisers’ Web sites. You can
search for a specific article and send it to a
friend, save that article or issue to your
desktop, or browse an issue by virtually
flipping the pages and selecting what to read
or bookmark for later.
Particular attention will be given to what
tools are available to connect MA to mobile
devices and several popular social media
outlets, including Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The Academy’s Publications staff plans to
have a live sample available for viewing
sometime this fall, with a full launch expected
in early 2010. By moving in this direction, the
AMA hopes to provide its membership with
an additional resource—one presented in a
format that is becoming more popular with
our members and readers in general.
This venture will also provide the
Academy with an opportunity to reduce two
of the largest expenses it incurs: printing and
mailing a magazine to the membership every
month. Look for updates about this exciting
project in future issues of MA. MA
—Rob Kurek
Director of Publications
Digital Version of MA to Be Launched in 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:43 PM Page 10
The first record was set when the entry list revealed 22 attending
national teams with 55 pilots plus their callers. Robbert van den Bosch
(Netherlands) set the second world record in Round Four; his model
took 56.33 seconds to complete the nominal 4-kilometer (km) distance
(10 laps, close to 2.5 miles)—equivalent to 255.64 km, or 158.85 mph.
The US team set the third record, occupying places 2 to 5 and easily
winning Gold in the team classification. The Silver-winning team from
the Netherlands was distanced by the eternity of 90 seconds and
demonstrating a different level of flying within a world of fractions of a
second.
In addition, Richard Verano (caller Robert Holik) won the Silver
Medal and Randy Bridge (caller Gary Freeman) won the Bronze in the
individual class. It’s no wonder US Team Manager Jim Allen was
pleased with the results, admitting to “Tough competition within an
exceptional event.”
The contest took place in Ballenstedt, Germany, on a huge grass
airfield that was first used in 1941, for teaching young members of the
“Hitler-Jugend” to control full-scale gliders. The original wooden
hangar served as the main premises.
The new tarmac runway of almost 1 km in length bore the main
racecourse and an extra training course. Plenty of space allowed a huge
angle of 23 team tents (one for 2007 World Champion Randy Bridge).
A new computerized signal system allowed a fast contest. More
than 280 heats were flown in 13 rounds spread over the four days,
which a World Championships schedule offers for races after all
registration, processing, and training.
The event director was German Hans-Joachim Schaller, who is well
known as a pilot. Newly elected FAI (CIAM) Subcommittee Chairman
Rob Metkemeijer of the Netherlands took the duty of a technical
director.
Many Pylon Racing experts from Netherlands and Germany
combined their manpower within the organization, to offer almost
perfect conditions (other than the weather) for the best RC Pylon
Racing pilots of the world.
They came from Guatemala, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and
Australia. First-time contestants were from Russia, Ukraine, and Qatar.
Besides the US guys, favorites were the Australians. But unhappy
Christopher Callow, world record holder since 2005 with 56.9 seconds,
got four times 200 points (pylon/start penalties) instead of his flight
time, tearing down his team to 8th place.
Germany almost shared Australia’s fate, when its best pilot—
Gerald Coors—scored three times the 200-point infringement, but
luckily he survived. So the hosting country’s team was happy, being
awarded the Bronze: Germany’s first medal in F3D in many years.
Beyond the crowd, individual Gold-winning Dutch pilot Robbert
van den Bosch reigned as king of the event. After Round Two, he
never lost his leading position. His second-best time (57.24 seconds)
still would have been the fastest of all heats.
America sent “the right stuff,” however cool Robbert represented
“the rightist.” The airline captain showed the same flying skills as the
US pilots; he piloted a 350 km-per-hour beast at precisely 5 meters
high around a triangle pylon course, as a CL pilot does with his
Stunter.
Robbert’s aircraft is unique, using a special airfoil in combination
with flaps, reducing the elevator’s drag during the tight turns. Several
chairs of technical universities in Europe contributed to the fastestracing
model aircraft ever seen in an FAI event.
For more information about the 2009 F3D World Championships,
go to www.wcf3d.de. In 2011, the F3D community will meet in
Australia. MA
—Gerhard Wöbbeking
www.woebbeking.de
INtheAIR
November 2009 11
2009 F3D World
Championships:
Faster, Bigger, Tougher
The winning US team (standing): Team Manager Jim Allen, Randy
Bridge, caller Robert Holik (kneeling), Travis Flynn, Gary Freeman,
Richard Verano.
Orange forever! The Dutch celebrate their
Pylon Racing king, Robbert van den Bosch. Robert Holik and Richard Verano fuel.
Randy Bridge launches Travis Flynn’s
Grim Reaper.
Left: The fight continues after the race:
winning teams with champagne.
Above: Randy Bridge about to start his
engine, with Gary Freeman as his caller. At
starting position 2 is Marcelino Tomas of
Portugal (caller José Guilherme). At 1 is
Robbert van den Bosch with caller Peter van
Doesburg. The race starter is Ray van de
Klok of the Netherlands.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 11
You never know when the
background noise of talk radio will lead
to something unexpected. For Ernie
Faulkner, a member of the Arizona
Model Pilots Society (AMPS), that
happened while he was listening to an
interview involving a local children’s
hospital and some kids with serious
medical challenges.
After hearing the radio segment,
Ernie asked himself how he could have
an impact on their lives. A couple of
phone calls later, he was in contact with
the event coordinator of the Arizona
Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mark
Korthals.
According to the group’s Web site, it
began in 1980 with the wish of a little
boy from Phoenix, Arizona, who had
leukemia. The foundation has grown to
become the world’s largest wishgranting
organization, with 72 chapters
in the US and its territories.
Ernie and Mark discussed hosting a
family affair at the AMPS model
airfield, where the Make-A-Wish kids
and their siblings could have the
opportunity to fly model aircraft and
examine other models up close.
AMPS members were instantly
excited about the idea. The date was set
and plans were made.
A club board member made use of
his ample contacts list and obtained a
commitment from the Deer Valley
Airport Restaurant, which is near the
club field, to provide food for the event.
A couple of local businesses provided
small balsa gliders for each of the kids,
and club members signed up for setup,
kitchen, parking, and flying duties.
The forecast for April 25, 2009, was
for gusty conditions. Club members
arrived early for setup and were ready to
go when the first guests arrived slightly
earlier than planned. Great timing! By
INtheAIR
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMPS Holds Make-A-Wish Event
Established in 1969, the Model Aviation Hall of Fame honors those men and women who have made significant contributions to
the sport of aeromodeling.
The list of members is long and distinguished. These people have made contributions to model aviation through volunteer or
administrative activities, product development, competition performance, or a variety or combination of activities.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is composed of past AMA presidents and one Hall of Fame member selected from each of
the 11 districts by the respective vice president. Each year, a new class is inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and the
winners are announced in MA. Anyone may submit a Hall of Fame nomination form.
For a nomination form or further information, contact Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-1256, ext. 272, or find the current form online at
www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx. The document is 152. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Nominate an Outstanding Member for AMA’s Hall of Fame
the time the wind became a bit of a
problem, more than 50 Make-A-Wish kids
and their brothers and sisters had flown
model aircraft.
Using club and club members’ trainers
and buddy boxes, as many as five flight
stations were in use throughout the
morning. Each child got to take the
controls for five to seven minutes. Besides
the guest pilot, each station had a model
pilot-in-command (a club instructor) and a
safety observer/helper.
The excitement and enthusiasm were
easy to measure by the smiles of the kids
and their parents. Club members laughed
about one little guy who, throughout the
course of the morning, queued up at each
of the flight stations saying that he didn’t
remember if he had flown yet. It didn’t
matter; there were both time and airplanes
to handle his wish for the day.
As the morning came to a close, the
wind came up. What do to then? Have
lunch! The kitchen team had burgers, hot
dogs, and the trays full of potato salad and
slaw from our restaurant sponsor.
Thanks to all
who made this a
great event,
including the
Arizona Make-AWish
Foundation
for registration and
supervision, Deer
Valley Airport
Restaurant for the
food, friends of the
club for the kids’
gliders, and AMPS
members for the
people power and
airplanes to make
it all happen. MA
—John Laird
AMPS Board
Member
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 12
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12
The Academy’s Safety Code is the
cornerstone of our national safety
program and is the foundation upon
which our organization is anchored. As
such, it requires occasional revisions to
keep up with changes in technology and
lessons learned.
As the AMA National Model Aircraft
Safety Code workgroup reviewed all of
our programs in preparation for
presentation to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), some
modifications seemed necessary. After
much wordsmithing and debate, a
proposed revision was presented to the
AMA Safety Committee, which reviewed
and tweaked the recommended changes.
Then the document was given to the
AMA’s Insurance Committee for
comment, after which it was submitted to
the Executive Council (EC) in July. Not
to be outdone, the EC made some
alterations of its own during the meeting.
The new Safety Code was adopted with
an effective date of January 1, 2010.
The Safety Code is presented in its
entirety on page 162. It will be included
in every club charter kit, on every
membership application, available on the
AMA Web site, and in poster form for
display at club fields.
Following is a review of the changes
that were made to the Safety Code.
Foremost, the definition of a model
aircraft should not be a numbered item in
the Code. Therefore, it was pulled and
made a general statement, with
adjustments to follow the terminology
used by the Aviation Rule Making
Committee in its recommendations to the
FAA.
In the “General” section:
• Paragraph 1 was moved up from the
body of the Code, because it is the most
significant paragraph and sets the tone
for the rest of the Code.
• Paragraph 2 was extracted from the
middle of paragraph 5 of the old Code
and moved up, to demonstrate its
importance to all modelers.
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
November 2009 9
It also
introduces
a new
term: “See
and
Avoid.”
This
technique
for ensuring the safety of other aircraft in
the National Airspace System (NAS) is
outlined in detail in a new PDF that can
be found in the documents section of the
AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/
files/540-D.pdf.
• Paragraph 5 added piloting skills and
intended maneuvers into the airworthiness
paragraph for sanctioned events and air
shows, and combined the old paragraph 3
from the “Radio Control” section.
• Paragraph 7 deleted reference to
tetranitromethane and hydrazine.
Although they are still hazardous for use,
they have gone out of favor and their
reference in the Code is antiquated.
• Paragraph 9 combined alcohol and drug
use into a single paragraph, and the eighthour
statement was deleted.
• Old paragraph 11 was deleted. This
does not mean that the flightline is a
playground for children younger than 6,
but it allows the parents, club officers,
and safety coordinators to establish their
own procedures.
In the “Radio Control” section:
• Paragraph 1 was changed for
grammatical reasons, with no change to
intent.
• Paragraph 2 added that the groundrange
check should be done in accordance
with manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Old paragraph 3 was deleted and
combined with “General” paragraph 9.
• Paragraph 7 added, “This does not
apply to aircraft flown indoors.”
• Paragraph 8 deleted reference to speed.
Clubs have no easy way to measure the
speed at night, and there is no conclusive
evidence that speed is more important
than pilot skills, wing loading, or
anything else in flying at night.
Changed wording from equipped with
lighting to “a lighting system must be
utilized that provides the pilot with a clear
view of the model’s attitude and
orientation at all times.” This allows
lighting from the ground. It also requires
aircraft, regardless of speed, to be
visible/controllable at all times, which
should self-regulate speed by requiring
better lighting for faster aircraft or slower
speed to stay within sight.
• Paragraph 9 added new terminology,
First Person View (FPV), used with this
technology.
• New documents are referenced
throughout the Code and are listed in the
document section on the Web site.
The goal of this round of changes was
to clean up the Safety Code so that it
better presents our program to modelers
and the FAA. As a part of the process,
there was an intent to shorten the overall
document, to make it easier to understand
and read. It is hoped that those efforts will
encourage modelers to follow the Safety
Code more closely and make it easier to
enforce.
The Safety Code will be reviewed
annually, and future changes will have the
same goal of shortening and
strengthening. They will also try to give
flexibility to modelers and clubs, to
incorporate new ideas and flying styles
into their modeling activities.
The EC and the Safety Committee want
to find ways to allow aeromodelers to have
fun in a safe manner, as opposed to saying no
because it is the easy thing to do.
Fly safely. MA
—Jim Rice
AMA Safety Committee Chairman
Safety Code
Amendments
for 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:42 PM Page 9
As announced on page 9 of the September
2009 MA, the AMA is planning to launch a
digital version of the flagship publication next
year. The staff is currently evaluating several
vendors that work with magazine publishers, to
provide this popular resource to Academy
members.
Based on an MA readership survey
conducted less than two years ago, a significant
percentage of respondents expressed an interest
in receiving a digital version of the magazine.
In the September “In the Air” write-up,
members were asked to provide their input.
Following are some of the comments we
received.
“I read with interest that AMA will go
digital next year and I’m excited about that.
I’m running out of space here in the house to
store them.”
“What a terrible idea! That would be the
worst thing you could possibly do. MA is a good
publication and the only one worth reading ... ”
“I would much prefer to receive Model
Aviation on the Net.”
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
25 Years Ago in MA: November 1984
• The cover shows Lisa and Kris Kopski
with three versions of Bob Kopski’s (their
dad’s) RC electric-powered Spectra (plans
set 457). It is unique in that the plans come
with the same fuselage and three versions of
the wing, so the model can be built for
sport, aerobatics, or soaring. The Spectra
uses six to eight cells and a 05-size motor.
• The Profile Dauntless SBD-3 (plans set
458) is this month’s CL building project by
Gerry Deneau. The .15 engine-powered
model has a 28.75-inch wingspan and
makes a great beginner aircraft for the Navy
Carrier event.
• John R. Walker brings us yesteryear’s
Sky Pursuit (plans set 459), which Joe Ott
designed. The little 23-inch-wingspan FF
model flies as well as it did in 1932—and
perhaps better, with today’s rubber.
• “The Fascinating World of Ornithopters”
is Kenneth B. Johnson’s interesting article
about flapping-wing aircraft that attempt to
emulate birds in flight. Ken describes some
of his experiences with these unique
machines.
• “Help Someone Join the Fun” is an
inspirational article by Joseph M. Nunes. In
it, he describes how he has been working
with young people in an attempt to lure
them into the hobby we love.
• Electronics buffs will enjoy the article
“Updating the Old Airtronics Frequency
Scanner” by Eloy Marez. He explains how
to change the circuits to handle all of the
new frequencies.
• Bob and Dolly
Wischer report on
the Scale World
Championships
with words and
many colorful
pictures. Paris,
France, was the site
of this year’s
contest. First place in RC was awarded to
David Masterton of Australia. Vladimir
Fedesov of Russia won the CL Scale class.
• The Flying Aces Nats was held in Utica,
Michigan, and it attracted fliers from
across the US and from Canada. Bill
Warner captures this event in words and
color. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
Beginning in the July 2009 issue, Jay Smith began authoring a bimonthly “About Us”
section in MA. It provides readers with a look behind the scenes of some of the companies,
brands, and organizations within our hobby.
Not only is “About Us” informative, but it also allows you to interact by answering trivia
questions. And doing so enters you in drawings to win prizes from each installment’s
featured company! Contest guidelines are featured on page 183 of this month’s issue.
Winners from the October issue’s feature, about 3D Hobby Shop, will be determined on
or before November 13, and entries will be accepted through October 31. In addition, you
can turn to page 140 of this month’s issue to read about Troy Built Models and have a
chance to win!
The winners of the Du-Bro contest, which ran in the July MA, are John W. Ribble (CA),
Robert Bostian (FL), Frank Fischer (FL), Charles H. Parish (FL), Brian Morris (MI),
Douglas Jackson (MO), Tom Dagostino (NJ), Bill Garrett (NC), Mark Taylor (OH), and
Michael L. Mosbrooker (WA). MA
—MA staff
First “About Us”
Winners Are
Announced!
“I voted no on the survey ... I do not want
to sit in front of a computer screen to read any
magazine. I want to sit in my easy chair with a
cup to sip.”
“I think a digital version of Model
Aviation is a fantastic idea. I would love to be
able to search past issues and easily find
information fast.”
“I think this (digital version of Model
Aviation) is a great idea and a good
illustration of forward thinking of the future of
MA.”
Members can follow an online discussion
about this on the AMA Community Forums at
www.modelaircraft.org/forums/tm.aspx?m=2
90. You must be a member and a registered
forum user to post comments.
What is a digital version of a magazine?
It’s the print version delivered to your desktop
computer and typically enhanced with
features commonly found in an online
environment.
Those features include keyword searches,
archiving, and hyperlinks to authors’ e-mail
addresses and advertisers’ Web sites. You can
search for a specific article and send it to a
friend, save that article or issue to your
desktop, or browse an issue by virtually
flipping the pages and selecting what to read
or bookmark for later.
Particular attention will be given to what
tools are available to connect MA to mobile
devices and several popular social media
outlets, including Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The Academy’s Publications staff plans to
have a live sample available for viewing
sometime this fall, with a full launch expected
in early 2010. By moving in this direction, the
AMA hopes to provide its membership with
an additional resource—one presented in a
format that is becoming more popular with
our members and readers in general.
This venture will also provide the
Academy with an opportunity to reduce two
of the largest expenses it incurs: printing and
mailing a magazine to the membership every
month. Look for updates about this exciting
project in future issues of MA. MA
—Rob Kurek
Director of Publications
Digital Version of MA to Be Launched in 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:43 PM Page 10
The first record was set when the entry list revealed 22 attending
national teams with 55 pilots plus their callers. Robbert van den Bosch
(Netherlands) set the second world record in Round Four; his model
took 56.33 seconds to complete the nominal 4-kilometer (km) distance
(10 laps, close to 2.5 miles)—equivalent to 255.64 km, or 158.85 mph.
The US team set the third record, occupying places 2 to 5 and easily
winning Gold in the team classification. The Silver-winning team from
the Netherlands was distanced by the eternity of 90 seconds and
demonstrating a different level of flying within a world of fractions of a
second.
In addition, Richard Verano (caller Robert Holik) won the Silver
Medal and Randy Bridge (caller Gary Freeman) won the Bronze in the
individual class. It’s no wonder US Team Manager Jim Allen was
pleased with the results, admitting to “Tough competition within an
exceptional event.”
The contest took place in Ballenstedt, Germany, on a huge grass
airfield that was first used in 1941, for teaching young members of the
“Hitler-Jugend” to control full-scale gliders. The original wooden
hangar served as the main premises.
The new tarmac runway of almost 1 km in length bore the main
racecourse and an extra training course. Plenty of space allowed a huge
angle of 23 team tents (one for 2007 World Champion Randy Bridge).
A new computerized signal system allowed a fast contest. More
than 280 heats were flown in 13 rounds spread over the four days,
which a World Championships schedule offers for races after all
registration, processing, and training.
The event director was German Hans-Joachim Schaller, who is well
known as a pilot. Newly elected FAI (CIAM) Subcommittee Chairman
Rob Metkemeijer of the Netherlands took the duty of a technical
director.
Many Pylon Racing experts from Netherlands and Germany
combined their manpower within the organization, to offer almost
perfect conditions (other than the weather) for the best RC Pylon
Racing pilots of the world.
They came from Guatemala, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and
Australia. First-time contestants were from Russia, Ukraine, and Qatar.
Besides the US guys, favorites were the Australians. But unhappy
Christopher Callow, world record holder since 2005 with 56.9 seconds,
got four times 200 points (pylon/start penalties) instead of his flight
time, tearing down his team to 8th place.
Germany almost shared Australia’s fate, when its best pilot—
Gerald Coors—scored three times the 200-point infringement, but
luckily he survived. So the hosting country’s team was happy, being
awarded the Bronze: Germany’s first medal in F3D in many years.
Beyond the crowd, individual Gold-winning Dutch pilot Robbert
van den Bosch reigned as king of the event. After Round Two, he
never lost his leading position. His second-best time (57.24 seconds)
still would have been the fastest of all heats.
America sent “the right stuff,” however cool Robbert represented
“the rightist.” The airline captain showed the same flying skills as the
US pilots; he piloted a 350 km-per-hour beast at precisely 5 meters
high around a triangle pylon course, as a CL pilot does with his
Stunter.
Robbert’s aircraft is unique, using a special airfoil in combination
with flaps, reducing the elevator’s drag during the tight turns. Several
chairs of technical universities in Europe contributed to the fastestracing
model aircraft ever seen in an FAI event.
For more information about the 2009 F3D World Championships,
go to www.wcf3d.de. In 2011, the F3D community will meet in
Australia. MA
—Gerhard Wöbbeking
www.woebbeking.de
INtheAIR
November 2009 11
2009 F3D World
Championships:
Faster, Bigger, Tougher
The winning US team (standing): Team Manager Jim Allen, Randy
Bridge, caller Robert Holik (kneeling), Travis Flynn, Gary Freeman,
Richard Verano.
Orange forever! The Dutch celebrate their
Pylon Racing king, Robbert van den Bosch. Robert Holik and Richard Verano fuel.
Randy Bridge launches Travis Flynn’s
Grim Reaper.
Left: The fight continues after the race:
winning teams with champagne.
Above: Randy Bridge about to start his
engine, with Gary Freeman as his caller. At
starting position 2 is Marcelino Tomas of
Portugal (caller José Guilherme). At 1 is
Robbert van den Bosch with caller Peter van
Doesburg. The race starter is Ray van de
Klok of the Netherlands.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 11
You never know when the
background noise of talk radio will lead
to something unexpected. For Ernie
Faulkner, a member of the Arizona
Model Pilots Society (AMPS), that
happened while he was listening to an
interview involving a local children’s
hospital and some kids with serious
medical challenges.
After hearing the radio segment,
Ernie asked himself how he could have
an impact on their lives. A couple of
phone calls later, he was in contact with
the event coordinator of the Arizona
Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mark
Korthals.
According to the group’s Web site, it
began in 1980 with the wish of a little
boy from Phoenix, Arizona, who had
leukemia. The foundation has grown to
become the world’s largest wishgranting
organization, with 72 chapters
in the US and its territories.
Ernie and Mark discussed hosting a
family affair at the AMPS model
airfield, where the Make-A-Wish kids
and their siblings could have the
opportunity to fly model aircraft and
examine other models up close.
AMPS members were instantly
excited about the idea. The date was set
and plans were made.
A club board member made use of
his ample contacts list and obtained a
commitment from the Deer Valley
Airport Restaurant, which is near the
club field, to provide food for the event.
A couple of local businesses provided
small balsa gliders for each of the kids,
and club members signed up for setup,
kitchen, parking, and flying duties.
The forecast for April 25, 2009, was
for gusty conditions. Club members
arrived early for setup and were ready to
go when the first guests arrived slightly
earlier than planned. Great timing! By
INtheAIR
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMPS Holds Make-A-Wish Event
Established in 1969, the Model Aviation Hall of Fame honors those men and women who have made significant contributions to
the sport of aeromodeling.
The list of members is long and distinguished. These people have made contributions to model aviation through volunteer or
administrative activities, product development, competition performance, or a variety or combination of activities.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is composed of past AMA presidents and one Hall of Fame member selected from each of
the 11 districts by the respective vice president. Each year, a new class is inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and the
winners are announced in MA. Anyone may submit a Hall of Fame nomination form.
For a nomination form or further information, contact Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-1256, ext. 272, or find the current form online at
www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx. The document is 152. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Nominate an Outstanding Member for AMA’s Hall of Fame
the time the wind became a bit of a
problem, more than 50 Make-A-Wish kids
and their brothers and sisters had flown
model aircraft.
Using club and club members’ trainers
and buddy boxes, as many as five flight
stations were in use throughout the
morning. Each child got to take the
controls for five to seven minutes. Besides
the guest pilot, each station had a model
pilot-in-command (a club instructor) and a
safety observer/helper.
The excitement and enthusiasm were
easy to measure by the smiles of the kids
and their parents. Club members laughed
about one little guy who, throughout the
course of the morning, queued up at each
of the flight stations saying that he didn’t
remember if he had flown yet. It didn’t
matter; there were both time and airplanes
to handle his wish for the day.
As the morning came to a close, the
wind came up. What do to then? Have
lunch! The kitchen team had burgers, hot
dogs, and the trays full of potato salad and
slaw from our restaurant sponsor.
Thanks to all
who made this a
great event,
including the
Arizona Make-AWish
Foundation
for registration and
supervision, Deer
Valley Airport
Restaurant for the
food, friends of the
club for the kids’
gliders, and AMPS
members for the
people power and
airplanes to make
it all happen. MA
—John Laird
AMPS Board
Member
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 12
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12
The Academy’s Safety Code is the
cornerstone of our national safety
program and is the foundation upon
which our organization is anchored. As
such, it requires occasional revisions to
keep up with changes in technology and
lessons learned.
As the AMA National Model Aircraft
Safety Code workgroup reviewed all of
our programs in preparation for
presentation to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), some
modifications seemed necessary. After
much wordsmithing and debate, a
proposed revision was presented to the
AMA Safety Committee, which reviewed
and tweaked the recommended changes.
Then the document was given to the
AMA’s Insurance Committee for
comment, after which it was submitted to
the Executive Council (EC) in July. Not
to be outdone, the EC made some
alterations of its own during the meeting.
The new Safety Code was adopted with
an effective date of January 1, 2010.
The Safety Code is presented in its
entirety on page 162. It will be included
in every club charter kit, on every
membership application, available on the
AMA Web site, and in poster form for
display at club fields.
Following is a review of the changes
that were made to the Safety Code.
Foremost, the definition of a model
aircraft should not be a numbered item in
the Code. Therefore, it was pulled and
made a general statement, with
adjustments to follow the terminology
used by the Aviation Rule Making
Committee in its recommendations to the
FAA.
In the “General” section:
• Paragraph 1 was moved up from the
body of the Code, because it is the most
significant paragraph and sets the tone
for the rest of the Code.
• Paragraph 2 was extracted from the
middle of paragraph 5 of the old Code
and moved up, to demonstrate its
importance to all modelers.
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
November 2009 9
It also
introduces
a new
term: “See
and
Avoid.”
This
technique
for ensuring the safety of other aircraft in
the National Airspace System (NAS) is
outlined in detail in a new PDF that can
be found in the documents section of the
AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/
files/540-D.pdf.
• Paragraph 5 added piloting skills and
intended maneuvers into the airworthiness
paragraph for sanctioned events and air
shows, and combined the old paragraph 3
from the “Radio Control” section.
• Paragraph 7 deleted reference to
tetranitromethane and hydrazine.
Although they are still hazardous for use,
they have gone out of favor and their
reference in the Code is antiquated.
• Paragraph 9 combined alcohol and drug
use into a single paragraph, and the eighthour
statement was deleted.
• Old paragraph 11 was deleted. This
does not mean that the flightline is a
playground for children younger than 6,
but it allows the parents, club officers,
and safety coordinators to establish their
own procedures.
In the “Radio Control” section:
• Paragraph 1 was changed for
grammatical reasons, with no change to
intent.
• Paragraph 2 added that the groundrange
check should be done in accordance
with manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Old paragraph 3 was deleted and
combined with “General” paragraph 9.
• Paragraph 7 added, “This does not
apply to aircraft flown indoors.”
• Paragraph 8 deleted reference to speed.
Clubs have no easy way to measure the
speed at night, and there is no conclusive
evidence that speed is more important
than pilot skills, wing loading, or
anything else in flying at night.
Changed wording from equipped with
lighting to “a lighting system must be
utilized that provides the pilot with a clear
view of the model’s attitude and
orientation at all times.” This allows
lighting from the ground. It also requires
aircraft, regardless of speed, to be
visible/controllable at all times, which
should self-regulate speed by requiring
better lighting for faster aircraft or slower
speed to stay within sight.
• Paragraph 9 added new terminology,
First Person View (FPV), used with this
technology.
• New documents are referenced
throughout the Code and are listed in the
document section on the Web site.
The goal of this round of changes was
to clean up the Safety Code so that it
better presents our program to modelers
and the FAA. As a part of the process,
there was an intent to shorten the overall
document, to make it easier to understand
and read. It is hoped that those efforts will
encourage modelers to follow the Safety
Code more closely and make it easier to
enforce.
The Safety Code will be reviewed
annually, and future changes will have the
same goal of shortening and
strengthening. They will also try to give
flexibility to modelers and clubs, to
incorporate new ideas and flying styles
into their modeling activities.
The EC and the Safety Committee want
to find ways to allow aeromodelers to have
fun in a safe manner, as opposed to saying no
because it is the easy thing to do.
Fly safely. MA
—Jim Rice
AMA Safety Committee Chairman
Safety Code
Amendments
for 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:42 PM Page 9
As announced on page 9 of the September
2009 MA, the AMA is planning to launch a
digital version of the flagship publication next
year. The staff is currently evaluating several
vendors that work with magazine publishers, to
provide this popular resource to Academy
members.
Based on an MA readership survey
conducted less than two years ago, a significant
percentage of respondents expressed an interest
in receiving a digital version of the magazine.
In the September “In the Air” write-up,
members were asked to provide their input.
Following are some of the comments we
received.
“I read with interest that AMA will go
digital next year and I’m excited about that.
I’m running out of space here in the house to
store them.”
“What a terrible idea! That would be the
worst thing you could possibly do. MA is a good
publication and the only one worth reading ... ”
“I would much prefer to receive Model
Aviation on the Net.”
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
25 Years Ago in MA: November 1984
• The cover shows Lisa and Kris Kopski
with three versions of Bob Kopski’s (their
dad’s) RC electric-powered Spectra (plans
set 457). It is unique in that the plans come
with the same fuselage and three versions of
the wing, so the model can be built for
sport, aerobatics, or soaring. The Spectra
uses six to eight cells and a 05-size motor.
• The Profile Dauntless SBD-3 (plans set
458) is this month’s CL building project by
Gerry Deneau. The .15 engine-powered
model has a 28.75-inch wingspan and
makes a great beginner aircraft for the Navy
Carrier event.
• John R. Walker brings us yesteryear’s
Sky Pursuit (plans set 459), which Joe Ott
designed. The little 23-inch-wingspan FF
model flies as well as it did in 1932—and
perhaps better, with today’s rubber.
• “The Fascinating World of Ornithopters”
is Kenneth B. Johnson’s interesting article
about flapping-wing aircraft that attempt to
emulate birds in flight. Ken describes some
of his experiences with these unique
machines.
• “Help Someone Join the Fun” is an
inspirational article by Joseph M. Nunes. In
it, he describes how he has been working
with young people in an attempt to lure
them into the hobby we love.
• Electronics buffs will enjoy the article
“Updating the Old Airtronics Frequency
Scanner” by Eloy Marez. He explains how
to change the circuits to handle all of the
new frequencies.
• Bob and Dolly
Wischer report on
the Scale World
Championships
with words and
many colorful
pictures. Paris,
France, was the site
of this year’s
contest. First place in RC was awarded to
David Masterton of Australia. Vladimir
Fedesov of Russia won the CL Scale class.
• The Flying Aces Nats was held in Utica,
Michigan, and it attracted fliers from
across the US and from Canada. Bill
Warner captures this event in words and
color. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
Beginning in the July 2009 issue, Jay Smith began authoring a bimonthly “About Us”
section in MA. It provides readers with a look behind the scenes of some of the companies,
brands, and organizations within our hobby.
Not only is “About Us” informative, but it also allows you to interact by answering trivia
questions. And doing so enters you in drawings to win prizes from each installment’s
featured company! Contest guidelines are featured on page 183 of this month’s issue.
Winners from the October issue’s feature, about 3D Hobby Shop, will be determined on
or before November 13, and entries will be accepted through October 31. In addition, you
can turn to page 140 of this month’s issue to read about Troy Built Models and have a
chance to win!
The winners of the Du-Bro contest, which ran in the July MA, are John W. Ribble (CA),
Robert Bostian (FL), Frank Fischer (FL), Charles H. Parish (FL), Brian Morris (MI),
Douglas Jackson (MO), Tom Dagostino (NJ), Bill Garrett (NC), Mark Taylor (OH), and
Michael L. Mosbrooker (WA). MA
—MA staff
First “About Us”
Winners Are
Announced!
“I voted no on the survey ... I do not want
to sit in front of a computer screen to read any
magazine. I want to sit in my easy chair with a
cup to sip.”
“I think a digital version of Model
Aviation is a fantastic idea. I would love to be
able to search past issues and easily find
information fast.”
“I think this (digital version of Model
Aviation) is a great idea and a good
illustration of forward thinking of the future of
MA.”
Members can follow an online discussion
about this on the AMA Community Forums at
www.modelaircraft.org/forums/tm.aspx?m=2
90. You must be a member and a registered
forum user to post comments.
What is a digital version of a magazine?
It’s the print version delivered to your desktop
computer and typically enhanced with
features commonly found in an online
environment.
Those features include keyword searches,
archiving, and hyperlinks to authors’ e-mail
addresses and advertisers’ Web sites. You can
search for a specific article and send it to a
friend, save that article or issue to your
desktop, or browse an issue by virtually
flipping the pages and selecting what to read
or bookmark for later.
Particular attention will be given to what
tools are available to connect MA to mobile
devices and several popular social media
outlets, including Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The Academy’s Publications staff plans to
have a live sample available for viewing
sometime this fall, with a full launch expected
in early 2010. By moving in this direction, the
AMA hopes to provide its membership with
an additional resource—one presented in a
format that is becoming more popular with
our members and readers in general.
This venture will also provide the
Academy with an opportunity to reduce two
of the largest expenses it incurs: printing and
mailing a magazine to the membership every
month. Look for updates about this exciting
project in future issues of MA. MA
—Rob Kurek
Director of Publications
Digital Version of MA to Be Launched in 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:43 PM Page 10
The first record was set when the entry list revealed 22 attending
national teams with 55 pilots plus their callers. Robbert van den Bosch
(Netherlands) set the second world record in Round Four; his model
took 56.33 seconds to complete the nominal 4-kilometer (km) distance
(10 laps, close to 2.5 miles)—equivalent to 255.64 km, or 158.85 mph.
The US team set the third record, occupying places 2 to 5 and easily
winning Gold in the team classification. The Silver-winning team from
the Netherlands was distanced by the eternity of 90 seconds and
demonstrating a different level of flying within a world of fractions of a
second.
In addition, Richard Verano (caller Robert Holik) won the Silver
Medal and Randy Bridge (caller Gary Freeman) won the Bronze in the
individual class. It’s no wonder US Team Manager Jim Allen was
pleased with the results, admitting to “Tough competition within an
exceptional event.”
The contest took place in Ballenstedt, Germany, on a huge grass
airfield that was first used in 1941, for teaching young members of the
“Hitler-Jugend” to control full-scale gliders. The original wooden
hangar served as the main premises.
The new tarmac runway of almost 1 km in length bore the main
racecourse and an extra training course. Plenty of space allowed a huge
angle of 23 team tents (one for 2007 World Champion Randy Bridge).
A new computerized signal system allowed a fast contest. More
than 280 heats were flown in 13 rounds spread over the four days,
which a World Championships schedule offers for races after all
registration, processing, and training.
The event director was German Hans-Joachim Schaller, who is well
known as a pilot. Newly elected FAI (CIAM) Subcommittee Chairman
Rob Metkemeijer of the Netherlands took the duty of a technical
director.
Many Pylon Racing experts from Netherlands and Germany
combined their manpower within the organization, to offer almost
perfect conditions (other than the weather) for the best RC Pylon
Racing pilots of the world.
They came from Guatemala, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and
Australia. First-time contestants were from Russia, Ukraine, and Qatar.
Besides the US guys, favorites were the Australians. But unhappy
Christopher Callow, world record holder since 2005 with 56.9 seconds,
got four times 200 points (pylon/start penalties) instead of his flight
time, tearing down his team to 8th place.
Germany almost shared Australia’s fate, when its best pilot—
Gerald Coors—scored three times the 200-point infringement, but
luckily he survived. So the hosting country’s team was happy, being
awarded the Bronze: Germany’s first medal in F3D in many years.
Beyond the crowd, individual Gold-winning Dutch pilot Robbert
van den Bosch reigned as king of the event. After Round Two, he
never lost his leading position. His second-best time (57.24 seconds)
still would have been the fastest of all heats.
America sent “the right stuff,” however cool Robbert represented
“the rightist.” The airline captain showed the same flying skills as the
US pilots; he piloted a 350 km-per-hour beast at precisely 5 meters
high around a triangle pylon course, as a CL pilot does with his
Stunter.
Robbert’s aircraft is unique, using a special airfoil in combination
with flaps, reducing the elevator’s drag during the tight turns. Several
chairs of technical universities in Europe contributed to the fastestracing
model aircraft ever seen in an FAI event.
For more information about the 2009 F3D World Championships,
go to www.wcf3d.de. In 2011, the F3D community will meet in
Australia. MA
—Gerhard Wöbbeking
www.woebbeking.de
INtheAIR
November 2009 11
2009 F3D World
Championships:
Faster, Bigger, Tougher
The winning US team (standing): Team Manager Jim Allen, Randy
Bridge, caller Robert Holik (kneeling), Travis Flynn, Gary Freeman,
Richard Verano.
Orange forever! The Dutch celebrate their
Pylon Racing king, Robbert van den Bosch. Robert Holik and Richard Verano fuel.
Randy Bridge launches Travis Flynn’s
Grim Reaper.
Left: The fight continues after the race:
winning teams with champagne.
Above: Randy Bridge about to start his
engine, with Gary Freeman as his caller. At
starting position 2 is Marcelino Tomas of
Portugal (caller José Guilherme). At 1 is
Robbert van den Bosch with caller Peter van
Doesburg. The race starter is Ray van de
Klok of the Netherlands.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 11
You never know when the
background noise of talk radio will lead
to something unexpected. For Ernie
Faulkner, a member of the Arizona
Model Pilots Society (AMPS), that
happened while he was listening to an
interview involving a local children’s
hospital and some kids with serious
medical challenges.
After hearing the radio segment,
Ernie asked himself how he could have
an impact on their lives. A couple of
phone calls later, he was in contact with
the event coordinator of the Arizona
Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mark
Korthals.
According to the group’s Web site, it
began in 1980 with the wish of a little
boy from Phoenix, Arizona, who had
leukemia. The foundation has grown to
become the world’s largest wishgranting
organization, with 72 chapters
in the US and its territories.
Ernie and Mark discussed hosting a
family affair at the AMPS model
airfield, where the Make-A-Wish kids
and their siblings could have the
opportunity to fly model aircraft and
examine other models up close.
AMPS members were instantly
excited about the idea. The date was set
and plans were made.
A club board member made use of
his ample contacts list and obtained a
commitment from the Deer Valley
Airport Restaurant, which is near the
club field, to provide food for the event.
A couple of local businesses provided
small balsa gliders for each of the kids,
and club members signed up for setup,
kitchen, parking, and flying duties.
The forecast for April 25, 2009, was
for gusty conditions. Club members
arrived early for setup and were ready to
go when the first guests arrived slightly
earlier than planned. Great timing! By
INtheAIR
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMPS Holds Make-A-Wish Event
Established in 1969, the Model Aviation Hall of Fame honors those men and women who have made significant contributions to
the sport of aeromodeling.
The list of members is long and distinguished. These people have made contributions to model aviation through volunteer or
administrative activities, product development, competition performance, or a variety or combination of activities.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is composed of past AMA presidents and one Hall of Fame member selected from each of
the 11 districts by the respective vice president. Each year, a new class is inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and the
winners are announced in MA. Anyone may submit a Hall of Fame nomination form.
For a nomination form or further information, contact Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-1256, ext. 272, or find the current form online at
www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx. The document is 152. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Nominate an Outstanding Member for AMA’s Hall of Fame
the time the wind became a bit of a
problem, more than 50 Make-A-Wish kids
and their brothers and sisters had flown
model aircraft.
Using club and club members’ trainers
and buddy boxes, as many as five flight
stations were in use throughout the
morning. Each child got to take the
controls for five to seven minutes. Besides
the guest pilot, each station had a model
pilot-in-command (a club instructor) and a
safety observer/helper.
The excitement and enthusiasm were
easy to measure by the smiles of the kids
and their parents. Club members laughed
about one little guy who, throughout the
course of the morning, queued up at each
of the flight stations saying that he didn’t
remember if he had flown yet. It didn’t
matter; there were both time and airplanes
to handle his wish for the day.
As the morning came to a close, the
wind came up. What do to then? Have
lunch! The kitchen team had burgers, hot
dogs, and the trays full of potato salad and
slaw from our restaurant sponsor.
Thanks to all
who made this a
great event,
including the
Arizona Make-AWish
Foundation
for registration and
supervision, Deer
Valley Airport
Restaurant for the
food, friends of the
club for the kids’
gliders, and AMPS
members for the
people power and
airplanes to make
it all happen. MA
—John Laird
AMPS Board
Member
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 12
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12
The Academy’s Safety Code is the
cornerstone of our national safety
program and is the foundation upon
which our organization is anchored. As
such, it requires occasional revisions to
keep up with changes in technology and
lessons learned.
As the AMA National Model Aircraft
Safety Code workgroup reviewed all of
our programs in preparation for
presentation to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), some
modifications seemed necessary. After
much wordsmithing and debate, a
proposed revision was presented to the
AMA Safety Committee, which reviewed
and tweaked the recommended changes.
Then the document was given to the
AMA’s Insurance Committee for
comment, after which it was submitted to
the Executive Council (EC) in July. Not
to be outdone, the EC made some
alterations of its own during the meeting.
The new Safety Code was adopted with
an effective date of January 1, 2010.
The Safety Code is presented in its
entirety on page 162. It will be included
in every club charter kit, on every
membership application, available on the
AMA Web site, and in poster form for
display at club fields.
Following is a review of the changes
that were made to the Safety Code.
Foremost, the definition of a model
aircraft should not be a numbered item in
the Code. Therefore, it was pulled and
made a general statement, with
adjustments to follow the terminology
used by the Aviation Rule Making
Committee in its recommendations to the
FAA.
In the “General” section:
• Paragraph 1 was moved up from the
body of the Code, because it is the most
significant paragraph and sets the tone
for the rest of the Code.
• Paragraph 2 was extracted from the
middle of paragraph 5 of the old Code
and moved up, to demonstrate its
importance to all modelers.
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
November 2009 9
It also
introduces
a new
term: “See
and
Avoid.”
This
technique
for ensuring the safety of other aircraft in
the National Airspace System (NAS) is
outlined in detail in a new PDF that can
be found in the documents section of the
AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/
files/540-D.pdf.
• Paragraph 5 added piloting skills and
intended maneuvers into the airworthiness
paragraph for sanctioned events and air
shows, and combined the old paragraph 3
from the “Radio Control” section.
• Paragraph 7 deleted reference to
tetranitromethane and hydrazine.
Although they are still hazardous for use,
they have gone out of favor and their
reference in the Code is antiquated.
• Paragraph 9 combined alcohol and drug
use into a single paragraph, and the eighthour
statement was deleted.
• Old paragraph 11 was deleted. This
does not mean that the flightline is a
playground for children younger than 6,
but it allows the parents, club officers,
and safety coordinators to establish their
own procedures.
In the “Radio Control” section:
• Paragraph 1 was changed for
grammatical reasons, with no change to
intent.
• Paragraph 2 added that the groundrange
check should be done in accordance
with manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Old paragraph 3 was deleted and
combined with “General” paragraph 9.
• Paragraph 7 added, “This does not
apply to aircraft flown indoors.”
• Paragraph 8 deleted reference to speed.
Clubs have no easy way to measure the
speed at night, and there is no conclusive
evidence that speed is more important
than pilot skills, wing loading, or
anything else in flying at night.
Changed wording from equipped with
lighting to “a lighting system must be
utilized that provides the pilot with a clear
view of the model’s attitude and
orientation at all times.” This allows
lighting from the ground. It also requires
aircraft, regardless of speed, to be
visible/controllable at all times, which
should self-regulate speed by requiring
better lighting for faster aircraft or slower
speed to stay within sight.
• Paragraph 9 added new terminology,
First Person View (FPV), used with this
technology.
• New documents are referenced
throughout the Code and are listed in the
document section on the Web site.
The goal of this round of changes was
to clean up the Safety Code so that it
better presents our program to modelers
and the FAA. As a part of the process,
there was an intent to shorten the overall
document, to make it easier to understand
and read. It is hoped that those efforts will
encourage modelers to follow the Safety
Code more closely and make it easier to
enforce.
The Safety Code will be reviewed
annually, and future changes will have the
same goal of shortening and
strengthening. They will also try to give
flexibility to modelers and clubs, to
incorporate new ideas and flying styles
into their modeling activities.
The EC and the Safety Committee want
to find ways to allow aeromodelers to have
fun in a safe manner, as opposed to saying no
because it is the easy thing to do.
Fly safely. MA
—Jim Rice
AMA Safety Committee Chairman
Safety Code
Amendments
for 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:42 PM Page 9
As announced on page 9 of the September
2009 MA, the AMA is planning to launch a
digital version of the flagship publication next
year. The staff is currently evaluating several
vendors that work with magazine publishers, to
provide this popular resource to Academy
members.
Based on an MA readership survey
conducted less than two years ago, a significant
percentage of respondents expressed an interest
in receiving a digital version of the magazine.
In the September “In the Air” write-up,
members were asked to provide their input.
Following are some of the comments we
received.
“I read with interest that AMA will go
digital next year and I’m excited about that.
I’m running out of space here in the house to
store them.”
“What a terrible idea! That would be the
worst thing you could possibly do. MA is a good
publication and the only one worth reading ... ”
“I would much prefer to receive Model
Aviation on the Net.”
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
25 Years Ago in MA: November 1984
• The cover shows Lisa and Kris Kopski
with three versions of Bob Kopski’s (their
dad’s) RC electric-powered Spectra (plans
set 457). It is unique in that the plans come
with the same fuselage and three versions of
the wing, so the model can be built for
sport, aerobatics, or soaring. The Spectra
uses six to eight cells and a 05-size motor.
• The Profile Dauntless SBD-3 (plans set
458) is this month’s CL building project by
Gerry Deneau. The .15 engine-powered
model has a 28.75-inch wingspan and
makes a great beginner aircraft for the Navy
Carrier event.
• John R. Walker brings us yesteryear’s
Sky Pursuit (plans set 459), which Joe Ott
designed. The little 23-inch-wingspan FF
model flies as well as it did in 1932—and
perhaps better, with today’s rubber.
• “The Fascinating World of Ornithopters”
is Kenneth B. Johnson’s interesting article
about flapping-wing aircraft that attempt to
emulate birds in flight. Ken describes some
of his experiences with these unique
machines.
• “Help Someone Join the Fun” is an
inspirational article by Joseph M. Nunes. In
it, he describes how he has been working
with young people in an attempt to lure
them into the hobby we love.
• Electronics buffs will enjoy the article
“Updating the Old Airtronics Frequency
Scanner” by Eloy Marez. He explains how
to change the circuits to handle all of the
new frequencies.
• Bob and Dolly
Wischer report on
the Scale World
Championships
with words and
many colorful
pictures. Paris,
France, was the site
of this year’s
contest. First place in RC was awarded to
David Masterton of Australia. Vladimir
Fedesov of Russia won the CL Scale class.
• The Flying Aces Nats was held in Utica,
Michigan, and it attracted fliers from
across the US and from Canada. Bill
Warner captures this event in words and
color. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
Beginning in the July 2009 issue, Jay Smith began authoring a bimonthly “About Us”
section in MA. It provides readers with a look behind the scenes of some of the companies,
brands, and organizations within our hobby.
Not only is “About Us” informative, but it also allows you to interact by answering trivia
questions. And doing so enters you in drawings to win prizes from each installment’s
featured company! Contest guidelines are featured on page 183 of this month’s issue.
Winners from the October issue’s feature, about 3D Hobby Shop, will be determined on
or before November 13, and entries will be accepted through October 31. In addition, you
can turn to page 140 of this month’s issue to read about Troy Built Models and have a
chance to win!
The winners of the Du-Bro contest, which ran in the July MA, are John W. Ribble (CA),
Robert Bostian (FL), Frank Fischer (FL), Charles H. Parish (FL), Brian Morris (MI),
Douglas Jackson (MO), Tom Dagostino (NJ), Bill Garrett (NC), Mark Taylor (OH), and
Michael L. Mosbrooker (WA). MA
—MA staff
First “About Us”
Winners Are
Announced!
“I voted no on the survey ... I do not want
to sit in front of a computer screen to read any
magazine. I want to sit in my easy chair with a
cup to sip.”
“I think a digital version of Model
Aviation is a fantastic idea. I would love to be
able to search past issues and easily find
information fast.”
“I think this (digital version of Model
Aviation) is a great idea and a good
illustration of forward thinking of the future of
MA.”
Members can follow an online discussion
about this on the AMA Community Forums at
www.modelaircraft.org/forums/tm.aspx?m=2
90. You must be a member and a registered
forum user to post comments.
What is a digital version of a magazine?
It’s the print version delivered to your desktop
computer and typically enhanced with
features commonly found in an online
environment.
Those features include keyword searches,
archiving, and hyperlinks to authors’ e-mail
addresses and advertisers’ Web sites. You can
search for a specific article and send it to a
friend, save that article or issue to your
desktop, or browse an issue by virtually
flipping the pages and selecting what to read
or bookmark for later.
Particular attention will be given to what
tools are available to connect MA to mobile
devices and several popular social media
outlets, including Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The Academy’s Publications staff plans to
have a live sample available for viewing
sometime this fall, with a full launch expected
in early 2010. By moving in this direction, the
AMA hopes to provide its membership with
an additional resource—one presented in a
format that is becoming more popular with
our members and readers in general.
This venture will also provide the
Academy with an opportunity to reduce two
of the largest expenses it incurs: printing and
mailing a magazine to the membership every
month. Look for updates about this exciting
project in future issues of MA. MA
—Rob Kurek
Director of Publications
Digital Version of MA to Be Launched in 2010
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:43 PM Page 10
The first record was set when the entry list revealed 22 attending
national teams with 55 pilots plus their callers. Robbert van den Bosch
(Netherlands) set the second world record in Round Four; his model
took 56.33 seconds to complete the nominal 4-kilometer (km) distance
(10 laps, close to 2.5 miles)—equivalent to 255.64 km, or 158.85 mph.
The US team set the third record, occupying places 2 to 5 and easily
winning Gold in the team classification. The Silver-winning team from
the Netherlands was distanced by the eternity of 90 seconds and
demonstrating a different level of flying within a world of fractions of a
second.
In addition, Richard Verano (caller Robert Holik) won the Silver
Medal and Randy Bridge (caller Gary Freeman) won the Bronze in the
individual class. It’s no wonder US Team Manager Jim Allen was
pleased with the results, admitting to “Tough competition within an
exceptional event.”
The contest took place in Ballenstedt, Germany, on a huge grass
airfield that was first used in 1941, for teaching young members of the
“Hitler-Jugend” to control full-scale gliders. The original wooden
hangar served as the main premises.
The new tarmac runway of almost 1 km in length bore the main
racecourse and an extra training course. Plenty of space allowed a huge
angle of 23 team tents (one for 2007 World Champion Randy Bridge).
A new computerized signal system allowed a fast contest. More
than 280 heats were flown in 13 rounds spread over the four days,
which a World Championships schedule offers for races after all
registration, processing, and training.
The event director was German Hans-Joachim Schaller, who is well
known as a pilot. Newly elected FAI (CIAM) Subcommittee Chairman
Rob Metkemeijer of the Netherlands took the duty of a technical
director.
Many Pylon Racing experts from Netherlands and Germany
combined their manpower within the organization, to offer almost
perfect conditions (other than the weather) for the best RC Pylon
Racing pilots of the world.
They came from Guatemala, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and
Australia. First-time contestants were from Russia, Ukraine, and Qatar.
Besides the US guys, favorites were the Australians. But unhappy
Christopher Callow, world record holder since 2005 with 56.9 seconds,
got four times 200 points (pylon/start penalties) instead of his flight
time, tearing down his team to 8th place.
Germany almost shared Australia’s fate, when its best pilot—
Gerald Coors—scored three times the 200-point infringement, but
luckily he survived. So the hosting country’s team was happy, being
awarded the Bronze: Germany’s first medal in F3D in many years.
Beyond the crowd, individual Gold-winning Dutch pilot Robbert
van den Bosch reigned as king of the event. After Round Two, he
never lost his leading position. His second-best time (57.24 seconds)
still would have been the fastest of all heats.
America sent “the right stuff,” however cool Robbert represented
“the rightist.” The airline captain showed the same flying skills as the
US pilots; he piloted a 350 km-per-hour beast at precisely 5 meters
high around a triangle pylon course, as a CL pilot does with his
Stunter.
Robbert’s aircraft is unique, using a special airfoil in combination
with flaps, reducing the elevator’s drag during the tight turns. Several
chairs of technical universities in Europe contributed to the fastestracing
model aircraft ever seen in an FAI event.
For more information about the 2009 F3D World Championships,
go to www.wcf3d.de. In 2011, the F3D community will meet in
Australia. MA
—Gerhard Wöbbeking
www.woebbeking.de
INtheAIR
November 2009 11
2009 F3D World
Championships:
Faster, Bigger, Tougher
The winning US team (standing): Team Manager Jim Allen, Randy
Bridge, caller Robert Holik (kneeling), Travis Flynn, Gary Freeman,
Richard Verano.
Orange forever! The Dutch celebrate their
Pylon Racing king, Robbert van den Bosch. Robert Holik and Richard Verano fuel.
Randy Bridge launches Travis Flynn’s
Grim Reaper.
Left: The fight continues after the race:
winning teams with champagne.
Above: Randy Bridge about to start his
engine, with Gary Freeman as his caller. At
starting position 2 is Marcelino Tomas of
Portugal (caller José Guilherme). At 1 is
Robbert van den Bosch with caller Peter van
Doesburg. The race starter is Ray van de
Klok of the Netherlands.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 11
You never know when the
background noise of talk radio will lead
to something unexpected. For Ernie
Faulkner, a member of the Arizona
Model Pilots Society (AMPS), that
happened while he was listening to an
interview involving a local children’s
hospital and some kids with serious
medical challenges.
After hearing the radio segment,
Ernie asked himself how he could have
an impact on their lives. A couple of
phone calls later, he was in contact with
the event coordinator of the Arizona
Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mark
Korthals.
According to the group’s Web site, it
began in 1980 with the wish of a little
boy from Phoenix, Arizona, who had
leukemia. The foundation has grown to
become the world’s largest wishgranting
organization, with 72 chapters
in the US and its territories.
Ernie and Mark discussed hosting a
family affair at the AMPS model
airfield, where the Make-A-Wish kids
and their siblings could have the
opportunity to fly model aircraft and
examine other models up close.
AMPS members were instantly
excited about the idea. The date was set
and plans were made.
A club board member made use of
his ample contacts list and obtained a
commitment from the Deer Valley
Airport Restaurant, which is near the
club field, to provide food for the event.
A couple of local businesses provided
small balsa gliders for each of the kids,
and club members signed up for setup,
kitchen, parking, and flying duties.
The forecast for April 25, 2009, was
for gusty conditions. Club members
arrived early for setup and were ready to
go when the first guests arrived slightly
earlier than planned. Great timing! By
INtheAIR
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMPS Holds Make-A-Wish Event
Established in 1969, the Model Aviation Hall of Fame honors those men and women who have made significant contributions to
the sport of aeromodeling.
The list of members is long and distinguished. These people have made contributions to model aviation through volunteer or
administrative activities, product development, competition performance, or a variety or combination of activities.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is composed of past AMA presidents and one Hall of Fame member selected from each of
the 11 districts by the respective vice president. Each year, a new class is inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and the
winners are announced in MA. Anyone may submit a Hall of Fame nomination form.
For a nomination form or further information, contact Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-1256, ext. 272, or find the current form online at
www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx. The document is 152. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Nominate an Outstanding Member for AMA’s Hall of Fame
the time the wind became a bit of a
problem, more than 50 Make-A-Wish kids
and their brothers and sisters had flown
model aircraft.
Using club and club members’ trainers
and buddy boxes, as many as five flight
stations were in use throughout the
morning. Each child got to take the
controls for five to seven minutes. Besides
the guest pilot, each station had a model
pilot-in-command (a club instructor) and a
safety observer/helper.
The excitement and enthusiasm were
easy to measure by the smiles of the kids
and their parents. Club members laughed
about one little guy who, throughout the
course of the morning, queued up at each
of the flight stations saying that he didn’t
remember if he had flown yet. It didn’t
matter; there were both time and airplanes
to handle his wish for the day.
As the morning came to a close, the
wind came up. What do to then? Have
lunch! The kitchen team had burgers, hot
dogs, and the trays full of potato salad and
slaw from our restaurant sponsor.
Thanks to all
who made this a
great event,
including the
Arizona Make-AWish
Foundation
for registration and
supervision, Deer
Valley Airport
Restaurant for the
food, friends of the
club for the kids’
gliders, and AMPS
members for the
people power and
airplanes to make
it all happen. MA
—John Laird
AMPS Board
Member
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:44 PM Page 12