AMA Announces the Winners of the 2004 AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarships
Since 1970, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has provided scholarships to young men and women seeking to continue their education in colleges and universities. The primary awards are presented through the Charles Hampson Grant scholarships.
In 2004, five individuals received a portion of the $20,998 Charles Hampson Grant awards. These monies came from a variety of sources including gifts, memorials, and the AMA general fund. The top winner of the Grant award also receives an award provided by the Toledo Weak Signals from monies generated from the club's annual trade show and exposition. This year the Weak Signals contributed $5,000.
An additional scholarship program awarded funds this year. The Sig award, a memorial in honor of the late Glenn Sigafoose, is presented by Hazel Sig-Hester and Sig Manufacturing Company. Presented to one or more individuals, the award is based upon financial need and aeromodeling activity. A total of $1,500 was awarded in 2004.
The number of applications this year dropped to 27, down from 47 applicants in 2003. Evaluated by a four-member committee, the applicants are rated in several major areas including grade average, test results, school and community activities, and modeling activities. High achievement in all of the categories is important for the maximum amount of scholarship awarded to an individual. Again this year, the committee members were extremely close to one another in their evaluations of the applications. The top two Grant Award recipients were separated by only one point and the remaining three were only four points apart.
The students' planned majors include:
- Aerospace engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Biology/Asian studies
- Aviation
- Engineering/chemistry
Information regarding applications may be obtained from Jack Frost at AMA Headquarters or by visiting the AMA Education Web site at www.buildandfly.com.
Douglas Eatman
Douglas Eatman is from St. Augustine, Florida, and is the recipient of a Grant Scholarship totaling $6,000 and the Weak Signals Award totaling $5,000. Douglas is the son of Keith and Susan Eatman and plans to study mechanical and aerospace engineering, then pursue a master's degree in aerospace propulsion. Douglas graduated from Pedro Menendez High School, ranking fifth in a class of 340. He scored an impressive 1560 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Douglas's dream is to work for an aerospace research and prototyping facility and someday build his own airplane for personal use.
"I love aviation in every form," Douglas wrote. He joined the Ancient City RC Fliers when he was in elementary school, starting with a Cox Thermal Hawk glider and then a Carl Goldberg Gentle Lady. Competing in club glider contests, Douglas placed second only to his instructor in spot landing flying his Gentle Lady. Douglas transitioned to using a three-channel, 48-inch wingspan model called the Cupcake, an aircraft designed by his instructor. After mastering the Cupcake, which Douglas wrote is "a great performer and a snap-rolling monster," he bought a partially completed scratch-built trainer based on the Great Planes PT-40. Because of time constraints, Douglas "went ARF" with his latest model, a Model Tech Magic. With a Thunder Tiger .42 and four-channel radio, Douglas wrote, "It is a serious hotrod."
In seventh grade, Douglas began taking flying lessons from his neighbor, John Simon, who is a regional airline pilot and flight instructor. Douglas holds a private pilot's license and is pursuing an instrument rating.
Douglas attained the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America where he served as Patrol Leader and Troop Instructor. He was elected crew leader for the Northern Tier Trek, an eight-day canoe trip in Canada. His Eagle Scout project was designing, raising funds for, and directing the construction of a hawk flight cage for the Humane Association of Wildlife Care and Education. He has lettered in varsity tennis and cross-country and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Douglas was a member of Future Problem Solvers, a worldwide organization. Participating students are divided into teams of four and given a future scenario. In a timed evaluation, the students must present possible problems that could stem from the given scenario and solutions to those problems. Douglas has competed at the state level four times, once ranking third in the state.
Douglas has also served as a volunteer tour guide at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. He has run a small neighborhood lawn-care service since 1998, mowing, pruning, edging driveways, and trimming trees. A summer job at a department store also helped him earn money, but he had to quit when school started. "I have found it nearly impossible to work jobs other than the time-flexible lawn service during my busy school year," he wrote.
Douglas plans to attend the University of Florida College of Engineering. The Academy of Model Aeronautics wishes him success.
Russell Parker Parrish
Russell Parker Parrish, from Alpharetta, Georgia, is the recipient of a $5,000 Grant Scholarship.
Parker is a graduate of North Springs High School in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating with a 4.0 grade-point average and scoring 1460 on his SATs. He is enrolled at Georgia Tech studying mechanical engineering.
In high school, Parker was a member of the National Honor Society; student council; class council; and a participant in academic bowl, science bowl, and math team. He was also a member of the National Science Honor Society where he served as president.
In 2002, Parker was selected for the NASA Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP). The SHARP program is geared toward increasing and strengthening the country's future participants in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology majors and professionals. This program is a paid internship and Parker worked on research to develop small-scale rocket engine fuel to burn clean propellants.
Since that internship, Parker has been employed as an aquarium consultant, working roughly 25 hours per summer and decreasing his hours during school.
Parker's first modeling experience of any type came when he was seven years old with a Bolink Legends RC car. Calling it "the most incredible toy ever," Parker joined a local club and learned "more than I ever dreamed about. I learned how the radio worked, the basic principles of an electric motor, how to properly charge a battery, and most importantly, how to fix problems as they arose."
In seventh grade, the world of flight proved to be his "final frontier." He joined the Georgia Model Aviators, constructed an Easy Fly 40, and learned how to fly. Parker's next airplane was a Sig Four-Star 40. He pursued Pattern aerobatics until his interest shifted again to a more peaceful and surreal type of flying.
The summer before high school, Parker began constructing and flying rubber-powered indoor free-flight (FF) models. "Free Flight was proving to be much more challenging than I ever imagined," he wrote. He joined the Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta and took aim at several Junior class Category II records.
In 2001, Parker made the trip to Johnson City, Tennessee, for the Nats. Winning three medals and a plaque for Best Senior MiniStick, Parker had the chance to fly with some of the best in the world. Just short of what he needed to qualify for the United States Team Finals in F1D, Parker competed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and set a Senior Category IV record at 22:29, qualifying for the finals. At the finals in Akron, Ohio, Parker had another record flight of 28:05 which landed him in second place.
Parker turned in another modeling direction and constructed an RC blimp that "ended up larger than I was at the time but flew very well despite being my first attempt at anything lighter than air." He has also built an electric park flyer to stay active in modeling while attending Georgia Tech.
"Modeling has always been a part of my life," Parker wrote, "and as long as I can see and walk, I plan on keeping it that way." AMA wishes him the best for his future.
Joshua Chan
Joshua Chan, from Eatontown, New Jersey, is the recipient of a $4,000 Grant Scholarship.
Joshua graduated from Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science. He plans to double-major in biology with a premedical track and East Asian studies at New York University.
Joshua was born in Seattle, Washington, but has traveled extensively with his military family. He credits his world travel for nurturing his interest in the many cultural aspects of the world and, in part, for his interest in model aviation. His father's stories of life in Hong Kong were also responsible for much of his interest in aeromodelling.
In Hong Kong, it was nearly impossible to have large flying fields or the funds to support such an interest, so his father resorted to creative ways to enjoy his hobby. After moving to America, his father joined a flying club. "My dad noticed how excited I got each time we went to the airfield," Joshua wrote, "and decided to let me fly an airplane."
Using a PT-40 trainer of his father's, Joshua crashed on his first flight. Other crashes followed, and as the PT-40 became harder to fix, Joshua's guilt about crashing his father's airplane and doubts about his ability to fly grew. He decided to build a Tower Hobbies Trainer because, "if I crashed, at least I would be crashing my own airplane."
Mowing lawns and birthday money supplied the finances for the project, and Joshua started his first airplane. The thick instruction manual filled with diagrams and pages of instructions for the kit containing hundreds of pieces was daunting and he made a few mistakes along the way. "Little did I know that the wing would be the most complex part of the project," Joshua wrote, describing how he had inadvertently assembled the ribs upside down.
After much hard work, the model was completed but Joshua was leery of flying it. He eventually warmed up to the idea of an instructor using a buddy box. "Finally, I was able to enjoy my airplane as it gracefully soared in the morning sky, filling me with an indescribable sense of pride and satisfaction at my first achievement."
Since his first airplane, Joshua has constructed a Sig Kadet Senior, a DuraPlane Aerobat, a Great Planes Easy Sport 40, and is working on a Dynaflite Spitfire. Joshua credits his aeromodelling activities—which taught him patience, perseverance, and initiative—for the confidence to achieve any goal he sets for himself.
Since 1999, Joshua has attended Monmouth Chinese School, participating in Saturday classes to learn to speak Chinese and better appreciate his heritage. A member of the Student Council, Joshua volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club as a homework and computer instructor.
He was a member of the Technology Club, the Business Club, National Honor Society, the Health Occupations Students of America, and the Medical Explorers.
Joshua competed on the school's track and tennis teams, served as a summer camp counselor, and helped raise funds to buy toys for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Jersey Shore Medical Center.
Joshua was an altar server at St. Dorothea's Church and the Children's Liturgy Lector for the monthly children's Mass.
Bryce Haselhorst
Bryce Haselhorst, the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship, graduated from Orangeville High School in Orangeville, Illinois, and will attend the Institute of Aviation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bryce was a four-year honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. He was an Academic Bowl member, played basketball, ran track, lettered in football, and was a member of the Student Council.
Active in music, Bryce played trombone in the school band for eight years, including pep band, jazz band, and concert band. He received the Best of Day award at the District Solo-Ensemble contest in 2003 and 2004, was a Conference Music Festival selection, an Illinois Music Educators Band selection, and received a scholarship to University Trombone Camp. Bryce was also a member of the Community College Concert Band.
Bryce was a Boy Scout, earning 21 merit badges and attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in 2004. He was involved in 4-H for nine years and was Illinois’ Mechanical Sciences and Technology delegate to the National 4-H Conference in 2002. Bryce competed in electricity, woodworking, bicycle, foods, visual arts, photography, and rabbits, but credits his 4-H projects in aerospace with cultivating his interest in aviation.
“I made my first two rockets when I was nine years old,” Bryce wrote. “I gave a talk to my 4-H club on model rocketry safety and received a blue award and Grand Champion on my rocket at the county fair.” Bryce continued building rockets, experimenting with cutting holes in the recovery parachutes to prevent drifting.
When he was 13, Bryce built an Easy-2 model airplane and attended a local AMA club meeting to get some flying tips. This project earned him another Grand Champion award and a trophy for the aerospace project at the county fair.
The following year, he built a Super Sportster 40 and spoke at a 4-H club meeting about applying UltraCote to cover a model airplane. The same summer, Bryce built an electric rocket launcher which he tested using the rockets he had previously built. Again he was awarded the Grand Champion at the county fair and a top Superior rating at the state level.
Bryce built a DuraPlane 40, a P-51 Mustang, and a CAP 232 for subsequent 4-H projects, all earning county Grand Champion and Superior ratings at the state level.
Bryce was asked to give an aerospace presentation and judge a rocket launch for a group of area grade-school students, and because of his Superior award in 4-H at the State Fair, he was asked to exhibit his RC airplane at the State Capitol building on Legislative Connections Day.
He has already soloed and plans to get private pilot, instrument, commercial, multiengine, and various instructor ratings while pursuing the Professional Pilot program and obtaining a degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We wish him success in his chosen field.
Keith Wong
Keith Wong is the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship and plans to attend Cornell University in New York. Keith received an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma from Columbia River High School in Washington and is considering a major in chemistry or engineering.
Active in sports, Keith competed in soccer both in high school and through a club, and he was on a community rowing team. A member of his school's science club, Keith competed in the Science Olympiad and won regional and state medals in various events. He also used this experience to help middle-school students prepare for the same competition. He was inducted into the National Honor Society in 2003 and is an avid photographer.
Community service is a requirement for the IB program and Keith fulfilled this requisite by volunteering for a community event called the Festival of Trees, helping at a Rotary Foundation auction, and working at the Santa Claus photo booth. Keith updated, edited, and formatted his soccer club's rulebook and collected and recorded game scores during the season. He also helped build a float for the Portland Rose Parade.
Another requirement of the IB curriculum is an extended essay. Keith's subject was a research project concerning Vancouver Lake, which is part of the local watershed. He collected water samples and data over a two-year period to complete the 38-page paper that fulfilled the scholastic requirement and impacted the community.
Keith’s interest in airplanes began in childhood. From paper and plastic models, he progressed to RC when he was 10, taking possession of an older brother’s unfinished Midwest Aerostar 40. The project took several years to complete, but when he finished the construction, Keith joined a local club and the AMA.
With the help of experienced modelers, he learned to fly basic maneuvers. “I can hardly say that I became highly proficient at flying,” he wrote. “My lack of flying time became most obvious when it came time to return the airplane to the ground in one piece.”
A generous club member gave Keith a winning raffle ticket for an ARF Hangar 9 Piper Cub, and although the model may look more appealing than his Aerostar, Keith wrote that he missed the building process.
Because of his increasing academic load, Keith’s flying time has been limited; however he built a small electric park flyer from a kit he found online. The park flyer can be flown without needing to go to a large flying field, and the electric motor offers an ease of operation not found with a combustible engine. “In short,” he wrote, “this airplane kept my model aviation career from ending.”
AMA wishes him well in his academic endeavors.
Kerry Orrick
Kerry Orrick of Donalsonville, Georgia, received a $1,500 Sig scholarship. Kerry graduated from Seminole County High School in Donalsonville, Georgia. Accepted to the University of Georgia, Kerry plans to earn a degree in business management and then attend law school and eventually enter corporate law or politics.
Kerry followed his grandfather and father into aeromodeling, building a Great Planes PT-40 when he was 12. In ninth grade, Kerry merged his hobby with his science fair project: Which Airfoil is the Faster: Flat Bottom or Fully Symmetrical?
"My hypothesis stated that from researching many references, all of them basically stated the same view," Kerry wrote. "The flat bottom uses a high-lift airfoil and produces more drag; the fully symmetrical one is more aerodynamic so it produces less lift and causes less drag so it has to be the faster one."
Kerry built an airplane following the kit's instructions. He mounted the servos, installed the fuel tank and engine, and then built two wings: one from a Flight Box 40 that was fully symmetrical and one from a PT-40 that was flat-bottomed. With the help of a local sheriff's deputy to assist with radar, Kerry set up the speedometer. Making five passes at full speed with each wing, Kerry recorded the results and averaged the findings.
The project took first place at his school and at the regional level. He received an Honorable Mention in Physics at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair in Athens, Georgia.
Kerry has built and flown several airplanes including a Guillow's free-flight model, an Estes Flight Master glider, a Goldberg Sky Tiger II, a Sig Señorita with floats, and a GWS Tiger Moth. As a Boy Scout, Kerry built several rockets including a Sidewinder, an Alpha II, a Bull Pup 12D, and an Mk-109 Stingray to earn his Space Exploration Merit Badge. After becoming an Eagle Scout, Kerry helped other Scouts build and launch rockets to earn their Space Exploration badges.
Kerry was a charter member and club officer of the now-dissolved Screaming Seminoles Club of Donalsonville, and he is a member of the Port City Fliers of Bainbridge, Georgia.
Kerry played golf, tennis, and football in high school. "As long as I could remember, it had been my dream to run out of the tunnel in Sanford Stadium at the University of Georgia and lead the Dawgs to a national championship as the star quarterback." The dream came to an end with a serious injury on the field resulting in a broken pelvis, a leg broken in two places, and a blown knee.
The accident closely followed the death of his grandmother and pet dog, and it left Kerry devastated. After leaving the hospital, he returned to school to face seven midterms. A poor score on one test caused him to fall below an A average for the first time ever and he spent the rest of his time in high school pulling his GPA up—not to the perfect 4.0 he wanted, but to a respectable 97.88 and ranked third in his class. "Through dealing with these obstacles, I have learned to concentrate on my academic abilities and always do my best," he wrote.
Kerry was a member of the National Honor Society, student government, Science Club, Spanish Club, Debate Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and Future Farmers of America. In the FBLA, he served as a state officer, president of his chapter, was recognized in the organization's Who's Who in Georgia, and placed third in a state competition. An All American Scholar, Kerry received numerous awards and much recognition for his scholastic achievements.
Kerry has run a lawn-care service for several years, listing the local hospital, a nursing home, several businesses, and neighbors among his clients. He also works as an office assistant at an insurance agency.
Congratulations, Kerry, and AMA hopes he achieves his dreams.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
