AMA News: District II - 2008/01
Flying Knights Scale Rally
Ernie Nikodem, District II associate vice president, is a familiar face at many events each year in the western New York area of our district. Ernie attended the Flying Knights of Hamburg Scale Rally and sent the following report:
"Fifty-two pilots from New York, Pennsylvania, and Canada brought 105 scale model aircraft to the annual Flying Knights Scale Rally on August 4–5, 2007. Perfect flying conditions kept the sky full both days with warbirds, vintage models, and a wide variety of scale aerobatic airplanes.
"This year's noon flying demonstrations for the benefit of the spectators included Dave Landers flying his flying lawn mower and Devon McGrath flying a Yak 54. In addition to a full weekend of open flying, the rally features a large pilot's raffle and a Saturday night picnic dinner, making this a perennial favorite and a must-attend event for local modelers."
RAMAC honors founding member Carl G. Holzwarth
On May 22, 2007, the Roxbury Area Model Airplane Club (RAMAC) voted to give Lifetime Member status to Carl G. Holzwarth, honoring one of its founding members. Mr. Holzwarth was the original owner of the local hobby shop, Carl's Hobby Center, which, after opening in 1969, co-sponsored RAMAC along with the Roxbury Township Recreation Department.
Mr. Holzwarth clipped and saved several articles from the local newspapers (now defunct) that outlined the early days of the club. According to one article, the first official club meeting was held on November 20, 1970, at the same school where RAMAC continues to meet. The first club officers were elected that night, along with Junior Club officers.
At 78 years young, Mr. Holzwarth was unable to attend the May meeting but was present at the June 12 meeting and shared stories of early club events with RAMAC members. Attending the meeting with him were Nancy, his wife of 54 years; his daughter Pat; and two of his three sons, Carl Jr. and David.
Having relocated nearby, he has promised to dust off that trainer and join everyone at the club field.
Young pilot: Sean Strader solos at age five
In early July, five-year-old Sean Strader successfully made his first solo RC flight at the Maalwyck Park flying site of the Electric Powered Aeromodelers (EPA) in Scotia, New York. Sean is the son of EPA club member Eric Strader and the grandson of model designer and author Ted Strader.
Sean flew a model called the Tarrier — an all-balsa 1960s design of his grandfather's, reconstructed and updated for modern RC equipment and electric power by his father. He was awarded a solo certificate and his RC pilot wings at the August club meeting and proudly began the third generation of RC modeling in the Strader family.
Since that July evening, Sean has advanced to full-size models and is currently amazing other club members with his 3-D flying abilities.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
