AMA News: District IV-2012/11
West Potomac High School Fun-Fly
Report by Joseph Franco, Educational Engineer for Technology and Engineering Education, West Potomac High School, Alexandria, Virginia
On Saturday, February 18, West Potomac High School hosted a fun-fly event open to RC (radio control) and FF (free flight) fliers. The fun-flys are typically held in November and February and are hosted and run by West Potomac High School engineering students. The event ran from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Event details:
- Date: Saturday, February 18
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Admission: $5 per flier for the day; spectators free
- Amenities: concessions, T-shirts, mugs, prizes, and other fun-fly items
- Proceeds: benefit the Technology and Engineering Department at West Potomac High School
The students enjoy hosting and running these events and learning from seasoned modelers. In attendance were community members and representatives from several clubs, including:
- DC Maxecuters
- Northern Virginia Radio Control Club
- Prince William County RC Flyers Club
- Fauquier Aero Recreation Modelers (FARM)
- District of Columbia Radio Control Club (DCRC)
- Many other local clubs and individuals
Prizes were donated by Chantilly Hobby Hangar.
The students are also planning a new event, RC Mania, to be held at West Potomac High School on June 3. RC Mania will be an all-encompassing outdoor RC expo-style event including RC cars, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, boats, CL and FF models, and any other hobby items vendors or attendees wish to bring. Organizers are seeking support from the modeling community in the form of sponsors, vendors, clubs, spectators, and demos.
For more information or to be placed on the mailing list, contact: [email protected]
Sig Riser 2M Fun-Fly and Thermal Duration Event
Report by Don Bourdon
Despite raw, windy April weather, the Sig Riser 2M Fun-Fly and Thermal Duration (TD) event, hosted by the Caldwell Aeromodelers and the Hunting Creek RC (HCRC) Club, went ahead. Nine glider pilots braved the elements and flew almost continuously during the three-hour event window.
Thermals were scarce, so up-and-down flights were the norm. Vic Welland managed a pair of three-minute flights—the longest of the day—and took home the Thermal Duration honors along with the Golden Glider trophy. Most other pilots logged one- and two-minute glides.
The most popular spots on the field were the burn barrel and the coffee pot, which provided welcome warmth to both pilots and spectators. Special thanks to Cheryl and JR Liverman for providing what many called the best hot dog lunch around a burn barrel anyone could remember.
CAM and HCRC also thank Sig Manufacturing, RC FlightDeck, and RC Reports for supplying promotional materials for the event. Despite the adverse weather conditions, everyone had a good time and expressed looking forward to the next TD event.
Correction
In my October column I reported on an event held by the Catawba Valley R/C'ers and named the author as Mary Catherine Carpenter. Her correct name is Mary Catherine Thornburg. I apologize for the confusion.
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Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
