AMA News: District VII-2012/11

By the time you receive this issue, many
of your local clubs will be selecting new
officers to serve for the upcoming year.
This message goes out to all of you who
have not yet taken a stab at running for
office or taking on a leadership role in
your club. Don’t be deterred by lack of
experience or that you may be a newer
member. Those who have served before
you will be happy to help you out with
your new duties.
As it often happens, solutions to
problems and new ideas come from
the perspective of a fresh pair of eyes.
To become a leader in your club is an
honor far more rewarding than you
may have imagined. Go ahead, take the
leap.
This month’s event report comes
to you from Steve Mills, the event
director, of WATTS over Owatonna,
put on by the Southern Minnesota
Model Aircraft Club (SMMAC).
WATTS is fast becoming one of the
premier electric events in the Midwest
and a great place to fly model aircraft
and enjoy our hobby. Read on and let
Steve tell you more about it.
WATTS over Owatonna was the place
to be the weekend of July 27-29.
This all-electric fly-in was held at the
SMMAC’s field. More than 150 pilots
from 10 states enjoyed three days of
flying, food, and fun.
Both Great Planes and Sig had teams
on-site enjoying the weekend and flying
the company’s latest offerings. Many
pilots had a chance to fly the factory
aircraft, which kept the vendors busy
selling new airframes and gear.
WATTS also had the pleasure of
having AMA Executive Director Dave
Mathewson and President Bob Brown
on-site to fly and mingle with pilots
Friday and Saturday.
The weather was great, with daytime
highs in the low 80s and winds less than
10 mph for most of the weekend.
SMMAC does a great job
hosting more than 150 pilots and
approximately 1,500 spectators. Food is
available throughout the day, beginning
with a pancake and sausage breakfast,
burgers and pork loins for lunch, then
a dinner at approximately 6 p.m. each
day.
For the kids, there is a full
playground on-site. Camping is
encouraged! Once you arrive, there is
no reason to leave.
The club has a 650-foot heavy fabric
runway surrounded by more than 1,200
feet of grass runway. Six pilot stations
were on the main flightline with a
team to keep things running safely and
smoothly.
Everything from sport flyers to
helicopters and 3-D flying went on at
the main flightline. This mix of flying
styles was popular with pilots because
of some great attitudes all around.
There was a park flyer flightline at
the west side of the field. This was
open to smaller and slower aircraft
such as micro airplanes, small helis, and
3-D foamies. This new area was well
received and helped keep more people
flying throughout the weekend.
Saturday night, the club hosts a
big ribeye steak dinner with baked
potatoes, sweet corn, and bread. You
will not go hungry here! At the end of
dinner, there is an awards ceremony.
The club likes to recognize pilots who
bring something special or put on a
good show in the air. There were many
awards such as Best Scale, Best Sport,
Pilots’ Choice, and Best of Show.
SMMAC members host a great
event, and even with more than 150
pilots, the atmosphere was relaxed and
everyone appeared to have a good time.
Most commented on how they couldn’t
wait to come back next year. Keep an
eye on www.watts2013.com and make
plans to be there as well.
Take a kid flying.
The main registration tent was busy all
weekend.
The flightline was full during a mass warbird
launch.
Dave Mathewson and Bob Brown enjoying the
flightline.
Steve Mills hands out one of the many awards.