AMA News District VIII - 2007/10
Elections
It is election time for AMA. Please acquaint yourself with the candidates and their campaign statements, and encourage your friends and club members to do the same. All applicants are qualified volunteers and they deserve your time and attention in determining the future of our organization. If you don't vote, don't complain about the results.
Traditionally, voting is way down for AMA — roughly 10–15% of the membership is deciding the future for the rest. Please vote and encourage others to do so.
Events
- IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) Rally of Giants — Waco, Texas, late June
Weather preceding the event was terrible and probably kept attendance down somewhat. I was there on Saturday with my grandson Ian; the weather and flying were fine. At that point, 82 pilots were registered and everyone had a good time. Jets, Telemasters, 3-D, and scale aircraft flew comfortably together, and the pilots appreciated each other's skills and craftsmanship.
- Ponca City Big Bird — Ponca City, Oklahoma, July 14–15
This event was the first break in the weather for almost the entire district. My nephew, USAF Staff Sergeant Josh Green, came with me and renewed his membership after several years. Roughly 30 pilots enjoyed the day, with Don Lambring serving as contest director (CD) and running a safe event.
Personnel changes
- Bill Lee has stepped down as District VIII webmaster and associate vice president (AVP). He retains the contest coordinator duties.
Bill has served the district well and diligently for the past dozen years or more and has decided to step back and do some real modeling of his own. Members of the district, Dr. Frank, and I are lucky to have had his skills and expertise over these years to keep the district informed and running smoothly. We'll miss him as we move forward but we can see his fingerprints on most areas of the district. If you see Bill, tell him thanks for the time and energy he has spent. I am thankful he will remain a valuable asset to the free flight (FF) and control line (CL) contest directors (CDs) in the district.
- Succeeding Bill:
- Vince Schwartz of Helotes, Texas — new webmaster
- Jack Hogan of Chandler, Texas — new AVP
Watch for good things from these new volunteers!
Safety and resources
Chuck Waller, the district's safety coordinator, has written some good safety notes on the district website. You can peruse all of the notes at www.ama-dist-8.org/Forums.
Have fun and fly safely! — Jim
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
