AMA News-District VIII - 2009/01
Happy New Year! I hope 2009 brings all that you want and plenty of great flying weather.
Hurricane Relief / Disaster Funds
I have a follow-up on previous comments about hurricane damage. Eleven District VIII clubs have received AMA Disaster Relief Funds to restore their runways to a usable condition.
Texas clubs receiving funds include:
- Texas City RC Club, Houston
- Mid-County RC Club, Nederland
- South Houston Area RC Club
- Alvin RC Modelers Association, Alvin
- Jetero RC Club, Humble
Louisiana clubs receiving funds include:
- Baton Rouge RC Club, Baton Rouge
- Bayouland RC Club, Thibodaux
- New Orleans Model Airplane Club, RC Fields Inc., Metairie
- Ringmasters, New Orleans
- North Shore RC Club, Slidell
Of the other two clubs that applied for assistance, one is still pending additional information and the other did not satisfy the requirements of the program. By the time you read this, all clubs will be well on their way to normal operations.
Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum
Traveling from San Antonio to Houston with Rex O'Connor for my son Gary's graduation from college, we stopped in Schulenburg, Texas, at the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit and, although we are both lifelong modelers, we learned much about Victor and Joseph Stanzel at the museum.
This is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the history of modeling. Many aircraft, movies, and interactive displays entertain visitors. Eugenia Reeves, museum manager, and Anita Stanzel Srubar were kind enough to spend some extra time with us as guides and escorts. What a great side trip if you have a couple of hours to spend. There is a new museum, the old factory, and the family home restored to its original state. There is plenty for the entire family to enjoy.
In Memoriam
We lost two significant modelers in October.
- Kyle Foote of Conroe, Texas (near Houston) was an AMA member for 10 of his 19 years. He was a fine young man with an interest in all phases of modeling, while also working on several full-scale ratings. His smile and enthusiasm will be missed at flying events and swap meets across the district.
- Frank Parmenter of Georgetown, Texas, was a Hall of Fame member, Life Member, Leader Member, contest director, and a well-known designer and competitor in the free-flight community.
We have lost part of our future and a piece of our past both in one week. These losses demonstrate how fragile life is and make it even more important that we enjoy every second we spend with those people who help us enjoy our sport. My heart goes out to these families.
Texas Club 40 Championship
The Austin Radio Control Association was the scene of the Texas Club 40 Championship races. Twenty-six pilots flew 42 heats in less than four hours. Five pilots broke the old record for fast time, and Bob Petrinic is the current record holder. Pilot prizes included an LA Racer and a Skyraider Mach II from Airborne Models.
Many people put in many hours planning and running this series of races throughout the year, but special thanks go to:
- Chuck Waller
- Jim Duda
- Bernie (Crash) Siegel
for their yearlong efforts.
I hope your winter season brings many new projects and good swap meet action so you can have a great new year.
Have fun and fly safely! See you on the flightline.
Jim
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
