AMA News District VIII - 2009/04
I am writing this in January, so I am beginning my third year in office. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent District VIII on the Executive Council of our great organization.
I have been involved in many activities that are both worthwhile and enjoyable, and I hope that I have executed the duties of the office in a manner that is positive and productive.
Safety Committee
At the January 2008 Executive Council meeting, President Dave Mathewson appointed me to chair the AMA Safety Committee, replacing Bob Underwood. Bob is a lifelong member and volunteer for the AMA. He has served on committees for more than 39 years and has been on the Safety Committee for 20 years, serving as its chair for the last three years.
The Academy and all of its members owe Bob a huge debt of gratitude for his selfless service and dedication. I am honored to have worked with him on the committee and humbled to have been selected to try to fill his shoes. I assure you that I will fall short of his mark but will continue to strive to achieve his level.
Thanks, Bob, for hundreds of jobs well done!
CAMAA: World War II P-47 Presentation
Robert Richardson, president of Central Arkansas Model Aviators Association (CAMAA), reports that his membership had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to listen to a lecture by and speak with a World War II P-47 pilot.
Benton, Arkansas, resident Arthur B. Holiman reminisced about his war experiences flying the Jug in combat over Europe in World War II. He was with the 396th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force. This was the first time since the war that he had discussed his experiences.
The lecture took place at a men’s breakfast meeting at a church in Benton. Dale Womack, CAMAA club member and owner of an award-winning Giant Scale P-47, was invited to display his P-47 as a reference during the lecture. It was a very interesting presentation with many anecdotes along the way.
In December 1998, Arthur hit some power lines east of Little Rock and crashed his homebuilt Pietenpol in a plowed field. It almost killed him, and he is now nearly blind. Dale, his dad, and his brother recovered the aircraft and trucked it back to Arthur’s hangar in Benton. Arthur had not seen Dale since and thanked him at the lecture for recovering the remains of his aircraft in 1998. See more of Arthur’s unit at www.368thfightergroup.com.
Expo and Swap Meet
Linda and I attended the AMA Expo in Ontario, California, and again it was a great show. I truly appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in the setup and running of the Expo—especially the AMA staff members and Lora Knowlton, the event organizer.
I also attended the Georgetown, Texas, swap meet in January, and as usual I was impressed with the organization and the turnout. Attend this one if you can next year.
Have fun and fly safely! See you on the flightline.
Jim
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
