On January 10, I flew to the AMA Expo in Ontario, California. This was the first time I had been to any AMA or modeling convention. The convention was well done by the staff and I enjoyed the time I spent talking with the few District VIII members whom I met while I was there.
I spent most of my time looking at the huge amount of vendors’ wares and talking with fellow Executive Council (EC) members and getting to know them. The Expo was well attended and next year I am driving out instead to take advantage of many good deals.
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In the Free Flight room, kids were able to build and fly a Skystreak.
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AMA had a place for members to visit and talk with members of the EC.
On Sunday night, Bob Brown, AMA president, organized a dinner in order to present Jim and Linda Rice with some nice, well-deserved appreciation awards.
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Linda Rice received an award from Bob Brown for her support of Jim and AMA.
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Jim Rice received the Distinguished Service award.
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Jim also received the AMA Fellow award from Bob.
It is always a good time to visit schools, Civil Air Patrol groups, or even EAA Young Eagles programs, to do some community service and get your club some positive publicity. I participate annually in a science fair and a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program at a musuem and help two clubs interest young people in model aviation.
Another good example of positive participation is the Texas City Radio Control Club (TCRCC). TCRCC decided to reach out to the youth in surrounding communities to increase awareness and involvement with RC aircraft. This proved so successful the club decided to continue with the outreach.
Arranged by club members Vince Hoechten and Mike Grassmuck, a local group of high school engineering students from Clear Springs High School in League City were instructed (both in the classroom and the field) by TCRCC members.
Thirty students and their teacher got to the field at about 9:30 a.m. The first order of business was a short safety class given by Mike, TCRCC’s safety coordinator. Next, it was to the field for a brief explanation of the different areas such as the flightline, pilot stations, airplane taxiing lane, and the spectator areas.
Then it was time to fly. Flight instructors Harvey Cappel, Mike Grassmuck, and Dave Hammer took the 30 students and their teacher to fly. For most of the students, the time on the simulator paid off. During a mid-morning break, club president, James Grassmuck, and member Mike Goza demonstrated a 42% aircraft and a helicopter. This resulted in a lot of excitement and was followed with a lot of questions about the airplane and helicopter.
These students are one step closer to getting started with their new project. This new project is a rare and exciting educational opportunity, thanks to a sizable grant from a local business. They will build a full-scale, two-seater airplane. They will be supported by a local engineer who has experience building and flying RV aircraft.
Additionally, the TCRCC has committed to support these students by mentoring them with our club members with aeronautical, electrical, and mechanical engineering backgrounds. The TCRCC believes it is important to involve our youth with these types of programs and has plans to follow with the Clear Springs project and is currently working to set up similar programs with other area schools.
Hope to see you all at the field!
