AMA News District X - 2009/02
With great enthusiasm and fanfare, more than 35 members and guests gathered at Del Norte County’s McBeth Field for the Redwood Empire Modelers Association’s (REMA) ninth annual Fun-Fly and the club’s 30th anniversary celebration. Guests traveled from across northern California and southern Oregon.
Attendees
- From Oregon: Eugene, Medford, Grants Pass
- From California: Chico, Redding, Fort Bragg
Friday — August 8
The three-day celebration began on Friday, August 8, with a pilots’ meeting and safety briefing led by the club’s CD and secretary/treasurer, Russ Cupp. The field was open for flying all day. The club hosted a tri-tip barbecue and potluck dinner that evening.
Saturday
Flying started at 9 a.m. and continued until the club’s vice president, Jim Sharp, and his wife Pat called everyone for lunch. Members and guests enjoyed grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings.
After lunch there was a brief introduction of three of the founding members: Howard McFarland, Ozzie Tiefenbach, and Terry Gehrman. They were thanked by the club’s current president, Dan Owen, and presented with club T-shirts procured by Mike Brown, AMA District X associate vice president.
Later that afternoon the club held its annual raffle, featuring many kits and accessories, some generously donated by hobby shops and mail-order businesses. There was also a ladies’ raffle with prizes geared toward the women’s tastes; proceeds were donated to the club. At the close of the day, 25 members and guests met for dinner at the Steelhead Lodge.
Sunday
Open flying continued until mid-morning, when Russ Cupp collected secret ballots and presented the pilots’ choice awards to the winners. Other members and guests helped pack REMA’s flying tables, benches, awnings, and other equipment.
We were fortunate to receive a visit from Jim Giffin, AMA vice president in District X, who traveled from Redding to participate in the event. The weather was great for flying all three days.
Notable moments
Every year the trees and berry bushes claim at least one model. This year the victim was Ed “Doc” Martin’s Sumbichi Zero, which he had enjoyed flying for four years; the airplane was not found. The search was not a total loss, however—Ed found Jim Sharp’s Cessna that had been lost five years earlier. After sitting out in the weather that long the model was a total loss, but Ed retrieved the O.S. .40 engine and returned it to Jim.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Stan Bellatti, our safety officer, and to all club members and their wives, mothers, daughters, and girlfriends for their hard work, support, and extra efforts in planning and preparing for these events. Without them, we couldn’t have pulled it off!
—Dan Owen, REMA president
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
