AMA News District X - 2009/04
I believe volunteers are the most important and essential part of this hobby. There would be no clubs, no AMA, and basically no hobby without the thousands of volunteers who give countless hours of their time for the benefit of all. The AMA recognizes all of its volunteers, but once in a while they honor the best of the best with special awards. Two of District X’s volunteers were honored with one of these awards, the Fellowship Award, at this year’s AMA Convention in Ontario, California. Following is a little information about both recipients — and, as we say, ladies first.
Betty Bliss
Betty Bliss began volunteering in 1990 because of her husband Jim’s interest in RC. Shortly after he soloed, she built and flew her own airplane. “I have never known such a thrill as it was to see that little thing up there and me flying it,” she said. Betty continued to fly until Jim was no longer with her; he always started her engines.
They both joined the Orange Coast Radio Control Club and within two meetings she was the club secretary. A short time later the newsletter editor quit and she was asked to do that job as well. That was in 1992, and except for a two-year hiatus she continued writing the newsletter monthly until December 2008.
Betty was also the club contact for AMA. As club secretary, she started the swap meets and said, “that was a real job.” She handled the mailing, organized the workers, and met many people; she said she thoroughly enjoyed it. She was responsible for qualifying the club for Gold Leader Club status and continued to upgrade and keep that status current for more than 15 years. There were many other jobs she did for the club.
Approximately six years ago, Rich Hanson asked if there was someone who would like to do the District X Calendar of Events. He had just created a web page and wanted publicity for club events, and Betty accepted the responsibility. Some of you might have talked with her in the District X booth at the AMA Convention.
Betty said she was overwhelmed at the honor of receiving the Fellowship Award. In her words, “It is the most wonderful honor that has ever happened to me. I just can’t thank the AMA enough for this honor. I shall cherish it always. I will still do the District X Calendar as long as my fingers will work.” Don’t forget to send her event information!
Bob Reynolds
Bob Reynolds is from Tucson, Arizona. As a record of his long service, there is an original letter dated July 19, 1978, from J. R. Scarborough, then vice president of District X, to AMA executive director John Worth appointing Bob as an associate vice president (AVP) for the district. It was more than 30 years ago that Bob started volunteering for the AMA.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Bob first built Strombecker wood kits, as he put it, “with a crusty old German.” After college and while in the service at Carswell Air Force Base, Fort Worth, Texas, Bob met a B-58 weapons operator who needed another modeler to attend the Strategic Air Command (SAC) model airplane championship contest. Later Bob was placed as the 11th man on the SAC team and went to the USAF worldwide competition team attending the AMA Nats.
After the service, Bob moved to Texas and worked on many interesting projects, including:
- Echo, the 100-foot-diameter space balloon
- A 200-foot-diameter radio antenna used to listen in to Cape Canaveral
- Black boxes on Huey helicopters
- The radio antenna on the Apollo space ships
- A 200-foot whip antenna designed for Minuteman silos
In 1968 Bob married Nancy Barr, and in 1969 he received his degree in business administration from the University of Arizona and went to work for Hughes Aircraft as a tool engineer.
Along with their two sons, Mike and Dave, they attended many Nats and other events. They entered Scale, Carrier, indoor hand-launch glider, and some free-flight events. In the early 1990s Dave wanted to learn to fly an electric RC glider. Around that same time he was developing and flying CL (control-line) ducted-fan models. They adapted the fan technology into an RC jet for Dave after he learned to fly the glider.
From then on they concentrated on RC ducted-fan aircraft. Along the way they became involved with electric-powered ducted fans through the Electric Jet Factory (EJF), and Bob was involved in the design and construction of several EJF kits. Bob says he is still an active electric ducted-fan aircraft designer who has progressed in flying skills. “I am now able to land on the runway sometimes,” he jokes. Dave flies Bob’s high-powered airplanes for him.
In addition to his work and flying, Bob’s AVP activities have kept him active, helping clubs obtain and retain flying sites and providing clubs and individuals with information about AMA. Bob says one of the functions of an AVP is to represent AMA where and when the district vice president cannot be present.
Upcoming Event
The Fresno Radio Modelers will be hosting the Memorial Day Giant Scale Fly-In over Memorial Day weekend, May 21–24, 2009.
Contact:
- John Lockwood: 559-298-1606
- Email: [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
