154 Model AviAtion
There is a recently closed landfill
where the stake owner is interested in
designating an area for model flying. It is
owned by Kane County, Illinois, and
operated by Waste Management.
This could be a very nice venue for the
AMA members in the west suburban-
Chicago area located in south Elgin near
the intersection of Highways 25 and 31.
Contact Michael Peterson, Project
Manager, at (262) 532-4024 or Tim
Harbaugh at (630) 208-5173;
[email protected].
sharing Writings by Ed Rouisse,
Volunteer Flying Site Assistant.
Among all his other endeavors, Ed
writes a monthly column for the Largo
Flying Club of Largo, Florida. I have
found his writing interesting and very
amusing the way he addresses a view and
then portrays it with details that result in a
mental picture image.
Ed wrote that the subject for the month
of April is the “Big Smile.” The question
is when do people smile at the field?
“Well I can tell you that 99 times out of
100, when a person will smile. Think for a
moment. When would the most likely
moment be when a person would smile? Is it
when he or she finally gets his or her work
of art (airplane) out of the car and gets it
ready to fly? That could be, but not always.
“Is it when others come over and
admire this work of art? No, not always. Is
it when he or she finally gets the green
light to fly? No, not even then.
“When is it then? Is it when all is right
with the world, all seems to be going his or
her way? No.
“That time is when the wheels on his or
her airplane finally touch down. The pilot
could of done all types of maneuvers, all
kinds of flips, turnovers, and whatnots, but
when those wheels finally touch down on
terra firma is the time when the flier
produces a great big smile. Not just
sometimes but always.
“His or her airplane is magic. It is the
very best ever built—ever. No model has
ever performed like this. No other has
performed three-dimensional tricks and been
brought back to Mother Earth so perfectly.
What an airplane, what a masterpiece, what
a work of art. Wow! Smile!”
ed’s input for the month of May is “oh,
how lucky we are.”
“Have you ever stopped to realize just
how lucky we all are? We could win
$1,000, spend it all, and think that was
lucky.
“We could buy a new car and think that
was lucky, especially if it got 50 miles to a
gallon of gas. I could name many more
things that one could receive and say that
they are lucky, but we all know that these
things would only last a very short time.
“Having the knowledge and skill to
know aviation is that kind of luck that will
last forever.
“1. You are lucky to just love airplanes.
“2. You are lucky to be able to repair a
broken airplane.
“3. You are lucky to be able to build
one.
“4. You are lucky to be able to design
and build your concept of an
airplane.
“5. Or you could just get lucky!
“You would be lucky to be able to do
any, or part or all of the preceding and that
would be luck at its greatest. So hang in
there. Never get discouraged or lose hope,
for you not only picked an impossible task,
but this chore is and will always be, wide
open to new ideas.
“It will bring you joy beyond your
wildest dreams. Yes you are the big hope
for the next generation and/or the next
great invention. Believe it and do it. You
have been given this great gift.”
ed’s contribution for the month of June
is: the probability of survival is equal to
the angle of arrival (anonymous).
“What do you see when you are at the
field? Do you see some who come to the
field with a new airplane every two or three
weeks and some who still fly a particular
aircraft for two, three or more years?
“You wish that they would get a new
airplane every now and again. They look
so old and rundown, but yet are quite
capable of good flight. An aircraft will last
as long as someone is willing to repair and
maintain it.
“Let’s look at the DC-3. This airplane
(and some are still flying) has a life of
about 70 years. Again, to stretch a point, I
wrote 70 years. Why?
“They are maintained and brought upto-
date as much as they can be. Some
people actually fall in love with their
airplanes. They think of a good flying
airplane as a special, unique masterpiece.
“In the painting world, some enjoy the
painter Van Gogh’s creations and pay
unbelievable amounts of money to own
them. Just to look at and own one, while
those who can hardly afford next week’s
rent think that the flying creation that they
own, or built, or maintain, that will defy
gravity, is their masterpiece. It is their
painting in the sky. Can you blame them?”
—Edmond Rouisse
Largo Flying Club
Largo, Florida
I trust you found Edmond’s writings as
amusing as I did.
AMA News
Announcements, news, and information from the
Academy of Model Aeronautics and the elected district representatives.
Flying Site Assistance Joe Beshar | [email protected]
Joe Beshar
Coordinator
Eastern Region
AMA Districts I - VII
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY,
MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC,
NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN,
VA, VT, WI, WV
198 Merritt Dr.
Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281; E-mail:
[email protected]
Wes De Cou
Coordinator
Western Region
AMA Districts VIII - XI
AK, AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, KS, LA,
MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX,
UT, WA, WY
202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Phoenix AZ 85045
Voice: (480) 460-9466;
Cell: (480) 296-9515
Fax: (480) 460-9434
E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Flying site opportunity in Kane County, Illinois
“Believe it and do it.
You have been given
this great gift.”
06amanews:11amanews.qxd 4/21/2009 12:04 PM Page 154
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/06
Page Numbers: 154