From the Copilot's Seat
Gary Fitch, Executive Vice President
Thank you Jim Goodemote
Happy holidays everyone! I hope that you receive that special modeling gift that will help make 2013 a fun year. I look forward to testing and flying a couple of new aircraft next spring.
For those in the South, your outdoor flying season is kicking into high gear. Envy won't help me much. Flying indoors and the occasional flight from snow-covered ground helps a little.
The friendships that come from active participation in this hobby keep us coming back. One of those same friendships is making it possible for me to fly a new aircraft next spring. I'm indebted to Jim Goodemote for taking a year out of his life to build my big Stearman while I focus on the needs of AMA. I want to add that Goody is not only a master builder but also an AMA volunteer, handling all of the RC sanctioning for District II as the RC Contest Coordinator.
I was invited to attend a one-of-a-kind event that was held the second weekend of September. Horizon Hobby sponsored the three-day event at the Sanford, Maine, airport. Sanford is a small community near Kennebunk and the Atlantic Ocean.
With the help of the CD and hobby shop owner Ray LaBonte and several local clubs, Horizon put on Horizon Hobby Air Meet 2012. This event stretched over a large area of the airport. Highlights included:
- A CL area with great aerobatic demonstrations.
- An RC car track with myriad turns, hills, and jumps.
- Many world-class pilots doing flying demonstrations.
- The Jet Rally held on the main runway as the show's central event; clubs cordoned off the taxiway and set up hundreds of chairs in the spectator viewing area.
The public was invited to experience a broad-spectrum hobby event, exposing them to various modeling disciplines designed to kindle interest and amazement. School buses brought in more than 800 middle- and high-school students on Friday. Horizon also brought in Matt Chapman and his full-scale Eagle 580, who put on outstanding air shows all three days. Matt is a model aviation supporter and an accomplished RC pilot. Several thousand people attended, and I'm sure Horizon met its spectator goal and proved that the company did its homework on site location.
The AMA membership renewal notices were mailed in mid-September. If you are an Open member and live in any of these districts, you also received ballots to vote for your district vice president:
- District II
- District III
- District IV
- District VI
- District VIII
- District X
I hope you took advantage of your right to do so. Also included in the information packet was a flyer announcing that MA is available as a digital online component of the print magazine. Benefits of the digital version include all of the information that the print version provides plus additional content, reviews, and videos. What a great way to check out that new ARF or building project you were thinking about by watching how the aircraft builds and flies! The digital version is available for iPads and Android tablets. The cost is $1.99 per month or $18.99 per year.
Some members feel this should be included as part of the cost of membership, but currently only 20% to 25% of our members have iPads or Android tablets. Members who can't use this service shouldn't have to pay for those who can. Considering it costs less than one large specialty coffee each month, it is a great value. There hasn't been a dues increase in 10 years, and we've had a great increase in membership services during that same period.
If you are going to be in Southern California in January, please set aside a day and join us at the AMA Expo in Ontario. The dates are January 11–13 at the Ontario Convention Center. AMA members receive a discount on admission and, when you buy tickets in advance, you'll get an additional 25% discount. Tickets can be ordered online and picked up at the will-call booth the day of the show. Stop by the AMA booth in the center of the floor to say hello!
Marketing and Membership Committee member Neil Roth sent a note that a longtime friend and avid modeler, Rick Vaughn of Marietta, Georgia, passed away.
Neil wrote: "Rick was a great glider competitor and Nats player. He was the consummate gentleman and devoted to our sport. Few people had his manners and soft touch when working with a rookie pilot. To know that man was to respect his kindly way. I flew with him a lot, and we often compared horsepower on our respective Impalas, back in the day. Rick Vaughn ran SEFF (Southeast Electric Flight Festival) safely for years and he will be really missed."
Until next month, make the most of the holidays with family and friends, and if you get the chance, help secure our future and take a youngster flying.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
