MODEL AVIATION
District II
Dave Mathewson, District II Vice President; [email protected]
New Jersey, New York, Europe
IT LOOKS as though the outdoor flying
season is finally here for all of us in District
II. Events of all sorts are happening every
weekend. Many of our members enjoy
visiting and participating in the fun-flys,
rallies, and competitions that clubs sponsor.
Events can be anything from a low-key
fun-fly to all-out, hotly contested
competitions. Attending these events can be
a great way to meet other members and see
what they are doing throughout the district.
If you want to see what’s taking place in
your area, you can find a listing in the AMA
Contest Calendar in MA or you can visit our
district Web site at www.amadistrictii.org.
I attended the annual Joe Nall fly-in, held
every spring in South Carolina. I ran into
several members from our district there.
Some were flying but most were attending as
spectators.
This was my first time there and I have to
tell you, this is one outstanding fly-in.
Hundreds of pilots and thousands of
spectators visit the field during the four-day
event. There were several dozen model
vendors on site and flying took place from
nearly sunup until who knows when.
In addition to flying from the main
runway, there was a float pond nearby that
was exceptionally active. In the evening
there was time set aside for night flying as
well as an area designated for smaller
electric models that were equipped with
spread-spectrum radio systems. This
eliminated the need for any type of
frequency control for the modelers flying
electrics. Flight demonstrations each day
featured various models flown by some of
our best pilots.
Joe Nall is the type of event where you
can attend as a pilot or spectator and still
enjoy being there. Of course, it didn’t hurt
that the sun was shining each day and the
temperatures hovered in the eighties.
Returning to reality, when we got home that
Saturday night the weather report called for
a frost warning and possibile snow flurries.
If you haven’t had a chance yet to visit
you might want to consider it. If you like
model airplanes, you’ll like the Joe Nall.
In March, District II associate vice
president Ray Juschkus invited me to a
model expo in which several District II
clubs were participating at the Cradle of
Aviation Museum. Ray wrote the following:
“The Cradle of Aviation Museum is
located on Long Island at the site of the old
Mitchel Field Airport. The museum was
opened in May 2002. A beautiful building
with an all-glass façade, the museum is
home to more than 65 aircraft. The atrium
holds aloft a Grumman F11F Tiger Jet.
This is just one example of the many highquality
models on display at the Cradle of
Aviation’s first annual Model Expo.
“This year the museum sponsored a
model exposition and invited several of the
local clubs to participate. The result was an
exhibit the included nearly 50 models as
well as model engine collectors’ displays
and flight simulators.
“The Silent Electric Flyers of Long
Island (SEFLI) club had a display of allelectric-
powered models. Tom Hunt,
president of SEFLI, was there to answer the
many questions people asked about electrics.
“Also making a visit was Dave
Mathewson, AMA District II vice president,
and his lovely wife Ginger. John Clarke, an
avid modeler and one of the 150 volunteer
museum tour guides gave Dave and Ginger
a VIP tour of the museum.
During the two-day event, a scratch-built
model was framed out while guests watched
it take shape. The museum plans to hold the
expo again next year and we hope to make it
bigger and better. For further information
about the museum, go to
www.cradleofaviation.org.”
Hands-on model building is always an
attraction.
Thanks, Ray. I also want to thank John
Clarke for the tour of the museum. His
background and knowledge of the exhibits
made for a terrific experience.
On April 2, 2006, my wife and I attended
the annual Garden State Circle Burners
(GSCB) awards banquet. The Circle Burners
are one of AMA’s premier CL clubs. In
addition to holding several competition
events annually, the club conducts its area’s
largest swap meet and is heavily involved in
the AMA’s Intro Pilot Program.
Master of ceremonies for this year’s
dinner was club president Mike Cooper.
Mike presented a series of awards to Circle
Burner members in recognition of their
various accomplishments throughout 2005.
GSCB president Mike Cooper welcomes
everyone to the Circle Burners awards
dinner.
Special guests at this year’s dinner were
John and Buzz Brodak. In addition to John
being a past president of the Precision
Aerobatics Model Pilots Association
(PAMPA), an AMA Special Interest Group,
John and Buzz are owners of Brodak
Manufacturing, a prominent modelmanufacturing
company in the CL arena.
The Circle Burners wanted to show their
appreciation to John and Buzz for all of the
positive contributions they’ve made to CL
modeling during the last several decades.
Bob Zambelli presents John Brodak with this
unique model that brought back memories
for many attending the GSCB dinner.
The 2006 District II Fly-In will be hosted
this year by the Jersey Coast Sport Fliers
(JCSF) and held at its club field in Colts
Neck, New Jersey, on August 12-13, 2006.
The JCSF flying site is located in Dorbrook
Park. Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. and flying
starts at 10 a.m.
For more information, visit the JCSF
Web site at www.jcsportfliers.org. Hope to
see many of you there.
See you next time.
D i s t r i c t I I
154
For a complete listing of
District II officials and
volunteers. please see a
previous issue of MA or check
out the District II Web site.
Dave Mathewson
7271 State Fair Blvd.,
Baldwinsville NY
13027; Tel.: (315)
727-4275; Fax: (315)
635-1039
www.amadistrictiii.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 154