District II
Gary Fitch, District II Vice President; [email protected]
Cradle of Aviation Museum Tour
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is located in the Garden City area of Long Island, New York. This jewel highlights the rich history of aviation on the island. Most of the aircraft that were designed and built in this region are displayed in settings that bring the different flying eras together.
John Clarke, a modeler and tour guide at the museum, provided an informative tour filled with aviation history. It was a most enjoyable day.
Several clubs had displays promoting their activities, including:
- Silent Electric Flyers of Long Island
- Merokees
- Long Island Cobras
- Whitman Flyers
- Nassau Flyers
The model aircraft on display ranged from rubber-powered gems and discus-launch sailplanes to racers and scale warbirds. Many models were positioned beneath full-scale aircraft such as the A-10 Warthog and the F-105 Thunderchief (“Thud”). The event lasted two days and attracted many families — what a beautiful venue to display our hobby. Thanks to Associate Vice President Ray Juschkus for the invitation, arranging the tour, and taking photos of the event.
Dart Airport — Bob Dart
In last month’s column I said I would honor a special individual: Bob Dart. Full-scale pilots know that Dart Airport in Mayville, New York, is an interesting stop. Bob is the airport’s owner and an avid modeler.
Celebrating his 50th year in RC, Bob has been a strong supporter of all types of model aviation, including control line (CL). Dart Airport hosts a mix of full-scale and model aircraft.
On May 24, friends and fliers from Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York attended the Dart CL event and gathered to help Bob Brown, District III vice president, and me present Bob Dart with the AMA District Service Award for his lifetime of aviation.
Dart Airport is known in the full-scale world, but many are not aware of its amazing collection of aircraft, engines, covering materials, photos, magazines, and radios from nearly every era of full-scale and model aviation. It is a treasure trove for aircraft historians — you can get lost in the hundreds of photos and memorabilia on display. They even build full-scale J-3 type aircraft. If you are in western New York, Dart Airport is a must-see.
Bob, thank you for the generations of pilots you taught to fly, supported, and showed how to build and repair their airplanes. This award is long overdue.
In Memory — Sal Cannizzo
Ray Mangin, corresponding secretary of the Ocean County Modelers, sent this notice: “One of the oldest and most distinguished members of Ocean County Modelers, Sal Cannizzo, was born on January 2, 1928 and passed away on May 15, 2008. His many accomplishments in model aircraft are noted in his biography on the AMA web site. He will be missed.” A memorial gathering was held in June to honor his memory.
New Associate Vice President
Tony Rossi from Somerset, New Jersey, is a new associate vice president in District II. Tony will be covering the eastern shore of New Jersey, Staten Island, and western Long Island. He looks forward to meeting the club members in his new territory. Welcome, Tony!
Until next month, keep ’em three in the green.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
