District II - 2010/07

July 2010 155
THIRTEEN Team Selection Committees
select our FAI competitors. Each committee
is made up of one representative from each
district, if available.
In our district, we have four positions
that need to be filled: Outdoor Junior Free
Flight Team Selection Committee; Indoor
Free Flight (F1D) Team Selection
Committee; Control Line Race (F2C) Team
Selection Committee; and Electric
(F5B/F5D) Team Selection Committee.
If you compete in any of these
disciplines and would like to volunteer some
time as a Team Selection Committee
member, please write, call, or send me an email
with your background and competition
experience.
Gordon Schimmel, a member of the AMA
Education Committee and former chairman,
approached me about holding a roundtable
seminar for club representatives in District II
this fall.
I thought it would be beneficial to have
two, one in New York and one in New
Jersey.
The intent of the seminars is to show our
clubs how to use AMA’s Education programs
to work with schools, local governments, etc.
We also want to listen to your ideas
concerning what is needed to assist you.
More information on this will be
forthcoming.
AMA Affinity Programs are meant to
provide increased value to our members and
at the same time they can help AMA contain
our membership dues.
Special deals with Harbor Freight and
Motel 6 are the latest member benefits that
can be found on AMA’s Web site. Check it
out.
On the subject of membership dues,
renewals go out in September and you have
until the end of December to pay them with
no lapse in membership or insurance
coverage.
Many of us fly indoors in the winter and
having insurance is still necessary unless
you have the means of replacing a school
gym or inflated dome on your own.
AMA youth scholarships are based on a
36-month continual membership, without
lapse. Membership dues are not prorated so
there is no discount when renewing in the
spring. You just lose out on receiving all
issues of Model Aviation, one of the best
modeling-related publications in the
industry.
Henry Haffke of Gee Bee Scale Model
Designs in Malta, New York, sent a great
letter. Henry moved to the Saratoga Springs
area and, together with Curtis Smith and a
few other local pilots, formed a new AMA
club: the Saratoga County Radio Aero-
Modelers (SCRAM). The members fly at a
field at the Saratoga Speedway.
Being lifelong friends with the famous
Granville family of Gee Bee fame, Henry
has stayed in contact with them. Ron
Spooner, son of Pearl Granville Spooner,
and his wife, Diane, planned a visit with
Henry last October, hoping to see a Gee Bee
fly. Ron has recently started flying RC.
The day arrived with black clouds, high
winds, and heavy rain, but as Henry
describes, a miracle happened. The skies
cleared for a brief period when all met at the
field. The winds calmed, the sun began to
shine, and expert pilot Curtis took that Gee
Bee Model Y to the skies for a 10-minute
flight, making smooth, low passes, scale
maneuvers, and a flawless touchdown.
Ron was impressed to see his family
history fly again. They packed everything
up, left, and the heavy rain and winds started
again, but Henry and Ron got their wish, to
see each other and see the Gee Bee fly
again!
Ron and Diane Spooner with Curtis Smith
looking at the Gee Bee Model Y.
Curtis Smith taxiing the Gee Bee.
Ron (L) is watching Curtis fly the Gee Bee
Model Y.
The AMA District II Fun-Fly will be
September 25 at Floyd Bennett Field in
Brooklyn, New York. The event will be
sponsored by the Pennsylvania Avenue
Radio Control Society (PARCS).
Until next month, Keep ’em Three in the
Green.
District II
Gary Fitch, District II Vice President; [email protected]
New Jersey, New York, Europe
Gary Fitch
1298 Slab City Rd.,
Franklinville NY 14737;
Tel.: (716) 341-2813
www.amadistrictii.org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Frank Granelli,
Rockaway NJ; (973)
625.4995; [email protected]
Tom Murray, Basking Ridge NJ;
(908) 766-5656;
[email protected]
Tony Rossi, Somerset NJ; (908)
420-6901; [email protected]
Peter Seiffert, Baldwinsville NY;
(315) 635-6370;
[email protected]
Terry Terreniore, Endicott, NY;
(607) 748-8246; amad2terry@
stny.rr.com
Eric Williams, Schenectady NY;
(518) 356-2057;
[email protected]
Frequency Coordinator:
Kevin Coleman, Middletown NJ;
(212) 975-2988; kcoleman@
cbs.com
CL and FF Contest
Coordinator: Dave King, South
Plainfield NJ; (908) 769-5149
Webmaster: Ray Kappes,
Clifton Park NY; webmaster@
amadistrictii.org
For a complete listing of
district officers and volunteers,
please visit the District I1 Web site
or see a previous issue of MA.
District II Volunteers
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