Author: Eric Williams
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/08
Page Numbers: 146

District II — New Jersey, New York, Europe

Eric Williams

Vice President

District II has a great mix of aeromodeling interests. On May 26–27, the Brooklyn Skyscrapers held their International Challenge at Barron Field near Middletown, New York, with FAI, AMA, and National Free Flight Society events. Barron Field is located on 770 acres in Wawayanda, New York.

The Skyscrapers are one of AMA's oldest clubs and the International Challenge is one of the longest-running major free flight events in the U.S. With too many notable participants to list, the Skyscrapers and guest pilots are the who's who of aeromodelers, competitors, and champions.

A surprise at the International Challenge was Gina Baron's victory over AMA Hall of Famer and well-known modeler Jean Pailet in Towline Glider. The surprise is that Gina is 9 years old and she beat Jean by only one second!

By the time you read this, Gina will be representing the U.S. in FAI competition in Slovenia. Both Jean and Gina are serious aeromodelers and competitors, but their emphasis is on fun.

The Modelers of Binghamton (MOB) enjoyed calm waters and warm, sunny weather for the club's spring float-fly. Held at Nathaniel Cole Park in Harpersville, New York, the event is a rite of spring for modelers in New York's Southern Tier.

Scale and sport aircraft of all sizes participated, with an occasional model boat in the water during downtime. AMA District II Safety Coordinator Al Kanser brought his Giant Stinger on floats and I had a chance to pilot it. If you've never experienced float-flying, you should give it a try.

The Mercer County RC Society (MCRCS) held its annual Jumbo Jamboree this past May at Warren Kruse Field in Imlaystown, New Jersey. Open to all International Miniature Aircraft Association aircraft, a full range of quarter- and mammoth-scale airplanes were flown—all AMA legal.

J-3 Cub stunt pilot Adam Lilley entertained the crowd and nearly trimmed the trees on cue. Adam must have perfect depth perception! Keith Zimmerly, Seth Hunter, and Nobu Iwasawa put on great World War I dogfights and formation flying with their huge airplanes. They proved that bigger is better.

Upcoming events

  • Annual District II Fun-Fly: August 25–26, 2012, at the Lazy Eight field, Johnston, New York. Bring your airplane or helicopter and have some fun! For details, visit www.lazyeightrcclub.org.

Photos

Extended photo coverage of these and other District II events is available at www.flickr.com/photos/amadistrictii.

Remember, it's not about what we fly, it's about the people and the friends we make!

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.