District II - 2012/08

Di strict II has a great mix of
aeromodeling interests. On May 26-
27, the Brooklyn Skyscrapers held its
International Challenge at Barron Field
near Middletown, New York, with FAI,
AMA, and National Free Flight Society
events. Baron Field is located on 770
wide-open acres in Wawayanda, New
York The Skyscrapers is one of AMA’s
oldest clubs and the International
Challenge is one of the longestrunning
major FF events in the US. Too
numerous to list here, 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 wellknown
modeler, Jean Pailet, in Towline Glider. The surprise is Gina is 9 years
old and she beat Jean by only one
second!
It’s no surprise that by the time you
read this Gina will be representing the
US 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 floatfly.
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 try.
The Mercer County RC Society
(MCRCS) held its annual Jumbo
Jamboree event 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 aircraft
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 some great World War
I dog fights and formation flying with
their huge airplanes. They proved that
bigger is better!
Don’t forget the Annual District II
Fun-Fly, August 25-26, 2012, at the
Lazy Eight field in Johnston, New York.
Bring your airplane or helicopter and
have some fun! For details, visit www.
lazyeightrcclub.org.
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!