District II Report - 2003/04
Dave Mathewson, Vice President
By now most of us should be knee-deep in winter building projects. Keep plugging away on them — spring is right around the corner.
Indoor flying continues to explode here in District II. Many clubs have organized weekly fly-ins. If you'd like to give indoor radio control (RC) a shot and can't find a local venue, let me know and I'll try to hook you up with someone in your area.
Salem County Radio Control Club — Annual Pig Roast
The Salem County Radio Control Club held their annual pig roast last fall. Syd Clement wrote to say that this traditional event was held on September 29 in near-perfect weather.
Salem RC sponsors this event every September. It not only draws pilots from several southern New Jersey clubs, but also members from clubs as far away as eastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware.
As a way of promoting our hobby, townspeople are also invited to come out to watch the flying activities and enjoy the roast. This year the crowd made light work of a 125-pound roasted pig.
Binghamton Aeros — AMA and IMAA Rally
The Binghamton Aeros held their annual AMA and IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) Rally August 10–11, 2002. Associate Vice President (AVP) Gary Fitch attended and sent the following:
"This event typically draws participants and spectators from throughout the region. Pilots from Brooklyn, Long Island, Bronx, and northern and western New York came to fly at the Aeros' full-scale grass strip.
"At least 100 aircraft were shown, with many of them some of the finest scale aircraft found anywhere. Vince Quartararo, Contest Director (CD) and IMAA District II Associate Director, had the event running smoothly.
"The noon air show featured an F-15 and Kangaroo with turbines, a tremendous 3D demonstration, and high-performance, aerobatic electrics. Vince's second year as CD provided a great show for everyone there."
Awards and Notable Achievements
Congratulations to District II Electric Contest Board member Tom Hunt for being elected to the Vintage Radio Control Society Hall of Fame. The presentation was made this past September at the NEAT (Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair in Downsville, New York by past AMA president and past-AMA executive director John Worth.
Tom is well known, not only in District II but also throughout the country, for his work in model design and, most recently, for his innovative contributions to the advancement of RC electric flight.
As an example of Tom's efforts, in 2001 he spearheaded a project to design, build, and fly an electric model across the Long Island Sound. Working with other members of the Silent Electric Fliers of Long Island (SEFLI), the club that hosts NEAT, in early fall of 2002 they successfully flew their electric model, the Cross-Sounder, on a round-trip flight across the Long Island Sound to Connecticut — a total distance of nearly 30 miles.
You may or may not get this issue of Model Aviation before the 2003 edition of the WRAM (Westchester Radio Aero Modelers) show. I'll be there from late Friday morning until Sunday afternoon. If you get a chance, swing by the AMA booth and say hello.
See you next time...
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
