Author: Dave Mathewson
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 150

District II Report - 2004/09

New indoor RC facility — Westfield Armory

Dave King, District II contest coordinator, reports a new indoor RC facility in the northern New Jersey area. The inaugural flying session was held at the Westfield Armory on April 6, 2004, and was attended by a large group of enthusiastic modelers. The Armory is available every Tuesday unless otherwise committed. If you're interested, swing by and check it out.

Preserving flying fields — WCRC recognition

We all know the lifeblood of our hobby is our ability to find and keep good flying sites. Nick Maggio, president of the Washington's Crossing Radio Control Flyer's Association (WCRC), sent the following:

"Relationships between flying-field landlords and clubs must be nurtured and enhanced to assure a positive experience. All too often, when conversation turns to aeromodeling, the dwindling number of flying fields is the leading topic. The Washington's Crossing RC Flyer's Association (WCRC) in Titusville, New Jersey, is pleased to reverse the trend.

"On April 17, 2004, the State of New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry held a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony at McGuire Air Force Base. In attendance were officials of the division throughout the state. Invited were the volunteer groups whose commitment and service to the park system form a foundation for success.

"Nick Maggio, president, and John Kukon, secretary/treasurer represented WCRC. Dave Donnelly, superintendent of Washington Crossing State Park, presented a certificate to our club. The award represents recognition of outstanding volunteer efforts on behalf of the New Jersey State Park Service.

"We are very grateful and proud of this acknowledgment. WCRC intends to further our efforts to help the Washington Crossing State Park and become an integral part of this beautiful, historical, multiuse facility."

You should be proud of this, Nick. Efforts such as this will help ensure our ability to continue the hobby we all enjoy.

Plane & Pilot ad — Leon Shulman

For those who subscribe to Plane & Pilot, did you catch the Aeroshell advertisement on page 37 of the June 2004 issue? The ad depicts a young boy holding a neat free-flight model, circa 1945. The model appears to be a Banshee, designed in 1942 by Model Aviation Hall of Fame member and AMA District II member Leon Shulman. Leon has several designs to his credit and is the patriarch of the well-known Shulman family that includes son Don and grandsons Jason and David.

AMA Flying Site Assistance Grant — Middlesex Modelers

Congratulations to the Middlesex Modelers, recipients of one of several AMA Flying Site Assistance (FSA) Grants for 2004. AMA created the FSA program to aid clubs in developing and improving their flying sites. The grant will provide up to 10% of the costs of a club project, with a limit of $5,000.

Flight instruction — the "Ragland Technique"

Most clubs are fortunate to have members who step up to teach new fliers. There are probably as many styles of instructing as there are instructors. For many years Clarence Ragland has promoted his method of flight instruction, which he calls the "Ragland Technique." What's unique about Clarence's method is that he instructs without using a buddy box.

Several members of our District II team who have flown with Clarence reported good results, but I remained skeptical until Clarence offered a demonstration at my club field. What I saw was impressive. Whether due to his technique, demeanor, flying ability, or a combination of all three, Clarence produced rapid results.

In less than a tank of fuel he had one member hovering a helicopter. A newer student, with only one previous flight, was making landings on his first flight with Clarence. That student's young son, after a few minutes of help, flew the remainder of the flight and landed by himself.

I was most impressed with my wife's progress. She had a little simulator time and roughly two minutes of actual stick time. Clarence took the trainer to altitude, handed her the controls, and after several minutes of instruction he stepped back. She flew the remainder of the flight unassisted and landed successfully with minimal help.

I'm not saying this technique is for everyone, nor do I know if it works for instructors other than Clarence, but if you're interested in learning more, you can email him.

See you next time.

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