District II
District II Vice President
- Dave Mathewson — [email protected]
- Region: New Jersey, New York, Europe
It's hard to believe the 2007 outdoor flying season is beginning to wind down already in District II. By the time you read this, the Rhinebeck Jamboree, the NEAT (Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair, and the annual AMA District II Fly-In will all be in the record books. These events tend to signal the beginning of the indoor season for many of us. A number of our clubs have worked to secure indoor facilities for the winter months, which means that for fair-weather modelers, opportunities to fly are now extended year round.
Fly Over Niagara RC Airshow (FONRA)
In June my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the Fly Over Niagara RC Airshow (FONRA) hosted by Wing and Rotor of Western New York. Club president Rich Anderson told me this was the 12th annual edition of the show, held at Reservoir State Park, roughly five miles from Niagara Falls, New York.
On Saturday the weather decided not to cooperate, which left only the bravest pilots flying in exceptionally high winds in front of a limited audience. Fortunately, Sunday was the opposite and it turned out to be a beautiful day.
A new feature of this year's show was the addition of 80-mph and F2D CL Combat flying. The flying site was laid out so that spectators could easily move from one venue to another, allowing for the greatest visibility of all of the flying. Charlie Incorvaia chaired the air show and did a first-rate job organizing the event and managing the weekend's flying activities. Dan Warner, the designated training pilot, spent more than three hours in the air on Sunday with prospective pilots on the buddy box. Efforts such as this help a club grow and promote model aviation, which benefits all of us as model aviation enthusiasts.
Capitol Jets Rally
The third annual Capitol Jets Rally was held July 13–15, 2007, at the South Albany Airport in Selkirk, New York. Frank Alvarez was the CD, assisted by Art Arro, the JPO (Jet Pilot's Organization) District 2 Director. JPO and 14 hobby vendors sponsored the rally. More than 75 RC jets—the vast majority turbine-powered—entered this year, flown by 51 pilots from nine U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
Many of the pilots attended one of the highlights of the weekend: the Saturday evening dinner held at a local restaurant. On Sunday afternoon several awards were presented. Winners included:
- JPO Top Gun: Bob Levine — twin-turbine A-10 Wart Hog
- Best Scale Jet: Dominic Cognata — F/A-18 Hornet
- Best Sport Jet: Lenny Smart — BobCat
- Pilot's Choice: Bob Levine — A-10 Wart Hog
The Flying Knights Model Airplane Club of Troy, New York, and the Thundervolts RC Club handled site preparation and teardown as well as parking, admissions, and spectator control. The management of the South Albany Airport provided outstanding cooperation in offering their facility and serving as hosts for the rally. Plans are underway to host Capitol Jets IV in July 2008 at the same venue.
Bob Noll — Model Aviation Hall of Fame
Earlier this year I had the distinct honor of presenting my friend Bob Noll with a plaque recognizing his induction into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame (HOF). I first met Bob when he was the CD for the first Precision Aerobatics contest in which I flew. His help and support that weekend encouraged me to continue flying this discipline for a large part of my modeling career.
In addition to being a Nationals-class pattern pilot, Bob has also been successful in both RC Scale and pylon racing. During his career he was NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association) Formula II Season Champion, a member of the 1974 U.S. RC Pylon World Team, and a high-place finisher in Designer Scale at the U.S. Nationals.
Bob has designed a number of models including the Yankee Pattern airplane and the Steen Skybolt. He is the current president of the Vintage Radio Control Society, an AMA Special Interest Group, and has held this position since 2002.
Bob's résumé would fill this page and more. For more of Bob's accomplishments and impact on model aviation, visit the History Program section of the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org. Congratulations, Bob!
See you next time.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
