District II Report - 2010/05

144 MODEL AVIATION
2010 IS A YEAR of change at AMA.
Online sanctioning will soon become a
reality. A new e-mail publication, AMA
Today, sends items of interest, not to
mention offers, to our members. Another
significant publication, especially to
newsletter editors, is the AMA Insider,
available on the AMA Web site
The majority of our members are Internet
savvy and providing these services
electronically saves us a great deal of
money. We are also going to be sending emails
to our members with pertinent and
interesting information. This isn’t junk mail.
We are trying to engage our members.
District II has many great clubs that promote
model aviation to our youth. Eric Williams,
associate vice president (AVP), sent a note
about the Watervliet Wind Warriors that is
such a club. In memory of past member Tom
Brown, who passed away in January 2009,
they have continued his legacy by sponsoring
the Tom Brown Youth Aviation Program.
This is a free aviation program held each
spring. An initial assembly for
approximately 250 children is held at the
Watervliet Elementary School. The Wind
Warriors provide a flying demonstration
with various model planes and helicopters,
with the goal of sparking aviation interest in
our youth.
From this assembly, forms are sent home
with the fifth- and sixth-grade children who
are interested in participating in a free sixweek
program that starts in mid April. The
children and instructors meet each Saturday.
Typically, a dozen kids sign up and the
Wind Warriors, along with the help of other
area pilots, use RC airplanes to teach the
children about aviation. Tom Brown left
some of the aircraft to the group.
The Wind Warriors hold an RC sale and
show at the “Dome” in March of each year.
The admission fee is $5 to raise funds to
purchase more aircraft for this program.
John Ryan, of Troy NY, helps a fifth-grade
student.
John assists sixth-grader Hailey Strack.
Minister of Fun—what a great club office
that the Staten Island RC Modelers
(SIRCM) formed. Isn’t fun what this hobby/
sport/recreational pastime should be about?
At the invitation of club president John
Palestro, vice president and AMA AVP
Gene Gavin, treasurer Jon Gerber, and
secretary Gary Rosenthal, I attended the
club’s annual Halloween Fun-Fly. Real
estate on this island is at a premium, and
although the field is small by some
standards, the flying by the SIRCM
members on this island was pretty
spectacular, including the Stryker combat.
Tom Abate is the club’s Minister of Fun
and, with the help of his wife Megan, what
an event he put on. Where else can you go to
watch pilots fly their aircraft through a
series of maneuvers and then grab a balloon
and have to break it by sitting on it?
The competition was keen and the
laughter and companionship made for a fun
event. All clubs should have a Minister of
Fun!
Minister of Fun Tom Abate.
AVP Gene Gavin breaking a balloon.
Dr. 3-D: Mark Ciaglia.
The Staten Island RC Modelers.
Until next month, keep ’em Three in the
Green.
District II
Gary Fitch, District II Vice President; [email protected]
New Jersey, New York, Europe
Gary Fitch
1298 Slab City Rd.,
Franklinville NY 14737;
Tel.: (716) 341-2813
www.amadistrictii.org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Frank Granelli,
Rockaway NJ; (973)
625.4995; [email protected]
Tom Murray, Basking Ridge NJ;
(908) 766-5656;
[email protected]
Tony Rossi, Somerset NJ; (908)
420-6901; [email protected]
Peter Seiffert, Baldwinsville NY;
(315) 635-6370;
[email protected]
Terry Terreniore, Endicott, NY;
(607) 748-8246; amad2terry@
stny.rr.com
Eric Williams, Schenectady NY;
(518) 356-2057;
[email protected]
Frequency Coordinator:
Kevin Coleman, Middletown NJ;
(212) 975-2988; kcoleman@
cbs.com
CL and FF Contest
Coordinator: Dave King, South
Plainfield NJ; (908) 769-5149
Webmaster: Ray Kappes,
Clifton Park NY; webmaster@
amadistrictii.org
For a complete listing of
district officers and volunteers,
please visit the District I1 Web site
or see a previous issue of MA.
District II Volunteers
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