Author: Bliss Teague
Edition: Model Aviation - 2014/08
Page Numbers: 142

District IV—Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia

Vice President

Bliss Teague

Smith Mountain Lake RC and Full-Scale Fly-In (Saturday, May 10, 2014)

The forecast of rain and thunderstorms at the airport in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, didn't dampen the enthusiastic turnout for the RC and full-scale fly-in. Proceeds from airplane rides over Smith Mountain Lake, along with concession sales, netted more than $2,000 in donations to help the Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy.

The Virginia AeroModelers of Bedford are to be especially commended for their terrific support. Roughly 20 members were on hand to help set up, host, and conduct RC flying demonstrations. The Virginia AeroModelers is an extremely active club with enviable membership participation.

Flight time was reserved in the morning for RC demonstrations. Larry Davidson, RC organizer and safety officer, flew David Lindsay's Shock Jet, followed by a stunning RC helicopter demonstration by Danny Dugger. Both flights drew applause from spectators. Everyone enjoyed many other RC demonstrations by the Virginia AeroModelers.

Following the RC demonstrations, the runway was cleared for full-scale aircraft. Spectators paid a nominal fee for a 20-minute flight over beautiful Smith Mountain Lake.

This event was a worthy cause. It brought RC and full-scale aircraft together in a well-organized, fun, and safe event. It was an excellent opportunity for the Virginia AeroModelers to go beyond the boundaries of its home field and introduce itself to the general public.

Thanks to everyone who donated time, resources, and energy for this worthwhile charitable cause.

The event is planned again for next year.

—Bob Sowder

Patuxent Aeromodelers Fifth Annual Community Day (Saturday, May 10)

On Saturday, May 10, the Patuxent Aeromodelers of Hollywood, Maryland, held its fifth annual community day and open house. This event continues each year as an opportunity to introduce kids of all ages to the joys of model aviation, as well as demonstrate some of the educational benefits provided by the AMA.

This year, we were able to put more than 100 people on the buddy box, including local, county, and state government officials. We were fortunate to have AMA Education Department staff members Jessy Symmes and Bill Pritchett attend and bring the Mobile RC Experience trailer.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't perfect and we dealt with on-and-off drizzle, but we pushed through and had a steady stream of newcomers trying their hands at flying. Every hour, we allowed the instructors to take a break for 10–15 minutes of demonstration flying, including warbirds, helicopters, 3-D, candy drops, and parachute drops.

sUAS demonstrations were also included to allow visitors to see how they work and to show some of their limitations, with the hopes of alleviating possible fears associated with this growing technology.

Patuxent Aeromodelers members are already planning and looking forward to the sixth annual event on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

—Arch Stafford

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