District IX - 2006/12
My warmest holiday greetings to all! As I have traveled the district, I’m blown away by the camaraderie and friendships I have developed during the last couple of years. You people are great!
In my mind, this time of year is all about kids, and for that reason I offer two heart-warming articles about how our District IX clubs go out of their way to introduce this wonderful hobby to our youth.
Miniature Aero Sportsters (MAS) — Kids’ Day (Denver, CO)
Every year MAS hosts a one-day special just for kids in the community. MAS Kids’ Day creates an opportunity for young people to learn and provides a possible outlet for them to use. For the past seven years MAS has hosted Kids’ Day with the support of Adams County, designed to give the county’s youth a chance to fly RC airplanes.
MAS hosts two such events each summer in an effort to offer an alternative to drugs and violence. The last Kids’ Day was June 10, 2006. More than 40 kids came out to the field for a day of flying and food. MAS contacts local schools, churches, and Boy Scout groups to get the word out about Kids’ Day.
Thanks to Gary Hodson of MAS for sharing this report.
Heart of America Free Flight Association (HAFFA) — Rubber-powered modeling at Union Station (Kansas City)
Yes, even with computer games and other entertainment-driven activities competing for the time of kids and adults alike, people will show up to build model airplanes!
Dean Jernigan, head of the Science City Museum at Kansas City’s Union Station, invited HAFFA to conduct a model-airplane demonstration at Union Station. Mike Basta (HAFFA vice president) and Katherine Patterson-Peralto (Union Station event coordinator) organized the AMA Cub building and flying session held on Saturday, March 4, 2006.
Other HAFFA members who helped make the event successful included:
- Carl Perkins
- David Gibson
- Bob Kochersperger
- Gary Hodson
- Lynn Chaffee
- Jeff Renz
- Tem Johnson
The train station has been rebuilt to its original state with museums, shops, and restaurants. This beautiful location offered modelers a chance to fly indoors under the 65-foot ceiling of the main hall. The event was successful, and many of the kids and club members will remember it for years to come.
Hopefully the event sparked an interest in model aviation in some children that will influence them in the future. Another event is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2006.
Missouri Slope Model Aero Club — New shelter (Bismarck, ND)
This summer I visited with my North Dakota associate vice president, Troy Lapp, and saw his club’s new shelter. Troy reported:
Here is what we’ve been working on all spring! Members of the Missouri Slope Model Aero Club of Bismarck had their first event at the field last weekend: the North Dakota State Skids Up Heli Fun-Fly. Although the weather couldn’t have been much worse, it was quite enjoyable with the new improvements!
The shelter is complete: all the concrete work is done, trees are planted, flagpoles installed, power has been run to the shelter and shed, camper hookups are in place, and the pit tables are installed with power supplied to them as well. Now it is time to kick back and fly!
The first official event is the kickoff of the North Dakota Prairie Rose State Games on July 14. We are part of the opening ceremony and, if it goes as planned, we will have a Black Hawk land at the field to bring us our American flag, raise it with the North Dakota National Guard present, and the games will begin. We are excited to be part of all this. We have worked hard and dug deep to pull this off. Other than a few little glitches (that means over budget), it is all according to plan.
Shawnee Mission Radio Control Club (SMRCC) — City Wide Fun-Fly (Kansas City area)
SMRCC held its annual City Wide Fun-Fly on September 16, 2006. With winds gusting more than 20 mph, the club was pleasantly surprised by a great turnout. Prizes valued at more than $1,500 were given out to flyers and distributed in a raffle; they included several ARFs and kits.
SMRCC appreciates the great support received this year from local vendors and national companies. This kind of turnout shows that the Kansas City area has a strong RC presence.
That’s it for this month. A modeling buddy and I took a week-long road trip up to Minot, North Dakota, which I’ll begin to share with you next month. Until then, have fun and keep in touch!
— Mark
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
