District IX - 2011/02

February 2011 167
AMA WAS well represented at the National
League of Cities conference held in Denver,
Colorado. Hundreds of cities in addition to
those in District IX were represented. The
hall was filled with mayors, alderman, city
councilmen, and other governmental
agencies.
AMA’s mission was to identify potential
flying venues that are available or
underutilized in cities. Tony Stillman, our
flying site assistance coordinator, led the
effort with the help of Sid Gates, Travis
McGinnis, and Tony’s wife, Genie.
Numerous contacts identified facilities in
their community that could possibly be used.
Tony will close the loop with additional
contacts and provide follow-up to the effort.
This is a good success story in AMA’s effort
to provide for its membership.
Tony Stillman, Jim Wallen, Travis McGinnis,
and Sid Gates drumming up business and
selling AMA at the National League of Cities
The Model Museum Flying Club in
Colorado is a mature club, steeped with
tradition, and as are many clubs, is struggling
to make ends meet. We wish the members the
best in planning for their future.
Ken Stitt held his indoor electric fly-in in
Wichita, Kansas, and it was a resounding
success. There were 107 pilots who kept the
spectators entertained for the three-day event.
Ken plans to host the event again in 2011.
Put November 11, 12, and 13 on your
calendar. You can keep up-to-date on event
information by checking Ken’s calendar at
www.clearviewfield.com.
Jim Wallen
Vice President
7322 W. 82nd Way
Arvada CO 80003
Tel.: (303) 421-
9061
www.amadistrictix.
org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Steve Culver, Omaha NE;
[email protected]
Zac Heskin, Garrison ND;
[email protected]
Fred Hildebrand, Casper WY;
[email protected]
Bruce Ream, Highlands Ranch
CO; [email protected]
Brenda Schuette, Auburn KS;
[email protected]
Mike Tallman, Wichita KS;
[email protected]
Jim Tiller, Rapid City SD;
[email protected]
Webmaster: Norm Berger,
[email protected]
Contest Coordinator:
Mac Strader, Overland Park KS;
[email protected]
District IX Volunteers
District IX
Jim Wallen, District IX Vice President; [email protected]
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Club Corner
Have things gotten a little stale in your
type of flying? Is the weather a little too cold
to get out and fly at your flying site? How
about trying something new?
A group of flying enthusiasts in the
Denver area has found a new wrinkle to our
hobby: flying with CO2 motors! (The Black
Sheep Squadron in California has an
interesting Web site,
www.blacksheepsquadron.com, featuring
CO2.)
These pilots were predominately flying
electrics before they found this new type of
entertainment. They meet weekly at Frank
Dilatush’s place of business to do a little
indoor flying and solve some of the world’s
problems. Frank submitted the following
article.
“Some of you know that every
Wednesday afternoon from 3 to 5, the
employees at RFS and Whipchek are free to
go play and Chuck and I lock the front door
and host a gathering of our friends back in
the warehouse where we fly little planes and
helicopters, drink a few beverages, and also
solve many of the world’s problems through
civil yet animated discourse. It’s always fun,
and of course the nonflying employees love
it; I mean really, who doesn’t love recess?
“Yesterday was especially enjoyable
because a little e-Bay find of mine had
shown up and we got to play with it. CO2
model motors predate radio control and
were used in free flight models going back
before WW II. They are powered by 8-
gram seltzer (siphon) bottle CO2 cartridges.
Not the easiest things to find, but Burt our
favorite octogenarian and I both came up
with boxes of 10 so we had (have) plenty
for experimentation.
“Now this thing was obviously a barn
find, the seller being more familiar with
Farmall tractor parts and at $25 ‘buy it
now’ and very reasonable shipping, I
couldn’t resist. It came in looking and
feeling rough, but a few cycles of contact
cleaner and K&B Knockerloose got it
spinning smooth and freely.
“The first few cylinders of gas gave
somewhat fitful operation, yet several
points became immediately apparent. First,
that something the size of the first digit of
your Hawaiian Peace Sign finger can swing
a prop hard enough to bite you ... Ow! And
second, that the exhaust from this type of
system can generate point frostbite on the
fingertips holding it ... Double ow, brrrrr!
“By about the 6th or 7th cylinder, the
little motor was well lubricated and it began
running continuously through the whole
cylinder without restarts—maybe 60
seconds of quite entertaining prop
swooshing and designated motor holder
moaning about the icy frosty thing gripped
firmly in their numbing fingers.
“I bet some 50 or 60 years ago, some
lucky kid got a small Christmas present and
likely jumped with joy and delight when he
opened the box and saw this miniature
jewel all bright and shiny, freshly storebought,
ready to break the surly bonds in
the stick-and-dope-and-tissue model
airplane that he had yet to build.”
Frank Dilatush, John Welch, Phil Trowe, Dick
Conn, Burt Payne, Mike Brink, and Ray
Woodhouse enjoy life with their CO2 aircraft.
Jack Warkins, Richard Sills, Norm Frawley,
Mike Fields, Marcia Clarke, Al Yuhasz, Carol
Hjerleid, and Duane Hjerleid are proud
members of the Model Museum Club. Kathy
Sills is behind the camera taking the picture!
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