District IX Report - 2008/04
Hi folks! Wow, has this ever been a busy time for AMA. Our Park Pilot press conference went well at the 2008 AMA Convention and now it’s time for us all to dig in and help establish the park-flyer fields. Please make sure your local hobby shop has the AMA license station on its counter. If not, ask why! I really appreciate each of you who have agreed to be mentors for a newbie park flyer. Finally, please let the AMA staff know if you want the Park Pilot Manual, which will aid you in securing a park-flyer field. Remember, the program’s target is to turn our declining numbers around and we need everyone to support it! For more information, visit the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/parkflyer.aspx.
Heart of America Free Flight Association (HAFFA) Spring Contest — Kansas Speedway, June 16–17, 2007
Mike Basta sent this report from the Kansas City area. On Father’s Day weekend 2007 (June 16–17), 20 competitors gathered at Kansas Speedway for the Sixth Annual HAFFA Spring Contest. Fliers came from across Kansas and from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma to compete for National Free Flight Society (NFFS) National Cup points and for bragging rights in Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), FAI, and Flying Aces Club (FAC) events.
Light southeast winds and 90° temperatures spawned frequent thermals, leading to multiple max flights on Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, higher winds led to longer chases and only a few competitors launched flights after 2 p.m.
NFFS Events
- Mulvihill: Competition was fierce; all competitors achieved maxes every flight. Winning came down to who launched the most flights, led by Lynn Chaffee with seven flights. Second place was finally determined by a coin toss.
- Hand-Launched Glider: Notable because two entrants flew discus-launch models.
- P-30 and Catapult Glider: Each had six competitors and included multiple max flights. Dan Berry won first in P-30 with three maxes and also won Catapult Glider.
FAI Events
- F1G: Usually the most popular event, it suffered because of high winds on Sunday. Paul Masterman (Porter, Indiana) prevailed by putting up all five flights (three maxes) for first place.
- F1H: George Avila took first.
SAM Events
- Old-Timer Hand-Launched Glider: Jeff Englert took first.
- Small-rubber cabin/stick: Bill Schmidt won.
- .020 replica: Abe Gallas took first.
FAC Events
- Jimmie Allen competition: Carl Perkins took first place.
- Golden Age mass launch (Saturday): Jeff Englert won.
- World War II mass launch (Sunday): Scratched due to high winds.
HAFFA wishes to thank all the participants for making this a memorable contest.
Blue Sky Chapter #291 IMAA Fly-In — Dee & Mee Hobbies flying site, southeast of Topeka, Sept 22–23, 2007
Don Thun sent this report of the Blue Sky Chapter #291 annual International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) Fly-In. The event was a benefit fly-in for Wednesday’s Child, a private organization that helps place older foster children in permanent homes.
Thirty pilots from as far away as Lincoln, Nebraska, registered for the two-day event. In addition to T-shirts, door prizes, and drawings for three airplane kits donated by Dee & Mee Hobbies, the pilots enjoyed a Saturday night dinner and were entertained by a country music show featuring Tracy Imes and Mike Gowen. Our IMAA event coordinator, Bruce Sisson, also performed.
Several local corporate sponsors, along with Horizon Hobbies, helped make the event a financial success. Hundreds of spectators came out to enjoy the show and supported the cause by buying concessions and raffle tickets. More than $2,000 was donated to Wednesday’s Child. Organizers hope to raise even more next year.
The airplane that stood out was a 40% scale model of a homebuilt Breezy, built by Ken Bina of Topeka. Highlights:
- Took Ken two years to complete.
- 14.5-foot wingspan.
- Weighs 47 pounds.
- Powered by a G-62 engine.
- Piloted, for show, by Snoopy (the beagle made famous by Charles Schulz); while Ken handles the Breezy, a copilot works the controls and Snoopy nods and shakes his head at the crowd.
- The public could have their picture taken sitting with Snoopy in the Breezy for a $2 donation to Wednesday’s Child.
That’s it for this month. Next month I’ll fill you in on some additional trips I made around the district and keep you posted on our Park Pilot Program’s progress.
Until then, have fun and keep in touch!
Mark.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
