District I — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Andy Argenio Vice President [email protected] 3 Sheila Ln., Smithfield RI 02917 Tel.: (401) 231-6901; www.amadistrict1.org
Fitting tributes for Ray Davis and Jackie Roselli were sent to me by Associate Vice President Carl Vogel and express the respect and gratitude those in District I have for these wonderful people.
"In my little corner of District I, I generally fly at two flying fields: the Otis Model Aero Club in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and the South Shore R/C Club (SSRCC) in Bridgewater. June was a terrible month weather-wise and good flying days were few. Even worse, both of my clubs suffered tragic losses that would forever leave a lasting abyss.
"Ray Davis was the vice president of Otis after serving as its president for more than a decade. I met Ray when I became president of the Discover Club, also on Cape Cod. Ray provided me with insights, advice, and guidance which helped me considerably. We worked together to make the two clubs' members feel as one and the clubs held many joint events.
"With his friend, Jim McCormick, Ray was instrumental in developing the Otis Giants Airshow, now in its ninth consecutive year. Every year Ray would work diligently and contributed substantially to its ultimate and continued success.
"Ray's shining accomplishment was securing the Otis flying field for many years to come. The field had always been on the threshold of extinction and had already been moved once. It sits on a wildlife preserve and there were many issues concerning wildlife habitat and nesting areas. Through Ray's persistent negotiating skills and working meticulously with the Department of Fish & Wildlife, they hammered out an agreement that has secured the flying field for the last 10 years and is still functioning to guarantee the flying field for the foreseeable future.
"A skilled model builder with an eye for scale detail, Ray was foremost a jet pilot, happiest when he could leave a patch of scorched earth behind his airplane. Ray introduced a number of District I pilots to the thrill of going fast while making lots of noise.
"Ray's circle of modeling friends extended far beyond the Falmouth club. He was a highly respected fixture at jet events throughout New England. Ray left us on June 13, 2013.
"Jackie Roselli was an icon at SSRCC. Along with her husband, Nick, she attended Joe Nall, the Green Mountain 3-D event, and was at all three Huckfest events held in the northeast.
"Jackie was an active participant at every SSRCC event, was a regular at the flying field every week, and attended every club meeting. Her willingness to help in any way she could not only made her invaluable, but earned the respect of our club's members and beyond.
"At the Nall and Green Mountain events, Jackie was always in there joking and conversing with the pilots. She knew them all and she could hold her own with them and they all loved her for it.
"Inside Jackie's pop-up trailer there was always a warm chair, cool drink, and delightful conversation. Her honest, warm hospitality was legendary, and her personality always made us feel welcome. We lost our beloved Jackie on June 23, 2013.
"The loss of these two people has affected me tremendously and I'm sure many others as well. At Otis I will forever see Ray in his corner of the field with his jets.
"At SSRCC, I will miss Jackie at the field every weekend as well as at our events offering her friendship, wisdom, and assistance. When I'm sitting in the pavilion cooling off after another flight on a hot summer day I will always see Jackie sitting right next to me.
"Godspeed Ray and Jackie."
District II—New Jersey, New York, Europe
Eric Williams Vice President
[email protected] 4242 Amanda Ln., Schenectady NY 12303 Tel.: (518) 356-2057; www.amadistrict-ii.org
There has been no shortage of events in District II this flying season!
Tony Rossi, District II associate vice president (AVP), reported on the June 29, 2013, Warbirds Over North Branch in New Jersey.
Pilots attended from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. With great weather in the mid-80s and light winds, it was a great day for a fly-in.
There were all types of airplanes from World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War. They included a Fokker D.VII biplane, a Fokker D.I triplane, Sopwith Camel, Fokker Eindecker, Grumman F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, P-51, A-26, P-40, PT-19, PT-22, PT-17, Corsair, F-18, F-16, and an F-4 Phantom.
There was a formation flyby with the Camel, Fokker D.I triplane, and Fokker D.VII. The noontime show was given by Ken Karpinski Jr. flying his electric Pterodactyl to the song “Alley Oop.” He was fast to explain that it was the first warbird. Kevin even put invasion stripes on the wings.
Pictures can be seen at www.somersetsignalsenders.com. Hope to see you back next year.
Thanks, Tony.
The Schohaire Valley Crop Dusters (SVCD) received an AMA Disaster Assistance grant after Hurricane Irene in 2011. As have many District II clubs, the SVCD members have given back to AMA, fellow modelers, and the community in big ways.
At the annual club fun-fly on Sunday, June 23, the club held a 50/50 fundraiser to raise money for the Disaster Assistance fund. Thank you SVCD!
The Radio Control Club of Rochester (RCCR) is among AMA's oldest chartered clubs! At RCCR's June 29-30 fun-fly, the club dedicated its flying site at North Hampton Park in Brockport, New York, to fallen member John Floyd.
What started as a rainy weekend, turned out to be a beautiful dedication ceremony Saturday afternoon, with fantastic flying and great hospitality on the part of RCCR!
The annual Warwick Fun-Fly is becoming a premier event! Hosted by the Bergen County Silent Flyers June 22-23, 2013, and CDed by Rich Landis, this all-electric event offers a spacious flying site for rise-off-ground, hand launch, and float flying! This year's event drew 65 pilots.
Put this can't-miss event on your schedule for next season.
Club building suggestion from Ken Brockway: Distribute our old Model Aviation magazines at libraries, barber shops, your doctor's office, and similar locations, with your club's contact information attached to the front page.
Remember, it's not about what we fly; it's about the people and the friends we make.
District III—Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Mark Radcliff Vice President
[email protected] 199 Heron Dr., St. Marys WV 26170 Tel.: (304) 684-2133; www.amadistrict-iii.org
Between July 1 and July 4, 1863, the Confederate and Union Armies lined up on several miles of fields in Pennsylvania to wage one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War. More than 20,000 troops were killed and injured on the fields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Little did anyone know that, nearly 150 years later, there would be RC aircraft flying near these hallowed fields. Heck, the airplane and electricity hadn't even been invented 150 years ago!
My wife and I attended the second annual Steve Arnold Warbirds Over Gettysburg, hosted by the Blue & Gray Miniature Aircraft Squadron on June 22-23, 2013. We arrived early Friday afternoon and found the field gate locked so we decided to drive around the area. Within a few hundred feet we were seeing beautiful fertile fields lined with cannons and monuments dedicated to preserving the history of the battle that was waged here 150 years before.
Event CD, Jeff Black, welcomed us to the club's beautiful flying field that adjoins the sacred battlefields of historic Gettysburg. Jeff indicated this was the second year of the event, which was named after Steve Arnold, a club member who died tragically in a motorcycle accident.
On Saturday morning the skies begin to fill with the sights of P-47s, P-51s, B-17s, P-38s, Fokkers ... you get the idea ... warbirds. At the end of the day, as we drove away past the battlefields, I realized that we were flying near and sometimes over this historic hallowed ground.
What an honor to be able to enjoy our hobby because of the sacrifices of those heroic soldiers who fought in the battle of Gettysburg. I was moved to have had the privilege to fly at such a historic place and look forward to flying there again. If you're a history buff and a warbird enthusiast, then Gettysburg is the place for you.
On June 8 and 9, 2013, I attended and competed in a Pattern event hosted by the Columbus Aero RC Club in Grove City, Ohio. This was the first time the club had held a Pattern event and the turnout was good. Fliers came from Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, and surrounding states to compete and have a good time.
Event co-CDs Rich Hansen and Matthew Finley pulled out all of the stops and made sure everyone was well fed and had a good time. Thank you, Columbus Aero RC Club for keeping Pattern alive in Ohio. I look forward to attending next year.
Until next time, fly and have fun!
Mark Radcliff Vice President
District IV—Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia
Bliss Teague Vice President
[email protected] 625 5th Ave. S.W., Hickory NC 28602 Tel.: (828) 324-2164; www.amadistrict-iv.org
Jay Marsh, associate vice president in North Carolina, sent in this report.
On November 10, 2012, the Central Carolina R/C Modelers, of High Point, North Carolina, in conjunction with K/C Hobby, of Archdale, North Carolina, held the Mighty Mason Benefit Fly-In.
Mason Matthews, the infant son of Josh and Lauren Matthews, had a hard time coming into this world. Mason was born prematurely and his complications have resulted in astronomical medical costs.
Josh worked at K/C Hobby for many years. The family has struggled with paying Mason's medical bills, so the modeling community stepped up to help one of its own. Mason is doing better now and the doctors are encouraged by his progress, and his outlook is excellent.
The fly-in was organized in less than 45 days, and advertising was short and sparse. However, the news quickly traveled through North Carolina's RC community. Nearly 60 pilots registered for the event and brought everything from foamies to a 40% Cub to helicopters, turbine jets, and everything else in between.
There was plenty of flying, a candy drop for the kids, a silent auction, raffles, door prizes, a special lunch, and contributions were always welcomed. The weather couldn't have been better. Everyone had fun and felt great that this would help such a good cause.
K/C Hobby concurrently sponsored a $500 shopping spree. Tickets were sold several weeks prior to the fly-in.
The club and K/C Hobby raised more than $6,000 and a check was presented to Josh and Lauren the following week. The look on the parents' faces, and the appreciation for what was done, was awe inspiring.
The RC community truly has a big heart. There's nothing better than having fun flying, camaraderie, and accomplishing such a deserving goal.
With the guidance from CD Robert Still, club members and the Greensboro Radio Aeromodellers, of Greensboro, North Carolina, the event was a success. This proves that any AMA club (or by clubs working together) can do wonderful things even without much preparation if everyone pitches in to help. Getting your club involved in a project makes it stronger.
that discipline. It had been at least 40 years since my last CL flight, but I got it up and down in one piece, however dizziness did rear its blurred head. The CL site had a very nice setup, a pit boss taking care of the planes, and an instructor who stayed with the pilot during the entire flight.
"The other two circles were for more advanced pilots and airplanes. Dave told me that over 400 people had tried the 1-minute flights and that was Wednesday. I am sure that by the end the number was much higher.
"A $20 foamie or a $20,000 aircraft share at least one thing in common: the smile on the face of the pilots. The smiles on the owner's of the more expensive aircraft might be somewhat more apprehensive, but probably not."
Joe Allen sent this in:
"The Sundancers RC Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, concluded the club's 21st annual Big Bird Event on March 21 and 22. We had 30 pilots who enjoyed the two-day event, along with some great weather. Pilots from as far away as Indiana and Michigan spent the weekend with their campers.
"AMA AVP Noel Hunt from District VII was there with his beautiful Texan. There were numerous WW I and WW II planes, as well as an assortment of Giant Scale aerobatic and jet models to give the many spectators who utilized the bleachers a good show. With a 1,000-foot, well-manicured grass runway, there was room for anyone to land, and room was not lacking for the many camper owners to relax, cook a good meal, and reminisce about the day's events.
"Two former AMA Nats champions, Matthew Fehling and Brian Luckett, performed the noontime show and were well received. The sheriff of Port St. Lucie came in on Friday with a helicopter, wished us a successful event, and then allowed spectators to check out the helicopter.
"Plans are already in the works for next year's event."
District VI—Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri
Randy Cameron Vice President
[email protected] 2134 S. Hillcrest Ave., Springfield MO 65807 Tel.: (417) 830-9211; www.amadistrict-vi.org
It was my pleasure to attend two fundraising events—the first in Louisville, Kentucky, and the second in Springfield, Illinois. Thank you for inviting me to attend.
The River City Radio Control Club's annual Wings for Kids event typically raises more than $20,000 a year for the Kosair Children's Hospital. This event is organized by air boss Tim Evans and the club members. Local businesses donated prizes for a raffle. Food was donated for the club to prepare and sell and hospital volunteers also helped.
The air show ran from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A flight simulator was available so people could get a feel for the transmitter.
On June 29, I attended the Sangamon Valley RC Flyers Open House Fly-In for Autism held at Holmes airfield. This event is run by father and son Harry and Chris Scheldt, along with many club members and volunteers from the Autism Society. They typically raise several thousand dollars to donate to the Central Illinois Chapter of the Autism Society of America.
There were 45 registered pilots, including John and Jase "The Ace" Dussia who performed several demonstration flights. Fifteen visitors flew an RC trainer via a buddy box.
The KC Northern Knights recently held its second annual Airplanes Galore open house. There were several candy drops and the local Hobby Town USA donated balsa gliders for the youth.
We had a short class on how to construct and trim a glider, then we had a contest to see which one flew the farthest. All participants received a Junior Pilot Certificate. A large static display showed a variety of airplanes. We had a flight simulator available, and plenty of people to answer any questions.
A trainer pilot was on hand with a buddy box for some impromptu training. This event was well attended and we picked up a couple of new members!
Thank you to Mike Coyne and Henry Alexander for running Airplanes Galore.
AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program: Receive cash for public relations coverage/promotion of model aviation. AMA encourages clubs across the country to take part in events and serve the community in ways that will entice community members to learn more about model aviation.
Becoming a vital part of your community will help your club build membership. AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage of a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage.
If your club has received media publicity, submit the article, radio segment, or television clip to AMA's Public Relations department. It will review your application and reward your club based on the coverage received.
Qualification rules: The club must be a current AMA chartered club. The coverage must include the club's name and information about model aviation. This program promotes unpaid media only. Purchased ads will not qualify. Event coverage will only be recognized if the event is open to the public.
Clubs can apply several times throughout the year. Awards are based on a first-come, first-serve basis. When the allotted annual budget is reached, awards will be discontinued for the year. Clubs can be awarded a maximum of $300 per year. Awards are based on the type, not the frequency, of coverage. Awards will not be given twice for the same coverage in two different newspapers.
Visit www.modelaircraft.org/programs/clbrecog.aspx for more information.
Happy flying! ✈
Associate Vice Presidents:
- Dennis Baack, Bowling Green KY; (270) 783-4004
- Bryan Chumbley, Peoria IL; (309) 683-3616
- Luther Akemon, Scottsburg IN; (812) 595-9114
- Gary Russell, Muncie IN; (765) 288-3541
- Jim Cianciolo, Independence MO; (816) 795-7382
- Gary Himes, Kansas City MO; (816) 452-8476; [email protected]
- Bob Underwood, St. Charles MO; (636) 939-3394
Contest Coordinators:
- RC Mitchell Baker, 2878 Mariposa Dr., Terre Haute IN 47803
- FF Charles Markos, 655 Carlisle Ave., Deerfield IL 60015
- CL Arthur Johnson, 1818 Ohio Dr., Rockford IL 61108
Safety Coordinator: Walter Voyt, Joliet IL; (815) 725-4677. Frequency Coordinator: Mel Ziska, Naperville IL; (630) 357-7350. Webmaster: Mitchell Baker.
District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Tim Jesky Vice President [email protected] 2886 E. Country Ln., Monroe MI 48162 Tel.: (734) 384-6085; www.amadistrict-vii.org
Hello everyone. I hope the summer flying season is being kind and that you're seeing your share of fair skies.
In my corner of the world we've been stuck in a wet weather pattern for the past two weeks and haven't seen this much rain since some guy named Noah was in the ark-building business. One of my neighbors dropped by yesterday and said their rain gauge measured 7 inches in the last week—just to give you an idea what I'm talking about.
It's been a busy spring and summer of traveling and visiting with clubs and members to talk about model aircraft and issues we're facing in the hobby. Most of the comments I've received have been positive and I thank all for your input. If you are at a club meeting or event that I'm attending please stop by and say hello.
The long-awaited redesign of the district website, being shepherded by our new webmaster, Nikolei Zinsli, should be up and running soon. Nik, from the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area, serves as club president of the Kent Area Radio Modelers.
As with all websites, a steady stream of content is critical to its success. Nikolei requests that you send materials to [email protected]. Thank you, Nik, for taking on this project.
I'm also pleased to announce the appointment of Dave George as a district associate vice president (AVP). Dave is a Riverview, Michigan, resident, lifelong modeler, and a longtime friend. Please join me in welcoming Dave.
The following comes from Wisconsin AVP Marc "Doc" Shelstrom.
The weekend of June 29-30 was cool and windy, but the weather didn't hamper the enthusiasm at the Rice Lake Model Airplane Club's (RLMAC) third annual Hungry Hollow Fly-In. Fifteen fliers from the club and the surrounding northwest region of Wisconsin gathered at the Hungry Hollow Steam and Gas Engine Club (HHSGEC) grounds.
The RLMAC leases its field from the HHSGEC. When HHSGEC built a new clubhouse, the group donated the camper it had previously used to RLMAC for an event club house and snack bar.
During the fun-fly, the HHSGEC hosts an antique tractor and steam show, which promotes and draws spectators for both events. Following this year's fun-fly, four new members joined the RLMAC.
Butch Boehler, club president, CD Doug Zimmer, and Dave Strohmeyer, safety officer, ran a safe and well-organized event. The paintball gallery was popular among the young people. Spectators paid $3 for 15 paintballs to shoot at Spads as they flew down the field.
Safety was at the center of this event. Safety instructors monitored each station and paintball gun. The Spad pilots flew within a delineated safety zone down the field. The shooters found it was harder than it looked, but several made direct hits. Because of the low-pressure setting on the guns, the hits did not affect the airplanes' flights.
A raffle was also held. Big Sky Hobby store, of St. Paul, Minnesota, donated an RTF model, and Neil Weinberger was the winner.
Steve Polzer brought his FPV equipment. It drew plenty of attention because people wanted to experience the flight from the airplane's point of view.
Steve exemplifies the AMA FPV guidelines. He always used a spotter.
The radio equipment associated with Steve's camera transmits at a power above what the FCC allows for a non-licensed user. Therefore, Steve took the necessary steps to get the appropriate FCC license.
The 2014 Rice Lake Model Airplane Club's fun-fly will be held June 28-29. You won't find a more pleasant, friendly group to fly with.
Take a kid flying!
District VIII—Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Mark Johnston Vice President
[email protected] 6608 Beck Dr. NE, Albuquerque NM 87109 Tel.: (505) 823-0158; www.amadistrict-viii.org
In the month of June, I visited with the club in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and got in some flying while my daughter and I saw the Carlsbad Caverns. The club has a nice paved field from which to fly.
On June 22, I went to the Temple Aeromodelers 40th anniversary fly-in. It is Associate Vice President Doug Staines' home club. The event had approximately 25 pilots and Fred Huber was CD. We had a good time getting to know each other and flying. I would like to thank Melissa Eickholt and Donald "Buster" Hinkle for the outstanding food that we were served.
On June 24-28, I participated in the 2013 National Museum of Nuclear Science & History Air Academy. The museum asked me to help kids build Delta Darts. We had 13 kids, ages 8 to 13. Patti Martinez, the enrichment coordinator, used the AeroLab DVD that AMA produced, and they built FPG-9 paper plate airplanes as well. One day the kids went to Balloon Fiesta Park to watch us demonstrate airplanes, and several received buddy-box flights. They also went to a park across from the museum and watched small electrics and sailplanes fly. Thanks to Vic Newton, Charlie Zaffery, and Steve Moskall for coming to help.
On June 29, I went to Haskell, Texas, for the Texas Chiefs' Model Airplane Club fly-in. Gary Davis served as CD and 25 people from the surrounding area attended. I presented the club with the 20-year Gold Leader Club award. I was proud to recognize the club's great accomplishment.
Jim Rice attended a Big Bird Fly-in for the Brazoria County Modelers Association. There were more than 30 pilots with a good mix of Scale, Sport, warbirds, and 3-D airplanes. CD Jack Thompson and Erik Valdez, the club president, did a great job with the event. This is a great fly-in to attend if you are in the area.
The Belen Area Radio Control Club had three contests and a potluck at the Belen Area RC Club's fly-in held July 6. John Schaff was the event CD and we all had a good time. Thanks for having me down.
Hope to see you all at the field!
District IX—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
The Midwest Performance Flyers run with the pack: Here is a quick update from Ed Paasch, our associate vice president (AVP) from Nebraska. Scouts are always fertile territory for the interest of our youth.
“The Midwest Performance Flyers (MPF) recently spent some time with Cub Scout Pack 485 from St. Bernadette’s working on some fun aeromodeling projects. The Scouts spent two consecutive Monday evenings working on a couple of fun activities.
“MPF pilots Roger Cowell, Steve Jordan, John Schenck, Clay Hollister, and Ed Paasch met with the Scout pack in the cafeteria at St. Bernadette’s school on Monday, June 10.
“The pilots and Scouts worked together building Delta Dart (AMA Cub) FF kits. The Scouts learned to build their airplanes over a set of plans and work with the wood from their kits to shape the parts for building strong joints. All of the children completed their airplanes and took them home to fly them after the glue finished setting.
“The next week, Monday June 17, the Scouts and their parents were invited out to the MPF field at the La Vista sports complex. MPF pilots Craig Hamler, Rick Lingenfelter, Doug Smith, Jeff Raker, John Schenck, Clayton Hollister, Colby Johnson, Shawn Penix, Bob English, and Ed Paasch put on a flying demonstration for Pack 485.
“The flying club impressed the Scouts and their families with some amazing aerobatics. Craig, John, Shawn, Rick, Doug, and Jeff dazzled the spectators with some impressive helicopter flying, with aircraft as diverse as the Blade Nano CX to the T-Rex 700 on display. Bob brought his huge 50cc profile airplane out and thrilled the crowd with some terrific airplane aerobatics. Rick and Clayton also flew some of their electric warbirds.
“Pack 485 soaked it all in and watched enthusiastically as the pilots showed off their aircraft. For a perfect end to the evening, John took the Scouts up on the club’s Phoenix Models Sonic high-wing trainer and gave introductory flights using a buddy-box setup. Scouts Nathan, Jayden, Ryan, and Collin were kind enough to share the training session with pack leader David Varney, who also made an introductory flight.
“One of the Scouts’ sisters, Kate, was also enthusiastic about giving RC flying a try, and she did quite well for her first time on a transmitter.
“With the nitro fuel and the Capri Sun juice boxes starting to run low as the sun began to set, the flying club members and the Cub Scout pack thanked one another for a couple of terrific evenings of fun. The Scouts enjoyed the hands-on airplane building and the opportunity to fly an RC airplane at the field.
“The pilots all enjoyed working with the Scouts and their families while enjoying the excitement and enthusiasm of Pack 485. The Scouts and MPF worked together to experience the pure joy of flight as well as the learning and skill-building opportunities that aeromodeling provides for all of us. Pack 485 and MPF will likely work together in the future, and it’s safe to say that both groups are looking forward to it!”
District X—Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah
The Vaca Valley RC Club (Vacaville/Fairfield, California) presented an introduction to aeromodelling to cadets from the Vanden High School Junior Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
This is the type of outreach that all clubs can benefit from because it develops new potential members while showing your community the benefit that your club provides them. It will also be something you can point to if objections to your field are raised by a small, but vocal, part of your community.
Fred Stetson and Joe Montgomery were guests of Maj. Marion Collins (U.S. Air Force Retired) at the ROTC classroom. During the visit, the cadets viewed a presentation explaining the nature of aeromodeling, the role of the AMA, a selection of RC training equipment, popular types of RC aircraft, and safe operating procedures.
The cadets visited the local flying field to observe several aircraft in flight, and have an introductory training flight with a club instructor. Cadets also constructed their own Delta Darts provided by the AMA. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the club looks forward to visiting again.
The San Diego Orbiteers and Scale Staffel San Diego club—two southern California FF organizations—have held a joint Fourth of July contest in memory of Walter Mooney for many years now.
Walt was an engineer for Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego. He invented Peanut Scale, which is rubber-powered stick-and-tissue models with a 13-inch wingspan. For many years, each issue of Model Builder magazine had Mooney-designed Peanut Scale model plans as its centerfold.
This event features many Walt Mooney models, ranging from Peanut Scale to double Peanut (26-inch wingspan), and only Mooney models are flown.
Walt would typically arrive at the Otay Mesa flying field directly from church on Sunday mornings in a white shirt and tie, so one rule of the event is that all fliers must wear a tie. It may be a T-shirt and tie, but a tie is essential.
The FF clubs in Southern California are alive and well. The Orbiteers and Scale Staffel have approximately 75 members and there is crossover in membership. The Scale Staffel and the Orbiteers have a variety of events—a dozen or more—that they run monthly. The members rotate their preparation of aircraft to suit the event that is coming.
One gentleman said he had 25 flyable airplanes and another 30 in need of attention and would prepare them as needed. Most FF modelers had more than one aircraft and they were busy testing, adjusting, and winding the rubber (roughly 1,000 winds) on the aircraft they brought.
CD John Hutchinson is a club officer who has been instrumental in the health and welfare of FF in our area for a long time.
As you watch the launches and retrievals at a FF contest you’ll see that to build these models you have to love to work with balsa framework over light tissue or fabric. Also, keeping the model lightweight, plus the setup of CG and tweaking of the wings/stabilizer is essential. One must be ready to go hundreds of yards to retrieve an aircraft.
Most modelers appeared to be thin and agile (wearing proper footwear to avoid sticks and rocks in shoes) and committed to getting the most out of their flight time. Time in the air is key, and scoring rotates around consistent flights of longer airtime called a max. FF rubber-powered aircraft are fun to see in action and you owe it to yourself to attend a nearby contest if you can.
My thanks goes to Fred Stetson, Tim Attaway, and Roger Wills for their contributions to this month’s column. Until next month, may you have nothing but happy landings.
District XI—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Mike Mosbrooker Vice President
[email protected] 533 Birch St., Oak Harbor WA 98277 Tel.: (360) 679-9139; www.amadistrict-xi.org
Since I last wrote, I have been many places including Joe Nall in South Carolina, a float-fly in British Columbia, Big Bird gathering in Washington, and to the Northwest Control Line regionals in Oregon. I have to write fast so I can leave for the Rally of Giants in Oregon.
Much has been said elsewhere about the Joe Nall so I will be brief. The event was awesome once again right up until Saturday morning when we were trying to pack up in the pouring rain. Many thanks to Bliss Teague, District IV vice president, and his crew for their efforts. After they got soaked with the rest of us, they then had to set everything up again to dry it out. And special thanks to Shirley Teague who kept us supplied with cookies and other goodies.
The venue was better than ever, thanks to the efforts led by the tireless Pat Hartness. I was told that attendance set another record this year, and I can certainly see why. What a show! I'm only sorry that I cannot take my equipment there and fly. It's just too far.
The next event I shall report on was the Control Line Northwest Regionals at the Salem Airport in Oregon. There were seven circles and flying was continuous. This is definitely one of the best-run events I have had the pleasure of attending.
CD Mike Hazel and Flying Lines website editor and general "Mr. Everything," John Thompson, again did a magnificent job. And they didn't do it without a lot of help. Busy as they were, Mike and John came up with the idea to have yours truly try Control Line. My CL experience was once in 1950 and another time in roughly 1974. Common sense should have said no but my ego said yes.
I learned that, as a result of what I suspect is too many birthdays, approximately four laps was all I could do before dizziness set in. This does not mean that I won't try it again. You can find lots of information on one of the best websites in the district at www.flying-lines.org, including the results and more pictures. The CL pictures here are courtesy of Flying Lines.
My special thanks to Mike Hazel, John Thompson, Gene Pape, and Mike Potter for answering all of my questions and to the 88 pilots for bringing all of those beautiful airplanes to the event.
More next month.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
