District V - 2010/08

HELLO, EVERYONE. As I write this
column, former District V Vice President
(VP) Tony Stillman has stepped into the
Flying Site Assistance Coordinator’s
position and I have assumed the VP spot.
Thank you, Tony, for a job well done and
for taking the challenge to help clubs and
members out there obtain and keep their
flying fields.
I had the opportunity to visit the Joe Nall
and I have to say that the camaraderie
shared by aeromodelers is special. I met up
with many old friends and made some new
ones. I talked to many people about our
sport and in what direction they would like
to see it head.
The overwhelming complaint is about
flying fields—how to get them and how to
keep them—and who would help with that.
Well, Tony Stillman is your man!
I have a program at my local club that is
geared toward introducing young people to
the arts of aeromodeling. We visit schools
during the year and during summer camps
and we introduce, by way of
demonstration, the sport of model aviation.
The children are also allowed to operate
the controls via buddy-box and we leave
them with an appreciation of modeling.
We then follow up with the school and
offer them AMA membership and club
membership free of charge!
We have trained instructors who are
under the age of 19 for the purpose of
teaching the kids. Don’t ask me how, but
children teach children at a faster rate and
it’s generally easier to get them involved
when it’s their peers who are at the helm.
Give it a try! You’ll bring young people
to your club and grow the hobby at the
same time!
I will be getting organized here in the next
few weeks and I would like to know if you
liked the district jamborees that we had in
the past. If I get good feedback, we will be
organizing a jamboree in the near future.
Humberto Pomales, zen120140@
yahoo.com, has taken my position as
associate vice president in central Florida.
Humberto has been flying for more than 30
years and he is an ambassador for model
aviation. Thank you, Humberto.
This year we have had a few modelers in
the district “go west.” Two notables are
James M. “Andy” Anderson of Prattville,
Alabama, and William Edward “Honest
Ed” Smith of Gainesville, Florida. Our
sincere condolences to their families.
Gail E. “Jake” Jacobson raced RC
model aircraft at contests across the United
States from the time pylon racing began in
the early 1970s. He won the Nats twice
and the National Miniature Pylon Racing
Association (NMPRA) Championship
twice.
He represented AMA District V on the
RC Racing Contest Board for 25 years, has
served as a contest director for racing
events at the Atlanta RC Club, and served
as president of the Atlanta RC Club.
Jake was a highly decorated World War
II flying ace. He was a P-51 fighter pilot
who shot down five enemy planes and
destroyed six other aircraft on the ground
during the war, earning many ribbons and
medals for his flying abilities.
After the war, Jake married and
rejoined the Army air force, which was
later renamed the US Air Force.
After retiring from the Air Force with
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, making
and flying model airplanes became Jake’s
passion. His hand-eye coordination and
peripheral vision were excellent, observed
longtime friend and racing partner, John
Landers. “He had tremendous vision,”
John said. “Even in his old age he had
tremendous vision.”
Although Jake quit racing several years
ago because of health problems, his house
remained filled with model aircraft ready
to fly.
Jake died as a result of a fall on June 1,
2010. He is survived by his wife of 63
years, Elaine, two daughters, Vicki and
Christine, two grandchildren, and one great
grandchild.
Those of you who know how to build,
teach someone to build; those who know
how to fly, teach someone how to fly; and
all of the rest of you, enjoy model
aviation!
August 2010 163
District V
Jose Soto, District V Vice President; [email protected]
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands
Jose Soto
Vice President
1930 Deanna Drive,
Apopka FL 32703; (407)
409-4795; www.ama
district-v.org
Contest Coordinators
RC: Dick Tonan, 639
Knollwood Dr., La Vergne
TN 37086;
[email protected]
FF: Bob Thoren, 10002 Bluff Dr.,
Huntsville AL 35803; (256) 726-
1051; [email protected]
CL: Bob Whitney, 456 Garvey Rd.
SW, Palm Bay FL 32908;
[email protected]
Associate Vice Presidents
Alabama:
Rick Grim, Harvest AL; (256) 503-
5847; (rickgrim@ama
district-v.org)
Florida:
Jim Saiff, Tampa FL; (813)
933-6906; jsaiffchipmunkrc1@
verizon.net
Ron Van Putte, Ft. Walton Bch. FL;
(850) 243-0207; [email protected]
Georgia:
Bob Dixon, Macon GA; rldixon3@
cox.net
Mississippi:
Hank Cooper, Terry MS;
(601) 857-3111; hacooper@
bellsouth.com
Puerto Rico:
Richard Prann, San Juan PR; (787)
777-2143; [email protected]
South Carolina:
Jim Fender, Batesburg SC; (803)
414-2591; [email protected]
Roger Marshall, Camden SC;
(803) 432-2347;
[email protected]
Tennessee:
Owen Maupin, Chattanooga TN;
[email protected]
For additional district officers and
volunteers, please see a previous
issue of MA or visit the District V
Web site.
D i s t r i c t V V o l u n t e e r s
A M A V i s i o n
We, the members of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics, are the pathway to
the future of modeling and are
committed to making modeling the
foremost sport/hobby in the world.
This vision is accomplished through:
• Affiliation with its valued associates,
the modeling industry and
governments.
• A process of continuous improvement.
• A commitment to leadership, quality,
education and scientific/technical
development.
• A safe, secure, enjoyable modeling
environment.
A M A M i s s i o n
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is
a world-class association of modelers
organized for the purpose of promotion,
development, education, advancement,
and safeguarding of modeling activities.
The Academy provides leadership,
organization, competition,
communication, protection,
representation, recognition, education,
and scientific/technical development to
modelers.
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