District V—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands
Sod Busters Warbird Rally — Rembert, South Carolina (August 22–24, 2014)
The Carolina Sod Busters club, whose flying site is a sod farm, hosted the Sod Busters Warbird Rally on August 22–24, 2014. The event was limited to Giant Scale warbirds only, in military or civilian paint schemes from any era.
The weather was great, although temperatures pushed toward 100°—not unusual for August in South Carolina. Gilbert Cofer served as the contest director (CD) for the rally, which attracted 26 pilots. Most of the warbirds were gas powered. A Halifax four-engine bomber was electric powered, and a turbine-powered F-16 was flown by Gary Jones, who flew the full-scale aircraft during his military service.
Despite the heat, everyone enjoyed themselves. When not flying, pilots sought shelter from the sun under tents, and various aspects of the hobby were discussed, including the demise of the International Miniature Aircraft Association. The flying site is excellent, with the nearest airplane-eating tree at least a quarter of a mile away. Perhaps next year will bring a cold snap down to the lower 90s.
—Don Wise, District V Associate Vice President
Tri County RC Flyers — National Model Aviation Day, Savannah, Georgia (August 16, 2014)
Report submitted by Paul Frankum, District V associate vice president in Georgia.
On August 16, 2014, the Tri County RC Flyers of Savannah held their second annual National Model Aviation Day to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The weather was fantastic and attendance by both spectators and pilots was strong.
Fifty-one pilots registered and kept the flightline busy all day. Highlights and demonstrations included:
- 3-D flying demos by Tyler Heath and Justin Shaub.
- A turbine demonstration by Jose Melendez of Global Jet Club.
- A 3-D helicopter demonstration by James VanHook (SAB Heli Division team pilot; sponsored by iKon, OptiPOWER, and BK Servo).
- A presentation by Erick Millette, a speaker for the Wounded Warrior Project, who shared his combat experience and spoke about his physical and emotional wounds.
Thanks to generous event supporters, there were many great raffle prizes—one prize was drawn and announced every 15 minutes during the event, which ran from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. A noon meal was served and donations were accepted for the Wounded Warrior Project; some attendees gave as much as $20 for a hamburger, chips, and a drink.
Kris Dixon, AMA District V vice president, attended and staffed the AMA tent. Many new faces were introduced to the AMA and several signed up as new members.
Overall, the event was a success. The crowd totaled more than 500—many of whom had never seen a model airplane or heard of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. More than 50 first-time buddy-box flights were conducted, and most importantly, the club raised $10,535 for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
