District V Report - 2003/08
Spartanburg Sky Knights
I attended the Spartanburg Sky Knights’ spring competition fun-fly at the club field. I was there part of two days. The weather had been very bad all week, but when I arrived on Saturday the weather was perfect.
This is one of the best photos I’ve ever taken at a fun-fly. All of the people were on the field, including fliers, families, and spectators. I want to thank them publicly for posing and allowing me this nice picture.
This club is one of the oldest in our district. First formed in 1946–47, it has been in existence for 57 years. In tribute to the club’s longevity, I asked the Executive Council for an Award of Excellence at the April meeting. It passed unanimously.
Twenty-five or more years ago the club was given rights to a big, flat landfill. That’s where the club is today. Over the years the landfill settled and the paved runway became wavy. Some of the field settled below the runway area, so you have to climb up an embankment to the runway. Miraculously, a lake formed in the lowest part. Some say there are fish in it.
West Alabama Aero Modelers (WAAM)
I attended the West Alabama Aero Modelers (WAAM) fun-fly in Tuscaloosa. Club president and CD Eddie Fulmer personally invited me.
The fun-fly featured:
- Balloon bust
- Streamer-cutting Combat
- Various aerobatics
Eddie Fulmer is a good CD. He explained all the dos and don’ts and kept control over the entire fun-fly. The main purpose of all fun-flys, fly-ins, contests, and the like is to have fun, enjoy flying, and enjoy watching model airplanes.
Fliers and spectators alike were enjoying the show, watching others fly, and relaxing in the Alabama sun — that’s what model airplanes are all about.
Behind the steel fence is a bleacher for spectators. Later in the day it was packed with onlookers. The WAAM club started in 1976 and now has 100 members. The City of Tuscaloosa owns the property and is happy with the WAAM club on its 40 acres.
Warbirds Over Alabama / Flying Cs / Southern Scale Warbirds Association (SSWA)
I attended the Warbirds Over Alabama Giant Scale Fly-In. This big fly-in was sponsored by the Flying Cs club and the Southern Scale Warbirds Association (SSWA). CD Ted Cowan is president of the Flying Cs and Chris Joiner is the founder of the SSWA. Both were present at the fly-in.
Ted Cowan owns the land the flying field is on. He has 40 acres for flying and 20 more for overfly. Very few controversies arise in the club. Ted has two rules:
- Obey all safety rules.
- Don’t break rule number 1.
All new members know the rules — that, or out!
The fly-in was a big success. There were 41 pilots and 500 spectators.
Awards
All three clubs are our AMA Club of the Month for this month. Each club will receive:
- A framed plaque signed by me and by our Executive Vice President
- A cloth patch for each club member
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
