District V Report - 2004/05

May 2004 173
Last year I created a Who’s Who in AMA
District V and finally all the pieces have
come together. Book I was for 2003. It is a
bound pamphlet with 56 entries, most
featuring a picture in color, of their partial
life stories in modeling. This picture below
shows a framed list of these modelers. It is
hanging with honor in AMA Headquarters.
The plaque is approximately 8 x 18 inches.
Book II for
2004 is being
collected now. It
will feature
members not in the
first edition. If you
have been a
member for 10
years, send me a
résumé of your
modeling career. I
have a form I can
send you to fill out.
In addition to being
on the
Headquarters’
honor wall, you
will receive a nice
cloth patch you can
wear showing you
are in AMA’s
Who’s Who for
District V. There is a limit of 100 members
for this year.
I attended the Indian River Kontrol
Society’s (IRKS) ninth annual Big Bird Flyin
in Viera, Florida. Gerry Armstrong was
the CD. The IRKS club has a beautiful
clipped grass field. With 305 members, it is
one of the largest clubs in the United States.
International Miniature Aircraft Association
(IMAA) guidelines were followed and
hundreds of spectators graced the two-day
event.
Meet five of the officials: (L-R) Sue
Lawrence, club treasurer; Tom Dobyins,
also a CD; Mark Kasunic, vice president;
Gerry Armstring, CD and club president;
Paula Armstrong. They are holding a new
Club of the Month flag—a three-color flag
that went right up the pole under the
American flag.
TRAC club members showed up in droves
and helped officiate for three days. Middle
bottom row are Gerry Armstrong and Sue
Lawrence holding the flag. Random listing
for most of the rest includes Mark Kasunic;
Gary Dennison; Dixie Cutrone; Tom Perry;
Bud Roane; Bubba Beyer; Richard
Grambling Jr.; Mark Poole; Cliff Manley;
Dan Jarnette; Lee Royer; Richard
Grambling Sr.; Douglas Gregory; Al
Leadbeater; Phil Veach; Lynda Bryson;
Tom Dobyns; Dale Kai; Steve Formanek;
Ron Long.
This father-and-son team of Forrest Waller
Jr. and Forrest Waller III used to live in South
America.
They built
this Fokker
Dr.I with
balsa wood
32 years
ago. Did
they go to
the friendly
neiborhood
hobby shop
to buy the
balsa? No,
they went
out in the backyard, cut down a balsa tree, let
it dry for a year, then sawed it up for their
airplanes.
I attended the Avon Park, Florida, Silent
Sunday and Swap Meet sponsored by the
Sebring Model Airplane Club. This club
hosted and sponsored a big swap meet and a
Glider and Electric Fun-fly.
A quarter mile away on the same field,
the club was attempting a Glider and
Electric flying affair. It became almost
impossible to do so because the wind picked
up uncontrollably and everybody packed up
to go home.
Some of the club members posed for this
nice picture. Kneeling (L-R): Sergio Soto;
Steve Thoroman; Cliff Russell; Bob Wolff;
Associate Vice President Nancy Riley;
Lilly Tjhin. Top row: Jim Mahone; Sevelly
Smith; Bob Waggaman; Sal Nigro; Jerry
Kay; Patricia Hoffer; club president Jim
Hoffer (standing behind Patricia); Jeff
Smith; Ed Miller; Bryon Oakley.
Here is Nancy Riley helping hold the club
flag for Club of The Month honors. Next is
club president Jim Hoffer; club secretary
Ed Miller; club treasurer Bob Waggaman.
Families fly
too. On the
left are John
Deliman and
his son
Todd. On the
right are
Eric Banner
with his two
sons Patrick
and Mack. More photos are on your
District V Web page.
I attended the 30th King Orange Control
Line International at the Naval landing strip
at the Whitehouse Field in Jacksonville,
Florida. The X-47 Flyers Club hosted and
conducted the three-day affair. Fliers came
from all over the United States to
participate. Incredibly the X-47 Flyers Club
has only eight members.
Here are five of the eight members of the
X-47 Flyers club: (L-R) Patrick Frangella;
Lynn Weedman; Bill Hodges, club
president and CD of this big event; John
Rewis; and Don Thibault.
The X-47 Flyers were honored with a
Club of The Month award and presented
with a large, three-color flag which almost
immediately went right up the flag pole right
under the American flag. I was there on
Saturday and AMA Executive Director
Joyce Hager was there on Sunday.
Pictures of each of these clubs are
on your District V Web site at
www.modelair.org. There are more
than 1,000 color pictures of events
in your district taken by your
District V officers.
District V Report
Alabama / Florida / Georgia /
Mississippi / Puerto Rico /
South Carolina / Tennessee
Jim McNeill
Vice President
617 South 20 Avenue,
Birmingham AL 35205
Tel.: (205) 322-2127
Fax: (205) 252-2654
E-mail: [email protected]
District V Web page: www.modelair.org/
Note: For a listing of all district volunteer
workers please consult a previous issue of
Model Aviation.