Please welcome Mike Mueller, our newest associate vice president (AVP), to the District VI team. Mike comes highly recommend and has an impressive history.
Mike has been an AMA member since 1961 and has competed in Pattern since 1964. He is a past president of the National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA), and has participated in multiple Tournament of Champions competitions. He feels his greatest and accomplishment is being a mentor to 14-year-old Brandon Sobolewski who won the Pattern Nats in Intermediate in 2012 and Advanced in 2013.
Mike is also the new owner of F3A Unlimited, so check in to his website at www.f3aunlimited.com and support a locally owned company.
I’d like to thank Art Johnson for his many years of service to the AMA and District VI. Art has been a CD since the mid-1970s, he served on the CL Contest Board for several years, and has been the District VI CL Contest Coordinator since 2001.
Thank you, Art. You’ve done a great job throughout the years and you are much appreciated. Art is retiring from being the district’s CL Contest Coordinator. This job will now be handled by Mitch Baker, the current RC Contest Coordinator. His information can be found on the District VI website at www.amad6.org.
District VI has joined the ranks of social media in the form of the District VI Facebook page. It is a great place to list your events, or pick up news about the district. It can be found at www.facebook.com/amadistrictvi.
As I am writing this, the AMA Expo is approximately a week away. Some of the activities scheduled to happen at that event include the long-awaited signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the AMA and the FAA. Read more about this elsewhere in this issue.
Also scheduled at the AMA Expo is the announcement of the AMA Foundation. The AMA Foundation exists to inspire the financial support of our hobby, sport, and scientific pursuit, as a legitimate and necessary component of the full aviation continuum, contributing significantly to the betterment of American society through a recognized, community-based organization.
The AMA Foundation was established in 2013 to serve as a supporting organization that will fundraise and grant funds exclusively for and on behalf of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, founded in 1936. I am sure you will be able to find more and a link to the AMA Foundation’s website in this issue of MA.
Allen Brickhaus, a District VI AVP, passed away a few days before I submitted this column. Allen was a member of the Paducah Aero Modelers club in Kentucky, a longtime CL Aerobatics competitor, a frequent contributor to this column, and a featured author in this magazine.
An avid photographer, Allen also authored the CL Aerobatics portion of NatsNews, the daily newsletter covering the event. Allen will be greatly missed by his friends in the district, within the CL community, and at AMA Headquarters.
Allen had previously sent me the following article and photos:
“Four members of the Paducah Aero Modelers commenced to helping a local Cub Scout pack in learning more about aerodynamics and having the goal of a great time at the McCracken County Air Park on November 9 of 2013. Matt Morin, club member and Scout leader asked Allen Brickhaus, Doug Vasseur, and Randall Hopkins to assist him in this endeavor.
“We began around 9 a.m. with a brief class on aerodynamics and how to assemble and fly their hand-launch gliders purchased from AMA and brought from Muncie by Allen. The adults and kids both enjoyed this venture a good time was had by all. The Cub Scout pack finally packed up around 11:30 a.m. and they headed to have lunch.”
Happy building and flying
