February is a short month and seems like this weather is never going to break. It’s been a long, hard winter.
As I am writing this, it is snowing outside, again. I have got a couple build projects in progress. My wife is complaining that I should clean all my junk (airplane) off of her kitchen table, which makes such a great work surface. I tell her that building on the kitchen table allows me to be near her. Of course that flew over like a lead balloon.
Anyway, by the time you read this, better weather should be with us, the kitchen table will be cleared, and we’ll be able to get out and do some flying.
If you run into David McQuinn of Chesterfield, Missouri, or Lawrence Piatt of Lafayette, Indiana, congratulate them for becoming CDs. Thanks in advance for your service to the AMA and the membership.
I was able to attend a couple of good events during the last few weeks. The first was the Kansas City Radio Control (KCRC) Association Swap Meet. While at both events, I got to talk with some interesting members.
Most notable at KCRC Swap meet was their club president, Susan Calvin. She has a background in flying full-scale helicopters and is helicopter pilot instructor. She leads a club that is active in its community, participating in events such parades, and the members schedule tours and trips for club members to aviation-related events.
Susan introduced me to several club members. Additionally, I got to chat with Associate Vice Presidents Jim Cianciolo and Gary Himes.
At E-Fest in Champaign, Illinois, I got to spend some time with Bob Brown, AMA president, and Dave Mathewson, AMA executive director. I also enjoyed talking to Rege Hall, president of the Blacksheep RC Modelers in Danville, Indiana. Last year, during the National Model Aviation Day event, the Blacksheep club raised $1,835, more money than any other club in District VI. I also understand the club was the first club to sign up for National Model Aviation Day in 2014.
On the subject of National Model Aviation Day, if your club is interested in participating, register online at http://nationalmodelaviationday.org. Funds raised this year will again go to the Wounded Warrior Project.
As a side note, E-Fest is probably one of the best indoor winter flying events in our district, if you haven’t attended this event, put it on your bucket list. It’s lots of good fun!
E-Fest is held at the University of Illinois Track and Field Armory in Champaign. Thanks to Hobbico for putting on the event and to CD Frank Noll.
I ran into Bob Scheppele at E-Fest and he provided me with some advice and helped me pick out and outfit a Twisted Hobbys Crack Yak 55 Lite. I almost have it ready to fly, it is an easy build, is lightweight, and I think I will really like it. It is a portion of the “junk” my wife wants me to get off the kitchen table …
During the same weekend as E-Fest in District VI, there was an event in Southern California (AMA District X) called Monster Energy Jet Jam, held by the Coachella Valley Radio Control Club on February 15-16. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was ordered because of President Obama flying into the area and staying throughout the weekend. This would normally have shut down any flying event within 30 miles.
With the assistance of Dave Mathewson and Rich Hanson, AMA’s Director
Public Relations & Government Affairs, and others, this event was able to become exempted with some limitations. The pilots were unable to fly above 1,000 feet and not outside of a 1-mile radius. Additionally, Secret Service Agents with a bomb sniffing dog, Homeland security, and the FAA all had representatives at the event to ensure safety of the president. Rich Hanson also attended the event. This is a huge win for modelers everywhere.
If you’re tired of just my rantings this month and no pictures other than my mug, it is because of a lack of submissions from you. If you’d like to see your event covered here, please send me pictures with descriptions and a small write-up on the event for inclusion to the column. We can also add video and additional event photos in the digital edition of Model Aviation. If there are more pictures than will fit on the page, we can add it there.
Please remember that this hobby is about having fun. Sometimes, I think we forget that, or maybe is it the stress from being cooped up all winter. Thanks for reading the column.
Have fun and happy flying!
