District VII - 2012/03

ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news 154 Model Aviation March 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
Hello everyone! Let me start by
thanking all who supported me in the
recent AMA elections. For those who
didn’t, I hope to earn your confidence
and trust.
Another thank-you goes to my
predecessor, Bill Oberdieck. Bill spent
10 years as District VII vice president
(VP) and volunteered countless hours
of his time to help make aeromodeling
better for all of us in District VII
and helped formulate policies that
benefited AMA members. Bill, thank
you again for your service.
For those who didn’t get the chance
to see my campaign statement, let
me tell you about myself. I’ve been
married to my wife, Linda, for 34
years and have two sons, Joe and
Andrew, and three grandchildren.
I flew CL models as a teenager.
After an extended break for career and
starting a family, I began flying RC
with my boys roughly 20 years ago.
These days I divide my time between
sport-flying powered aircraft and
Soaring, which I was introduced to at
my home club several years ago.
As I am writing this after returning
from my club’s annual New Year’s
Day Snow Fly, I’m again reminded of
the friendship and camaraderie we get
to share in this great hobby/sport of
ours. The weather at the field featured
frigid temperatures and steady winds
of 35 mph gusting to nearly 50. The
odds of putting up a flight were near
zero, but that didn’t stop a couple
dozen members from coming out and
enjoying each other’s company and
telling a few stories. You just gotta
love it!
Although it’s unrealistic to believe
I’ll get to see everyone as the new
District VII VP, it’s my desire to visit
as many clubs and to meet as many
members as possible during my term.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me or
any of the associate vice presidents in
the district if you have questions or are
in need of assistance.
I encourage you to pass along club
news, activities, and photos of your
events. You never know, what you
pass on might very well end up gracing
this page in Model Aviation.
The following text and photos
come from Larry Barnes of the Lodi
Area Radio Control Club in Lodi,
Wisconsin. This is a great example of a
club reaching out to youth and being a
positive influence in the community.
LARCC Cub Scout Day at the Field
“I am the secretary of the Lodi Area
Remote Control Club. I spoke with
my next door neighbor who is a Cub
Scout leader, and asked him if his boys
would be interested in learning how to
fly an RC airplane. He told me that he
would ask about it and get back to me.
“After his Scout meeting, he advised
me that they would love it. I contacted
two of our club trainer pilots, Mark
Johnson and Brent Schwartzwald, and
asked if they would help buddy box
the Scouts. They said they would love
to help out. We set up October 29 to
have the Scouts come out to the field.
“We had set up a computer with
the flight simulator program running.
We gave them a quick tour around
an airplane and let them practice on
the flight simulator. After roughly
5 minutes each, we went to the
flightline.
“The trainers had a Taylorcraft with
a 32 ci gas engine and an electricpowered
T-28 and an electric Easy
Star. The Scouts had a great time;
some were really good for their first
time ever flying. Each Scout had at
least three buddy-box flights.
“After the flying was done, Brent
gave a 3-D demo with his T-Rex
450. Brent performed some looping,
inverted flight, tail slides, rolls,
tic-tocks, and some moves I didn’t
recognize. He had the crowd clapping,
and gasping because a helicopter isn’t
supposed to do those things.”
—Larry Barnes
Till next month, take a kid flying.
Associate Vice Presidents: Lee Frederickson, Ada MI; [email protected]; Randall Gibson, Lansing MI; [email protected]; Bud Gorman, Knife River MN; bgorman@
frontiernet.net; Don Held, Elmira MI, (231) 584-2662; [email protected]; Ed Kincer, Fenton MI; [email protected]; Tom Pierce, St. Clair MI; [email protected];
Mark Robotti, Lindstrom MN; [email protected]; Lloyd Swanson, Cedar Rapids IA; (319) 373-0947; [email protected]; Kent Woods, Ames IA; (515) 232-8180; woods229@
msn.com. Frequency Coordinators: Al Schwartz, Roseville MN; (651) 633-2286; [email protected]; Pete Waters, Northville MI; (248) 486-4800.
Tim Jesky
Vice President
District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
[email protected]
2886 E. Country Ln., Monroe MI 48162
Tel.: (734) 384-6085;
www.amadistrictvii.org