Author: Tim Jesky
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/07
Page Numbers: 145

District VII - 2012/07

Tim Jesky — Vice President

Now that the flight season is in full swing in the district, I hope everyone has gotten their thumbs loosened up and shaken off any rust. It’s also a good time to take another look at your field operations to make sure we’re doing all that we can to keep our fellow club members and spectators safe. Have you made any changes to your field? Have you added new equipment, moved the pits, or built a new structure? Often, changes can lead to unintended consequences that aren’t discovered until an incident happens. Those second looks can potentially save some big headaches down the road.

I’d like to offer some fresh news on the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, but at the time of this writing there’s nothing new to report. The rule is still scheduled to be released in July. A great way to keep up on current happenings is to visit the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org and click on the Government Relations link. Hopefully we will have heard something by the time this issue goes to press.

Weak Signals Toledo Show — Report from Noel Hunt

In 1952, a small group of men formed the Radio Control Club of Detroit (RCCD). One of them, Willie McMath, is still an active RCCD member, and he said the group held a show so purveyors of RC equipment could present their goods.

After two annual shows, it was believed that more people would attend if the event were closer to the Ohio Turnpike. So RCCD turned the show over to the Weak Signals R/C Club, and look what that great club has done with the show! This was the 58th year of the largest RC show in North America, the Weak Signals Toledo Show, which was held April 13 to 15.

This was my seventh year to attend. Others surely will write detailed accounts of the show, and because I could only be there for one day, I focused on a few priorities:

  • To see and touch new products — I get a better appreciation for them by experiencing the products in “3‑D.”
  • To meet and chat with the people behind the products: aircraft designers, product developers, and enthusiastic distributors.

It was great to chat with Sierra Giant Scale representatives and explore options for a future project. There is plenty to see, no matter what one’s interest. Lately, warbirds have turned my head. Then, of course, there are the things I just can’t live without, and show prices often are available.

I drooled over the center display of aircraft competing for awards. The beautifully detailed model replicas reassure me that model building is still a strong part of our hobby.

This year, I attended a presentation by Dave Darr and Jim Dolly to get some tips on aerotowing. Their seminar answered the questions I had, except one: Is anyone in southeast Michigan interested in aerotowing? If so, contact me.

For many of us, the most enjoyable aspect of the show is meeting model aviation friends we may only see once a year. In District VII, we are fortunate to live so close to Toledo and the greatest RC show. Thanks, Weak Signals.

Take a kid flying.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.