November 2006 169
ED PEREZ, from Grand Prairie, Texas,
sent some pictures and an account of his
visit to the Nats this summer. Thanks, Ed!
“Bob Wilder, an Indoor FF and RC
enthusiast from Colleyville, Texas, invited
me to attend the last three days of the Nats
with him. He was to serve as an official for
the Indoor RC events.
“To my surprise, on our arrival we were
met at AMA Headquarters by our [District
VIII] vice president Sandy Frank who
personally conducted us on a tour of the
Headquarters and the National Model
Aviation Museum. Following the tour,
Sandy asked me to record my thoughts
regarding those facilities and the
competitions I was about to attend.
“My first thought was ‘We’ve come a
long way!’ The museum houses mostly
originals (rather than replicas) of designerbuilt
airplanes and record holders. There is
everything from rubber Free Flight to
contemporary models. It’s obvious that just
as old timers enthusiastically adopted radio
control, we will be embracing jets and
electrics because of their many advantages
and they will be new additions to the AMA
collection.
“This was not my first Nats, but it was
my first at AMA’s permanent location. It is
more than a full square mile of facilities and
multiple flying fields in Muncie, Indiana. It
is a great flying site and with the addition of
a Ball State University gymnasium for
indoor events, it fully served the needs of a
variety of fliers.
“As I accompanied Bob and Sandy
throughout the Free Flight, Outdoor Scale,
and (new to me) Indoor Scale events, Bob
was recognized by many for his invention of
a rubber power winder. It was obvious that
the Nats, in addition to being a competition,
is a great way to renew old friendships and
to develop new acquaintances from all
around our country. The stories they all
shared were a living history of our sport.
“My photos are representative of
modelers nationwide, not only District VIII.
Of course, the competition was the reason
for attending; but, you can tell from the
images (such as the pilot with the ‘Minnie
Pearl’ hat) that there were many fun-loving
folks around as well! I thoroughly enjoyed
getting to know them.
“If you get a chance to attend future
Nats, the pilgrimage is well worth the time
and expense. The Headquarters’ staff was
most accommodating and helpful. The
camaraderie was enjoyable and gratifying.
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip.”
Flying, fun, and fellowship. Sandy Frank.
District VIII
Dr. Sandy Frank, District VIII Vice President; [email protected]
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Dr. Sandy Frank
Vice President
105 N. Brazos St.,
Weatherford TX 76086
Tel.: (817) 791-6079
www.AMA-Dist-8.org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Buzz Averill, Albuquerque NM;
(505) 298-6870
Lester L. Barry, Bethany OK;
(405) 789-5373
Max Blose, Waco TX; (254) 662-
5587
Bill Fulmer, Gretna LA; (504)
392-3620
Bill Lee, Chandler TX; (903) 852-
5599
Jim D. Marshall, Mission TX;
(956) 585-6446
Douglas E. Powell, Wichita Falls
TX; (940) 691-8348
Jim Rice, Universal City TX; (210)
945-8221
Ron Stanfield, Maumelle AR;
(501) 851-1697
Charles Stevens, Pasadena TX;
(713) 473-4995
Frequency Coordinator
North: Joe DuMond, Ft. Worth
TX; (817) 457-6685
South: Gene Kent, Tomball TX;
(281) 255-4805
AMA Display Coordinator
Karen Hopkins, Arlington TX;
(817) 467-9211
District VIII Volunteers
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 169