District VIII - 2011/06
FAA work session in San Antonio
Once again I have been overwhelmed by things happening in the last month and was unable to attend some district activities and events.
I hosted and attended another FAA work session in San Antonio, Texas, where Rich Hanson and his team joined Lynn Spencer from the FAA to continue developing standards by which we may fly model aircraft after the small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) rule is enacted in early 2013.
Attendees in person included:
- Rich Hanson
- Tom Kallevang
- Mike Harrington
- Bill Pritchett
- myself
We teleconferenced with:
- James Sizemore (FAA)
- Greg Hahn (AMA Headquarters)
- Gary Fogel (work group)
- Brian Hudson (work group)
Perhaps the best progress to date was made during that two-day session. I left the effort with a much better feeling about our progress and the future of the organization. Couple that with Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma getting a model aircraft amendment attached to the FAA bill as it passed through the Senate, and things are beginning to look brighter. Much work is yet to be done to get us through this critical effort, but I feel we are on the right track.
Personal news: closing the hobby shop and moving
I closed my hobby shop after 15 years of serving the modelers in Central Texas. It was a bittersweet day when I locked the door for the last time. The next day began the arduous process of moving out of the rented building after occupying it for so long. How does one accumulate so much valuable but worthless stuff?
I finished moving out and relocating my wife's business on the last day of March and turned in the keys. That just about filled up my month.
Tragedy in Temple
I received tragic news from the Temple Aero Modelers Club in Temple, Texas. Unfortunately, a member drowned while trying to retrieve an airplane from a nearby lake. He was flying alone, operating a new airplane when it evidently crashed into the lake. His jacket, wallet, and telephone were found at the water's edge where he went in. The water temperature was likely around 40°F at the time, and it took several weeks to recover his remains. He was a club officer and a seasoned modeler.
This tragedy points out to the rest of us how dangerous it can be to fly alone and how careful we need to be when performing seemingly easy and common tasks at the flying site. With some buddy assistance, there likely would have been a better outcome in this situation.
Good news from Arkansas
Cecil Collum reports that his local club, the Flightmasters Model Airplane Club near Fort Smith, is losing its field to new interstate highway development. After many stops and starts and with great persistence and perseverance, the club now has access to 30 acres—at no cost—on the old Fort Chaffee property, which is now known as Chaffee Crossing. The members are looking forward to breaking ground and developing a great new site for the 65-member club. See the "Flying Site Assistance" column on page 138.
New RC club in Oklahoma
Bill Holland, associate vice president for Oklahoma, reports that a new RC club is in the works. The group flies giant-scale aircraft and will call itself the Oklahoma Miniature Aerobatic Club (OMAC). These International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) modelers have located a flying site near Newcastle and Blanchard. They have secured a 10-year lease on 80 acres that should make a nice home.
Toledo Weak Signals Expo
I attended the Toledo Weak Signals Expo again this year and chaired the Safety Committee meeting on the Monday following the show. The event was lively and entertaining and I was busy with FAA questions.
Attendance felt slightly down from previous years, but interest and enthusiasm were still high. Randy Ritch from Houston, Texas, had a booth; I snapped a picture of Dickie, Suzanne, and Randy Ritch busy promoting their product. He reports that business was crisp.
AMA Safety Committee change
For those who remember Rick Grim, formerly from the San Antonio area, he has joined the AMA Safety Committee and has big shoes to fill. Don Lowe has stepped down and Rick is assuming his position. He does a great job and fits in well with the rest of the talented members of that committee.
Rick and Kim now live in the Huntsville, Alabama, area and are in the UAV business.
Have fun and fly safely. See you on the flightline!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
