Author: Mark Johnston
Edition: Model Aviation - 2014/04
Page Numbers: 146

District VIII—Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

District Vice President

Report

In January, the annual AMA Expo took place in Ontario, California. This year was again an outstanding event put together by AMA staff. Many visitors attended and there were plenty of vendors showing new products. I tried not to spend too much money, but I ended up buying a new 20cc gas model from Aerobeez.

The weekend was filled with important events. We had a positive round-table discussion with AMA Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs Rich Hanson; AMA President Bob Brown; James Williams, manager of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office; and Michael Toscano, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Jim Rice nominated Rich Hanson for the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and Rich was presented with the award during the Expo. Jim did an outstanding job with the nomination and the award presentation. Rich was surprised and touched to receive it. He has done a lot for AMA and continues to work hard for the membership.

On Saturday, Bob Brown and James Williams signed the memorandum of understanding between the AMA and the FAA. We are not too far away from being recognized by the FAA as a community-based organization. The Special Rule for Model Aircraft should follow in the months ahead.

Recent Events

  • Bobby Smith attended the East Texas Aeromodelers’ Toys for Tots fun-fly in Longview, Texas, on November 2, 2013. Twenty pilots registered for the event, which was well attended despite gusting winds. Pilots donated a $10 toy plus a $10 entry fee.
  • Doug Staines attended the 17th annual Georgetown Aero Modelers Association swap meet in Georgetown, Texas, on January 25, 2014. The event was run by Bob Petninec and had a great turnout.
  • Bill Holland attended the Shawnee Thunderbirds annual swap meet held in Prague, Oklahoma, on January 25, 2014. More than 200 modelers attended from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. Everyone had a great time catching up despite subfreezing temperatures and snow in Oklahoma.
  • Jim Marshall and Cliff Town attended the annual Tejas RC Association air show on January 18, 2014. The sky was filled with large roaring, smoke-belching, gas-powered warbirds and 3-D aerobatic aircraft, while several smaller electric-powered jets and foamies zipped, zoomed, and screamed by to the delight of attendees. Jim gave a CL demonstration during lunch, which was a sight for everyone to see.

The weather is cold in many parts of the country, but we are fortunate to get many good flying days during the winter. I hope to see you all at the field!

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