Author: Mark Johnnston
Edition: Model Aviation - 2015/02
Page Numbers: 142

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

Mark Johnston

Vice President

Winter is here and events have died down. Some still brave the weather to go fly, while other parts of the district are still warm and flying is going strong.

You will read this in mid-January and we will have put new aircraft together during the holidays to take out and show our friends. Many new people may come out to your field to share our hobby with their new models. Remember to be friendly and respectful to those individuals because they may not know the rules of the field.

I mention this because of an experience a couple of weeks ago. A man and his kids came to the public site where I occasionally fly and he was standing in front of the pilot stations instead of behind them. He was flying electrics and, in most parks and other places, there are no pilot boxes. While I was talking with him, another person who was flying landed and came over acting confrontational. Needless to say, the first man went home shortly after and has not returned (that I have seen). I regret not getting to talk to him again before he left. If you have people come to the field to fly, remember they may not know the site rules or may be newcomers. Make a good impression and maybe you'll gain a new friend to share building and flying experiences with for years to come.

Bomber Field — Report by Randy Ritch

Randy Ritch attended the Bomber Field event in Texas this year and sent this report.

In September every year I look forward to the annual Bomber Field event. Bomber Field was started by the late B.B. Webber. His goal was to have the premier flying site in the U.S. For more than 20 years, B.B. hosted some of the largest fly-ins in Texas.

Since B.B.'s death, the club has been trying to continue without him. B.B. started the club with one annual event and it has grown to several. His love for B-17s prompted him to hold an annual B-17 fly-in every September. I have attended all of these events and have some fond memories of Bomber Field.

This year's event was as awesome as those in the past. Throughout the years I have met some outstanding modelers and this year one was recognized. For those who follow Scale, I am referring to Sam Snyder. He is one of the greatest modelers I know. In August, Sam learned that he was going to be inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame and that he would be recognized at Bomber Field. I had the honor of saying a few words about Sam at the presentation. Congratulations, Sam, for your accomplishments! For those who have never been to Bomber Field, come visit this awesome facility.

Warbirds Over the Valley — Report by Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall attended the Texas Small Model Aircraft Society of Harlingen (SMASH) club's Warbirds Over the Valley event, held November 15–16, 2014. While extreme cold weather was slamming most parts of the U.S., the same cold front made only a slow slide through the subtropical regions of South Texas, dropping early morning temperatures to the mid-50s. The weatherman had promised balmy temperatures and low wind speeds by midmorning—ideal warbird flying weather.

Several pilots expressed dismay at having to miss the event because of business distractions or family get-togethers; they asked me to pass on their good wishes to the event organizers.

As the sun began to peek over the palm-tree-studded skyline, trailers and vehicles streamed in to unload. Tex Long was busy registering pilots and giving orders, and the field was freshly mowed and looked great. The pilots arranged jets and propeller-driven warbirds of every size and description in the pits.

Bruce Landsman and Bert Hahn welcomed participants and spectators. Tex called for a pilots' meeting, explained the flying format for the day, and then opened the field for operations.

The SMASH barbecue pit was soon smoking and the midday feed was revealed—freshly caught, fried king mackerel with all the trimmings—these guys always do it right for visiting pilots and spectators. The newly opened HobbyTown USA in McAllen, Texas, was the main event sponsor and graciously donated a large table full of hobby items to be given away to participants.

Los Alamos Aeromodelers — Report by Brian Regan

During the last weekend in October, Brian Regan visited the Los Alamos Aeromodelers in New Mexico for one of the club's monthly get-togethers. Twelve fliers came out that day and had a great time.

Announcements and Calls to Action

  • District VIII is accepting applications for the Camp AMA scholarship. If you know someone who might be interested, contact me for details. Deadline for essays is March 31.
  • District VIII needs a contest coordinator for Control Line and Free Flight. If you are interested, please email me.
  • I am starting to fill in weekends on my calendar for the coming year and want to attend events I have not previously attended. If you have dates for an event, let me know so I can try to get it on my schedule.

Hope to see you all at the field!

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