District VIII Report - 2003/03

March 2003 169
PLEASE NOTE that the new date for the
Southwestern Aeromodeling Conference is
October 3-4, 2003.
If you, your company, special interest
group, or AMA-chartered club is interested in
establishing a commercial trade show display
at the October 2003 event, please contact me
at the above address. I will provide you with
all applications and registration information.
These spaces are going fast and will be sold
out very soon. Act now if you want to be an
exhibitor at this event!
I hope all AMA members enjoy this as much
as I did. It was sent to me via E-mail from
Frank Sodek, president of the Temple (Texas)
Aero Modelers.
“The following letter was written by one
of our youth club members, Nicholas
Mondrik, fourth grade, for a school project. It
was submitted by his slightly proud father
(who happens to be the vice
president/secretary of our club) for
publication in our club newsletter.
“My Dad, My Hero
“Do you have a hero? If so who is he?
“Well here’s my hero! My hero is my dad,
Don Mondrik. He is also my instructor in
model airplaneing. My other instructors are
B.W. Ponder, Frank Sodek, and Mark
Cullison. My dad, I think, is the most reliable
though. I like them all. They are a great help
to me.
“Model flying is harder than you think.
My dad is my hero because he helps me more
than you think like flying, writing, and
computers. The quote I got is, ‘I like it
because, it’s challenging and fun.’
“My dad is my hero as a model airplane
instructor but most of all because he is my
dad. I hope all people are heros, all good and
giving people deserve it. I hope they get the
good fortune they deserve!”
Our hobby/sport is far more that just the
building and flying of model airplanes. It is
making memories and friendships that will
last forever!
The AMA—the glue that bonds model
aircraft enthusiasts together!
The following photos are from the November
16, 2002 Radio Control Combat
Association’s (RCCA) event sponsored by
the Greater Southwest Aeromodelers club, Ft.
Worth, Texas.
It is becoming a tradition to gather all
contestants and their models for a group
photo prior to any Radio Control (RC)
Combat event (because soon after that
many models will have vanished!).
Hand launching is the rule in RC Combat
and it does take skill. Back in my Control
Line (CL) Combat/Speed flying days, I was
taught to hand launch by imagining a slow
flyby of a model and pretending that I had just
picked the model from out of the air. The
hand launch should be like returning it back to
the path and trajectory from which it was
removed. Do not push the model, do not
launch it at an awkward nose-up-or-downattitude,
just let it fly out of your hand as if
placing it back into flight.
There is much overlap in the skills and
abilities learned in the differing aspects of
aeromodeling. RC, CL, and Free Flight (FF)
do overlap and have much in common.
Things can be readily shared between the
disciplines in modeling. We are all modelers
and are more alike than we are different!
On the right is Pat Willcox, father of the F2D
CL Combat world champion, Mike Willcox.
He is our District VIII representative to the
newly created CL Combat Contest Board.
Launching is Mr. Liddle. And yes, Combat
is Combat.
Whether CL or RC, Texas has long been a
hotbed of aeromodeling combat activity.
Always was, always will be.
The following photos were taken November
23, 2002, at the Waco, Texas annual swap
meet. It was sponsored by the Heart of Texas
Miniature Aircraft Club, Inc.
Turning someone else’s trash into your
latest modeling treasure, instantaneously!
Flying, fun, and fellowship! Dr. Sandy
Frank, representing you to the AMA
Executive Council.
Arkansas / Louisiana / New
Mexico / Oklahoma / Texas
Dr. Sandy Frank
Vice President
105 N. Brazos St.,
Weatherford TX 76086-3207
Tel./Fax: (817) 599-7131
E-mail: [email protected]
www.AMA-Dist-8.org
Associate Vice Presidents
Buzz Averill, 11608 Singing Arrow Rd SE,
Albuquerque NM 87123 Home: (505) 323-8571;
Work: (505) 298-6870
Lester L. Barry, 4808 N. Rockwell Ave., Bethany
OK 73008-5373 (405) 789-5373
Max Blose, 1001 N. Betsy, Waco TX 76706
(254) 662-5587
Ervin “Chick” Frierson, Box 188, Haskell TX
79521 (817) 864-3086
Bill Lee, 601 Van Zandt County Road 4815,
Chandler TX 75758 (903) 852-5599
Jim D. Marshall, Box 9092, Mission TX 78572
(956) 585-6446
Randy Randolph, 4873 Fallon Pl., Dallas TX 75227
(214) 381-7624
Jim Rice, 118 E. Wright Blvd., Universal City TX
78148 (210) 945-8221
Ron Stanfield, 26 Oak Ridge Dr., Maumelle AR
72113-6846 (501) 851-1697
Charles Stevens, 226 Delta St., Pasadena TX
77506 (713) 473-4995
Ward Watts, 13415 Joor Rd., Baton Rouge LA
70818 (225) 261-5974
Frequency Coordinator
(North): Joe DuMond, 6731 Bridge Street, PMB-
224, Ft. Worth TX 76112 (817) 457-6685
(South): Gene Kent, 2811 Cork Cove, San Antonio
TX 78230 (210) 308-8043
AMA Display Coordinator
Karen Hopkins, 5515 Bridgeton Avenue, Arlington
TX 76018 (817) 467-9211
District VIII Report
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