Author: Lawrence Tougas
Edition: Model Aviation - 2015/02
Page Numbers: 144

District X — Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah

Lawrence Tougas — Vice President

Chino Valley Model Aviators — field rededication

The Chino Valley Model Aviators, located north of Prescott, Arizona, celebrated the rededication of the club’s flying field with a ceremony and fun-fly on September 12–13, 2014. Arizona District X Associate Vice Presidents (AVPs) Jim Mohan and Kurtis Chandler were on hand to enjoy a great day of flying and to offer their congratulations.

The club was celebrating the completion of several significant field improvements, including additional concrete aprons, a new 18-by-36-foot shade structure, and a large matching metal hangar for equipment needed to keep the field operating. Particularly impressive is the state-of-the-art solar-powered charging system for electric flyers.

The club has existed in one incarnation or another since 1985. Members have flown from several fields before settling at their current home, courtesy of the town of Chino Valley. The local government has provided the club with a beautiful place to fly.

Chino Valley Mayor Chris Marley and Vice Mayor Darrell Croft congratulated the club on its accomplishments and its value to the community. Both praised club members for the site improvements and the welcoming environment they have established.

Member of the Year

Club members established a new Member of the Year award and named it after the inaugural recipient, Jay Riddle. Jay has been a driving force in many field improvements and is a deserving recipient.

Deadlines and programs

  • Flying Site Assistance Grant applications must be in my possession by March 1, 2015. Please do not wait until the last minute; I often need to request additional supporting data to give each club the best chance of receiving a grant.
  • Leader Club Program paperwork is due by March 31.
  • AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame nominations must be postmarked by March 31.

For details about these programs, visit www.modelaircraft.org.

Hawaii AVP change

Our Hawaii area AVP, Duke Chung, is stepping down. Duke has been a great help in maintaining the AMA’s presence in our 50th state, and his efforts are much appreciated. Volunteering is the heart of our organization, and Duke is a champion.

Taking over Duke’s role will be Richard Bonnardel. Richard has been an AMA member for 42 years. He spent 21 years performing aircraft maintenance in the U.S. Air Force before moving to the airline industry, where he worked in quality assurance. Richard finished his career at the FAA as the principal maintenance inspector for Aloha Airlines. He has flown competitively in the past and now enjoys large, easy-to-fly models. Please give Richard a big aloha welcome.

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