District X Report - 2003/09

September 2003 171
Celebrating Freedom: The Channel Island
Condors’ 2003 Rally of the Giants, April 26-
27, in Camarillo, California.
NICK RIVALDO, from Long Beach,
California, won Best Military Aircraft and
Best of Show with his spectacular C-47.
Nick’s military version of the DC-3 spans a
huge 135 inches, weighs 49 pounds, and is
powered by two G-38s.
Nick captivated the crowd when he
dropped 12 to 15 functional paratroopers
through the cargo door during his flight
demonstration. What a site to see!
Rich Cox of Thousand Oaks, California,
won the Best Civilian Aircraft Award with
his stunning deHavilland Chipmunk.
Photos and captions provided by
Associate Vice President (AVP) Jerry
Neuberger of Santee, California.
Dan Thordarson of Saugus, California,
pictured with his P-51 Mustang, was one
of several pilots flying large-scale World
War II warbirds at the 2003 rally.
Eric Baker, also from Saugus, did a superb
job flying his Dr.1 Fokker and his Gee Bee
racer. Neither of these aircraft are easy
airplanes to fly. Even more impressive is
the fact that Eric is missing his right arm
below the elbow ... very impressive!
April 26-27, the Santa Fe Dam RC Modelers
(SFDM) hosted its spring float fly off the
cool blue waters of Santa Fe Dam in the
San Gabriel Valley northeast of El Monte,
California. Kent Smith was the contest
director, assisted by Mike Jones and a
hard-working group of volunteers. Curt
Wass and his wife Jane served a catered
lunch and a pilots raffle rounded out the
day with a radio donated by Rick Mattie of
Airtronics.
The Santa Fe Dam RC Modelers sponsor a
float fly twice a year with donations going to
the Friends of the Santa Fe Dam Support
Foundation. This organization supports
families and underprivileged kids and also
provides fishing mentors, a park watch
program, and help in the preservation of the
local wild life. This activity also benefits the
club as it earns “points” from the Dam for
promoting public interest in its facility.
The SFDM club also participates in the
Dam’s Family Fish Day by providing a static
display of model airplanes and flight
demonstrations using Park Flyers and electric
helicopters. This event presents an
opportunity for young people of all ages to
get an up-close exposure to model aviation.
In return, the modelers gain a flying site and
an incredible venue for their float fly.
You can visit the club’s Web site at
www.sfdrcm.org. Be sure to check out the
“First Saturday” information. The SFDM field
is open to the public on the first Saturday of
each month for site orientation and an
introduction to RC flight. The club even has
its own aviation-oriented Boy Scout troop.
District X AVP Bill Malvey of Ladera
Ranch, California, provided the following
report on the 2003 Best in the West Jet Rally.
“The California Radio Control Jet
Association (CRCJA) held its annual Best in
the West Jet Rally at the Prado Regional
Airpark, home of the Pomona Valley Model
Airplane Club (PVMAC) April 11-13, 2003.
More than 50 pilots attended and enjoyed
four days of flying some of the most hightech
model airplanes airborne today.
“The PVMAC field is 800 feet of
perfectly smooth asphalt surrounded by a
large expanse of farmland. Perfect for all RC
flying and tailor-made for the jets.
“The weather was less than perfect, but
few let the intermittent showers put a damper
on the fun. Mike Sineracki was again the CD
and Mike ran a beautiful and safe event.
PVMAC members turned out to support the
rally, providing much of the manpower and a
great food concession.
“Most participants flew turbine-powered
airplanes with glow-powered ducted fans in
the distinct minority. Turbine airplanes are
truly something to see and experience. It’s
amazing to stand in the pits, hear the sound of
a turbine spooling up, and smell the jet
exhaust as it fills your nostrils. It takes very
little to imagine you’re watching full-scale
jets in action.
“Scale models are always popular;
however, several non-scale airplanes were in
evidence and many of these make great
starter platforms. The learning curve can be
steep and new turbine pilots rely heavily on
the experience of the more seasoned veterans.
“The CRCJA and PVMAC worked jointly
to get an altitude waiver for the event. The
PVMAC field is three miles south of Chino
Airport and the club and the FAA worked
with CRCJA to allow the jets a little more
‘breathing room.’ Cooperation was the name
of the game and everyone came out a winner.”
Many thanks to Bill, Jerry, and Vincent
Massa of the Channel Island Condors for
their contributions to this month’s column.
Till next time... Keep ’em safe and Keep ’em
fly’n.
Associate Vice Presidents
Glenn Carter Walnut Creek CA (925) 933-2086
Jim Giffin Sacramento CA (916) 296-6165
Wayne Hamada Honolulu HI (808) 521-7733
Kai Jensen Reno NV (775) 329-6430
Bill Malvey Ladera Ranch CA (949) 481-8621
Jerry Neuberger Santee CA (619) 258-4477
Bob Reynolds Tucson AZ (520) 296-8183
Frequency Coordinators
George Steiner Sacramento CA (916) 362-1962
(See last month’s column for additional AVPs and
Coordinators)
Arizona / California / Hawaii /
Guam / Nevada / Utah
Richard Hanson
Vice President
PO Box 3312
Scottsdale AZ 85271
Voice/Fax: (888) 899-3548
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site : www.ama10.org
District X Report