District X Report - 2010/05
Contact
Mike Brown, District X Vice President [email protected]
District
- Arizona
- California
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- Utah
THIS hobby wouldn't be what it is without its volunteers. From every chartered club up to the AMA Executive Council, AMA is filled with them. These volunteers spend countless hours helping the hobby that they, and we, all enjoy.
They don't get paid, and not only does it take time away from their flying, it takes time away from their families. This hobby, among many others, couldn't exist without its volunteers.
Occasionally an award is given to someone who goes above and beyond, a person who gives continuous service to his or her organization.
AMA Expo coverage
This year's AMA Expo in Ontario, California, is in the books. Although you will be able to read about it in various places, I felt it was still worthy of additional coverage.
Sunday seemed a little slow, but Friday and Saturday were packed. Although I stayed in the District X booth quite a bit, Saturday afternoon I went looking for something for a friend, and it was all but impossible to get through the aisles. Several vendors I talked with said they had done great; only one's sales were down.
For those who have never been to a trade show, there are many things to enjoy, such as getting to see all the new products, taking advantage of show specials, and avoiding shipping charges. There were two areas for kids where they could build rockets or gliders, and an indoor flight area for small airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft.
This year's show was special because of the addition of several guest speakers, including aerobatic champion pilot Matt Chapman; NASA Shuttle commander Robert "Hoot" Gibson; Nemesis NXT designer Jon Sharp; engineer Dan Kreigh; Captain Tom Huff; and the famous Burt Rutan. I was able to attend a couple minutes of Burt Rutan's talk, and it was packed with interested listeners far beyond the seating area.
From everything I heard and saw, I'd say the show and the guest speakers were a huge success. If you were not able to attend this year's Expo, next year's will be January 7–9, 2011. Don't forget to start saving early; you are going to want to bring a bunch of neat stuff home.
At the request of Jim Giffin, AMA President Dave Mathewson presented the Distinguished Service Award to District X Associate Vice Presidents (AVPs) Greg Clemensen and me during the AMA Expo.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
