District XI 2014/02
Mission Valley Fly-In (Wings for Wishes, Montana)
In August 2013, Mission Valley Model Aviation of Montana held a fly-in with proceeds going to Wings for Wishes Montana. The club field is roughly halfway between Kalispell and Missoula in a sparsely populated area.
Eric Kendall was the contest director (CD) and did much of the organization: he set up the field, secured many prizes, and announced that if his goal of $4,000 was reached he would appear in a dress on Sunday. That seemed safe, as the same event the previous year raised approximately $2,400. It turned out well — see the picture of Eric in a dress. Not bad for 19 pilots in a remote area.
Eric’s son was busy snapping pictures after I told him these photos could be very valuable one day. Eric ran a silent auction, sold food, and conducted a raffle for prizes, with many active volunteers helping. We took time to present Eric with the Carl and Beth Goldberg Vital People Award, which he had won for his efforts with this event last year.
The only minor downside was the heat. It took me some time to find the man who promised that if I came to northern Montana, the temperatures would be really comfortable. Obviously our definitions of "comfortable" are not the same!
Great job, Eric and crew.
Red Baron Combat — Where Eagles Dare (Wounded Warrior Project, Idaho)
Not to be outdone, Randy Shiosaki from Idaho sent an account of RC Combat, which took place on the same weekend as the Montana Wings for Wishes event. Randy’s event proceeds all went directly to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Randy was the CD of the Red Baron Combat meet, Where Eagles Dare, in Shelley, Idaho, on August 17. The fundraiser raised $992 from a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.
Winners:
- 2610 Scale
- 1st: Wayne Mayo (Boise, Idaho)
- 2nd: Jerry Haines (Payette, Idaho)
- 3rd: Rick Kent (American Falls, Idaho)
- Open B
- 1st: Charlie Pfieger (Bozeman, Montana)
- 2nd: Jerry Haines (Payette, Idaho)
- 3rd: Dave Barker, Red Baron President
If you’ve never watched RC Combat, you should. You’ll note in the pictures that participants typically bring “racks” of airplanes. They are usually all used!
These were only two of the great events held within the district to have fun and to benefit deserving charities. My only regret is that I cannot get to all of them. Although these two are in adjacent states, they are about 400 miles apart!
District News and Nominations
As you read this, I will have begun the final year of my elected term. We need to nominate those of you who are interested in being the district vice president by early next summer. Let me know of your interest and I will see to it that you are nominated. If you have any questions, please contact me and I will make up an answer.
Stay warm!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
