The 2015 North West Model Hobby Expo in Monroe, Washington, was the 38th year of this long-running event. It moved to the Evergreen Fairgrounds from Puyallup, Washington, in 2007 where it had been since 1977.
Outside the rain came down, but inside there were smiles on faces as visitors saw modeling friends they hadn’t seen since last summer’s flying season. The swap meet filled every corner of the pavilion building including the entrance. I saw everything from old Free Flight models to a turbine engine being sold.
I tip my hat to Ron Swift and Sandy DuVall for running this winter’s event for the modelers of the Northwest!
Caption: Bob Einhaus is one of many who had swap tables at the North West Model Hobby Expo.
Caption: The static display tables were filled with many large airplanes.
The Static Competition was intense this year, and big, gorgeous models filled the display area. Mike Brewer’s C-47 won Best of Show. With a 140-inch wingspan, this was an average-size airplane at this year’s event.
The AMA District XI booth was a busy place all weekend. District XI associate vice presidents Darrell Anderson (Great Falls, Montana), Bryan Wood (Boise, Idaho), Del Herring (Wenatchee, Washington), and Mike Mosbrooker (Oak Harbor, Washington), worked the booth answering questions.
I’m proud to announce we had AMA Foundation Director of Development Mandee Mikulski from Muncie, Indiana, in attendance. She took membership applications and renewals at the booth, sold some hats and shirts, and had the answers to questions the rest of us didn’t have.
Caption: In the blue shirts (L-R) are Darrell Anderson, Mike Mosbrooker, Bryan Wood, and Mandee Mikulski.
The District XI membership meeting was held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, where letters from AMA President Bob Brown and Executive Director Dave Mathewson were read to the membership. Mandee also gave a presentation on the AMA Foundation and several Special Interest Group (SIG) representatives gave updates on their respective SIGs.
I was invited to participate in the Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show in Puyallup, Washington. Laureano Mier from the Pearson Field Education Center in Vancouver, Washington, requested an AMA presence in their booth at the show. Laureano is a longtime AMA member and the director of Aviation Education Programs at Pearson. The team from the education center had a large area for building gliders, and a vertical wind tunnel to explore airflow. Many kids made paper cones to fly in the wind.
Caption: Laureano Mier and friends in World War II costumes.
See you at the flying field. [dingbat]
