Flying Site Assistance
Tony Stillman, Flying Site Coordinator
"Do or do not, there is no try." — Yoda
Doers—every club has at least one. Some clubs are blessed with having more than one. These are the people who get out and make things happen. They do the work.
They might be club officers, the newsletter editor, or the field marshal. They work at the hot dog stand at every event. Perhaps the doer in your club is a regular club member whom everyone turns to in order to make things happen and get the task completed.
Without doers we would be in a tough spot. Who fills the role of doer in your club? Is it you? Do you attend meetings and see him or her in action? Have you told that person that you appreciate him or her?
These people are a special breed. They somehow see the big picture and understand the tasks that need to be performed. They also understand the necessity of the task and how vital it is to club operation, whether it be cutting the grass, disposing of the trash, or going to the grocery store to purchase the hot dogs and mustard for the fly-in. Without these tasks being performed, the event could not happen.
In the world of Flying Site Assistance, virtually everyone I help is a doer. These people have taken a look at their situation and determined that something has to happen. They reach out to me for assistance and I am happy to help.
These people are a joy to work with because I understand their passion and drive to have a better place for their club members to fly. In most instances, these individuals have stepped out of their comfort zone and are working to speak with county commissioners, parks directors, or even Congressmen and Senators.
The effort required to get out and search for a site, be disappointed from time to time, and continue to pursue the goal is commendable. Most of these people are still in the workforce, having to do this work after hours at night and on weekends while they could be doing many other things with family and enjoying models. Those who are retired may have the time, but it still requires the drive and energy to go here and there and make the telephone calls, send emails, and follow up.
This is a lot of work!
If you have been standing on the sidelines looking in at all this action, or maybe you just did not know how to help, please join in and become a doer! I can promise that putting in the effort to help your club is a worthwhile endeavor and is most gratifying. Some of the happiest AMA members out there are the ones who know what it is like to get their hands dirty in order to help the club with daily activities or events.
One example of this is a good friend of mine, Rae Fritz. Rae is a member of the Northwest Florida Modelers, Inc. (NFMI) in Pensacola, Florida. I am also a member, having joined in 1971.
I have seen Rae in action for many years. Rae has served this club along with several others. He has held every office from president to newsletter editor. He built sailplane winches and retrievers for club sailplane events.
Rae is a CD (contest director) and has run many, many contests and events. He was always around during work parties. He has spent thousands of hours on the phone in support of the club.
One of the things Rae is most proud of is the creation of a new flying site in Pensacola several years ago. You see, Rae found an old, closed landfill and spent the next ten years writing, talking with, and visiting county and state officials to get this site turned into a model park. At one point, it took Rae writing a letter to then‑Florida Governor Jeb Bush to get the county officials to move forward with the project. Ten years is a long time to be dedicated to this effort!
When it was all finally completed, the club had a new flying site that it could finally call its own. The club named the field Fritz Field in honor of Rae’s work. I wonder how many NFMI club members really understand the amount of effort that Rae put in to make it all happen.
I am not writing about this to give accolades to Rae. He is an example of many, many doers out there who are members of one of AMA’s 2,500 chartered clubs. Without them, most clubs would cease to exist. With them, they are strong and will be a presence for generations to come.
These are the kind of people who participate with me in Flying Site Assistance. It is an honor to work with them.
Take the time to say thank you to the doers in your club.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
