William Wisniewski: 1929-2007
William (Bill) Wisniewski passed away peacefully during the night of March 2/3 at his home. He was a giant in CL Speed circles in the US and in Europe.
Known to many as “Uncle Willie,” from the “uncle” appellation used by Cleveland Speed flier Al Stegens, Bill’s success in competition was matched by his modesty, generosity, and friendliness.
He was born in Olympia, Washington, in 1929. He learned the machinist’s trade and moved to California to attend the Northrop Institute and subsequently worked in the aircraft industry at Northrop Aviation in Hawthorne.
While there he joined Johnny Brodbeck at K&B in Downey, California, working part-time until 1958 and becoming full-time in 1959. He continued to work for K&B after its move to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, through the purchase by Bill Bennett of the Circus-Circus casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and until the eventual breakup of the company.
Bill Wisniewski lived with his wife Beverly and their three children in Lakewood during the years in California. Beverly, who had become active in conducting the Speed portion of the AMA Nats, died in 2000, and the loss was a severe blow to Bill. Their eldest son Mike, Bill’s partner and pilot in the Speed circle at the time, passed away a few months later. Bill is survived by his daughter Mindy; son Rick, who was also a frequent presence in the circle; and grandchildren Mike, Jennifer, Travis, and Pamela.
Bill is well known in the modeling world for designing many series of K&B Torpedo engines. His work initiated the rear-rotary-valve-induction series of K&B engines, which formed the basis of many Speed fliers’ successes and was used by the first US FAI Speed team. The same basic design was employed in the long-successful K&B .40.
Bill showed his wizardry at the Speed circle. Published in Air Trails in 1951, his Screamin’ Demon was a Dooling .61-powered airplane that introduced many Speed fliers to the pen-bladder pressure fuel system.
The Screamin’ Demon was followed by Bill’s early Pink Lady design, which began winning contests and setting records in the mid-1950s using Torpedo “Green Head” power. Bill became a constant presence at the AMA Nats on the field and in the K&B engine-repair booth.
In 1960 the FAI/CIAM added category F2—CL—to its World Championships schedule. F2A was the Speed category.
Bill headed an F2A team in Budapest, Hungary, flying with the current rear-induction Torpedo .15R engine and using monoline, which provoked complaints from other teams. Those were the days of unlimited fuel ingredients, and Bill topped the field with flights powered by the additive tetranitromethane. Despite protests from other teams, the flight was allowed to stand. Bill was second on the podium and led a US team win (with second, fourth, and sixth places).
Bill skipped the controversial 1962 Champs but returned to Budapest in 1964 with a newly designed engine to improve performance while complying with new rules. With the successful Schnuerle-ported Speed-model engine, Bill captured his first CL Speed World Championship and led the team of Glenn Lee (third) and Bob Carpenter (fifth) to the team title.
For the next World Championships, held in Swinderby, England, Bill and teammate Roger Theobald produced another surprise: their successful development of the tuned exhaust system that left the rest of the field in the dust. Bill stunned the field with a flight of nearly 260 kph. Roger was second at 241, and the rest of the competitors struggled to reach the 220s.
Bill’s last World Champs appearance was in 1968 in Helsinki, Finland; it was the last use of monoline in F2A. After two championships and two second-place performances in four tries, Bill retired from FAI competition. He stayed mainly in California and assisted Beverly in AMA duties for the remainder of his Speed flying career. He was a standard figure at the Whittier Narrows, California, Speed contests, up through a difficult appearance in November.
There won’t be another quite like Bill in the Speed circles. As will many others, I will miss him as a modeler and a man. Rest peacefully, my good friend. MA
—Laird Jackson District III
Excitement at AMA Headquarters!
In addition to the Nats, which will be held June 30–August 5, the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana, will host some fantastic events this year.
June 15–17 the 6th Annual International Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) will feature some of the best airplane and helicopter aerobatics fliers in competition. They are sure to amaze spectators. Another thrill will be full-scale pilots Matt Chapman and Michael Mancuso performing their unique style of formation flying at the event.
The Summer Heat Air Festival is returning to AMA from the Delaware County Airport for three fun-filled days of entertainment for the entire family. Hot-air balloons, skydivers, concerts, fireworks, amusement rides, arts and crafts vendors, a classic car show, food vendors, a Harley-Davidson ride-in, a balloon illume, and a special birthday party for Garfield the cat will make June 15–17 a must-attend weekend at AMA.
June 23–28 competitors from around the world will participate in the F3D Pylon Racing World Championships. At least 18 countries will send representatives to Muncie to compete. Expect fast-paced action from these world-class fliers.
The International Radio Control Helicopter Association (IRCHA) will host its annual Jamboree at the IAC the weekend of August 9–12. There will be plenty of seminars and vendors, along with 15 flightlines and daily flying demonstrations.
To see a complete listing of events that will be held at the IAC this summer, visit www.modelaircraft.org. MA
—AMA staff
Overdue honor
On March 29, 2007, as the April issue of MA went to press featuring Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson's Skymasters R/C Club experience, news broke that approximately 300 remaining Tuskegee airmen were at last recognized for the patriotism and ability they demonstrated more than 60 years ago.
Jefferson was one of six selected to receive the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the group in a special ceremony. President Bush said it helped "atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities" they endured, then saluted the airmen. The Congressional Gold Medal is the most prestigious honor Congress has to offer. MA
—Michael Ramsey
2007 AMA Membership Survey Results
The development and use of the Internet has had as much, if not more, impact on sharing information as the invention of the Gutenberg press in the 15th century. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/movable wood or metal letters around 1436. This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts, and religion through the transmission of texts.
The Internet’s ability to collect information is also phenomenal. AMA’s 2007 Membership Survey proved successful in collecting input from more than 8,000 members. More than 60,000 e-mails netted a response rate of 13%, which is considered an excellent percentage in the surveying/polling world.
The ability to find out what the membership thinks about issues is invaluable in developing programming and services. The previous AMA membership survey was conducted in 1999 and cost more than $20,000 for an outside firm to conduct. The 2007 survey using the Internet cost less than $400.
We hope to utilize this technology frequently in seeking input from the membership on topics and issues.
We drew upon some of the questions asked in 1999 to develop the 2007 survey. We developed a baseline of 1999 for comparison to 2007 or to see trends over an eight-year period. There was no mention of “foamies” or “park flyers” in the 1999 survey.
Although the charts and graphs are self-explanatory, there were other interesting points of the survey that space limitations will not allow to be published here.
Of the membership polled, 49% stated that they had increased their participation in the sport/hobby, 36.5% stayed the same, and 14.5% had decreased. In 1999 the responses were that 34% had increased, 40% had stayed the same, and 26% had decreased.
To the question of where you buy your aeromodeling equipment and supplies, 48.2% responded that they make an “in-person hobby shop visit” and a close second was purchasing via “Internet — manufacturer Web site (e-catalog)” at 43.1%.
When asked if members would be willing to serve as club officers, more than 43% answered yes, 31% answered maybe, and 26% responded no.
When asked what a club did in the area of outreach or training, 31% actively sought new members; 6% had a limit or cap on membership; 25% participated in mall shows, swap meets, or trade shows; and 38% provided some type of training for new pilots.
The average age of an AMA member is still substantial: 28% (2,086) of the respondents fell in the 55- to 64-year-old bracket. We had 1.3% of members (96) age 18 or younger respond to the survey, and one member who responded was older than 95.
Thank you to the members who took the time to complete the survey; your input is greatly appreciated. If you didn’t receive an e-mail asking you to participate in the survey, please contact AMA Headquarters to verify that your e-mail address is correct and that you have given us permission to contact you via e-mail. MA
—Jim Cherry AMA Executive Director
About the Survey
To learn more about its members, on February 20, 2007, AMA launched the first comprehensive demographic membership survey in eight years.
For the first time AMA used a popular association online tool, SurveyMonkey.com, to conduct the survey, which was distributed to more than 60,000 members for whom the AMA has e-mail addresses. It was also available via the AMA Web site: www.modelaircraft.org.
The survey consisted of 43 questions, seven of which were open-ended or narrative.
The information presented here is some key highlights from the survey responses. For results of the complete survey, access the Members Only section of the AMA Web site. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Percentage-wise, what type of aeromodeling do you participate in?
- Radio Control (RC): 94%
- Control Line (CL): 3%
- Free Flight (FF): 3%
What percentage over the past year have you flown in each of the following categories?
- Competition flying — Response average: 20.38%
- Non-competition (sport) flying — Response average: 95.12%
Total respondents: 7,610
INtheAIR — June 2007
How long have you been a member of AMA?
- Less than 1 year — 11.7% (872)
- 1–5 years — 32% (3,290)
- 6–10 years — 15% (1,116)
- 11–15 years — 9.1% (679)
- 16–20 years — 8.3% (616)
- 21 years or longer — 24% (1,788)
Total respondents: 7,461
Are you a member of an aeromodeling club?
- Yes — one club: 60.90%
- Yes — more than one club: 17.80%
- No: 21.30%
What percentage of your flying takes place at the following locations?
- AMA Field — 35%
- Other — 11%
- Park — 11%
- Front/Back Yard — 9%
- Private Property — 16%
- Sports Field — 10%
- Playground — 4%
- Indoor — 4%
Does your club participate in youth programs?
- Yes — 42%
- No — 29%
- Don't know — 29%
If you answered "yes" to the previous question, please check all that apply:
- School Programs — 39%
- Scouting/4-H — 32%
- Other (please specify) — 19%
- Church Programs — 10%
Overall, how satisfied are you with the services and programs provided by your club?
- Very satisfied — 55%
- Somewhat satisfied — 26%
- Neutral — 14%
- Not very satisfied — 4%
- Not at all satisfied — 1%
Overall, how satisfied are you with the services and programs provided by AMA?
- Very satisfied — 47%
- Somewhat satisfied — 29%
- Neutral — 19%
- Not very satisfied — 4%
- Not at all satisfied — 1%
In your opinion, are the dues you pay for AMA membership:
- An exceptional value for the money — 23%
- A good value for the money — 68%
- A poor value for the money — 9%
What percentage of the following is your source of information about the hobby/sport?
- Hobby-related magazines — 38.05%
- Fellow modelers — 31.52%
- Hobby shops — 17.68%
- Local club meetings — 14.79%
- Trade & air shows / Fly-ins — 11.21%
- Web sites / Internet — 34.43%
Do you participate in the annual AMA Executive Council election?
- Yes — 33%
- No — 51%
- New member but plan to in the future — 7%
- New member; unaware of AMA political process — 6%
- Member for more than one year; unaware of AMA political process — 3%
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
