Farewell, Bliss
Chris Mulcahy [email protected]
Before I begin my column, I would like to acknowledge the passing of AMA’s District IV vice president, Bliss A. Teague. Bliss was well-known throughout District IV, regularly attending countless fly-ins and always enthusiastic about model aviation. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to lead our district, and I am grateful to have known him.
Bliss was an Army sergeant during the Korean War, but I don’t think he would mind me using the quote below. Thank you, Bliss, for your military service, and for your AMA service. Rest in peace.
“We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the skies, and were gently caught by God’s own hand to be with him on High.
“To dwell among the soaring clouds they’ve known so well before. From victory roll to tail chase, at heaven’s very door.
“As we fly among them there, we’re sure to head their plea. To take care my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me.”
—Commander Jerry Coffee, Hanoi, 1968
Hold Your Own Fly-In
One of the best ways to introduce people to our helicopter hobby—and model aviation in general—is to hold a fly-in at your club. I recently set out to do this, and want to share with you some tips for success.
- Sign up and get approval
- Start by signing up to be a Contest Director (CD) for the AMA. Instructions for how to do this are available on the AMA’s website (see the “Sources”). When you are registered as a CD, attend your club meetings and suggest a fly-in. Talk with your club members, explain your plans, and decide on dates.
- Register the event
- Register the event with the AMA. When the AMA sanctions your event, it also becomes insured.
- Fundraising and raffles
- A good way to entice pilots to attend is with the time‑old tradition of holding a raffle. Manufacturers that donate prizes gain exposure, visiting pilots can win prizes, and your club will raise money for site maintenance.
- Contact relevant manufacturers and companies, but don’t simply ask for “free” stuff. Tell them about your club, let them know approximately how many pilots you expect, and be polite and courteous. Explain what you can do for them in return, such as advertising on social media, and provide photos after the event. Not everyone will respond—manufacturers receive many requests—but follow through on promises and thank contributors after the event.
- Volunteers and event duties
- Volunteers are like gold; treat them as such. It is next to impossible to hold an event by yourself. Ask for volunteers’ input, assign clear duties, and make sure they have what they need.
- Assess parking and food arrangements, and determine special duties. For example, my club held a miniature obstacle-course competition for micro helis and quadcopters. We needed someone to design and build the course, time contestants, and keep track of results.
- Advertising and promotion
- Advertising is the key to a successful event. Post on online helicopter forums and in MA. You can have a listing in the “Sanctioned Event Calendar” in MA in the months before your event, and there are options for increasing your listing’s visibility, such as including a supplemental ad.
- Use social media to promote the event. You could submit an advertisement to your local newspaper or notify local radio stations. Make sure directions to your flying site are easy to follow and posted in numerous places. Placing clearly marked signs at strategic street intersections helps visitors find your site. (Read more tips on promoting and marketing your event in the PDF document listed in "Sources".)
When all is said and done, have fun! Engage visitors, pilots, and spectators—the event is more about them than about you. Make sure your volunteers have everything they need, and be mindful of the time they’re donating.
It sounds like a lot of work, but with the right preparation, things will fall into place on the day of your event. Chances are you will make new friends and people will be excited about returning next year!
2014 IRCHA Jamboree
As I write this, I have recently returned from the 2014 International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree, and it was awesome! I'll have a full write-up on the event in the December issue of MA, but I will tell you that the weather in Muncie, Indiana, was remarkable for that time of year. There were cooler temperatures and not quite as much wind as in previous years.
The word from IRCHA President Dave Millner is that the official registered pilot count was 1,074. For those who flew without registering, shame on you! The IRCHA board goes through much effort to put on this event. In the future, please register before you fly.
Despite a small group of pilots not registering, the rest of us had a great time. I look forward to next year's IRCHA Jamboree!
US F3C World Championship Team
I want to congratulate Nick Maxwell, Daniel Hiatt, and Dwight Shilling for making the US team for the 2015 F3C Helicopter World Championship, with Dennis Purduski as team manager. I will write more about the team and F3C flying in the December issue of MA. Great job, pilots!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
