View from HQ - 2003/03

AS I WRITE THIS the end of the year is
upon us, and speaking for all of the
employees of AMA, I hope everyone had a
healthy and happy holiday season.
As you may be aware (or should I say I
preach this each year?), this is the busiest
time of the year for the employees. AMA
renews more than 75% of our membership
during the months of October, November,
and December, and December 30 and 31 are
very busy. I appreciate the patience that our
members display when they call
headquarters.
License cards took longer to send to the
membership this year. I apologize, but we
had a delay in receiving our products, and
when printing a large job of more than
50,000 license cards, we ran into a few
problems. Hopefully this is concluded.
If your club is requiring proof of
membership and you have access to the Web
site, you can go there and verify membership
payment. In the meantime, we are in the
process of mailing license cards two or three
times a week.
Attention Members in Florida: I received a
request from Edward Young of Dade City,
Florida, for help in soliciting new members
for the Florida Flyers.
Edward said that Don McClements, the
club’s late president, had worked hard to
increase the club’s membership. They have a
great flying site in a county park with
restrooms, benches, and electrical outlets,
and it is far from any homes or other
obstacles. Members of the club would love to
share their flying site with other AMA
members.
If interested, please contact Edward R.
Young, 11202 Mesquite Dr., Dade City FL
33525-2323; Tel.: (352) 567-1939.
Ed, I hope this helps.
Museum Volunteer Don Brown: During the
1940s, Don was involved in some
aeromodeling; however, first school then a
family occupied his time, and he was unable
to continue. During the Korean War, as a
way to help pay for college Don joined the
Naval Air Reserve and served at Akron NAS
and Gross Isle, Michigan.
By the 1980s, after retiring as a
mechanical draftsman from MichCon Gas,
Don decided to return to the hobby and fly
Free Flight Rubber aircraft. This decision
… a toy costing less than a
gallon of glow fuel can
become the twinkle in a
child’s eyes!
Joyce Hager Executive Director
View from HQ
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager
Executive Director
[email protected]
eventually led him to move to Muncie in
1998.
A year and a half later he began
volunteering in the museum, and he has
helped in inventorying the museum’s modelairplane
kit collection and assisted with
setting up the new restoration shop. Don also
built a model that we hope to use in one of
the museum’s future hands-on exhibits.
Next time you are visiting the National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie IN,
please be sure to thank the volunteers we
have recruited. They have been a key element
in getting items identified, cataloged, and
displayed so that others may enjoy them.
Gary Clark of the Daytona Beach Radio
Control Association (DBRCA) sent in the
following story about the club’s fun-fly, held
December 7 to benefit the Toys for Tots
program.
“On this very brisk morning, with our flag
flapping in the light morning breeze, those
who dared to brave the cold and probable
high winds started flowing into the DBRCA
flying site. A moment of silence was
observed commemorating and honoring all of
the veterans of our great country, who served
with distinction and honor to help preserve
our freedom, and remembering “The Day
That Will Live in Infamy,” Pearl Harbor Day.
“With every pilot and a great many of the
spectators gathering and bringing along a
new toy for the Toys for Tots program, the
line of spectacular aircraft (monoplanes,
biplanes, and even helicopters) began to take
shape. We decorated the tent, had a
Christmas tree, and gave out candy canes to
all who flew or showed up.
“There was a beautiful array of aircraft
and lots of socializing (that’s what this hobby
is all about, right?). Everyone was in the
giving, sharing, and helping holiday spirit
with newcomers and seasoned pilots alike
sharing stories and advice on how to make
flying more enjoyable (less crashing would
help).
“Upon starting the first engine of the day,
Mother Nature obliged by creating a howling
wind from the north and treacherous flying
weather for all but the foolhardy. Even with
the windy conditions, some dared fly their
pride and joy, helping provide entertainment
for those armchair pilots in all of us.
“It seemed the Giant Scalers were better
at cutting through the nasty winds and
continued to fly well past the noon hour. In
all, it turned out to be a great day of flying
and critiquing my many landings.
“Our Toys for Tots Fly-In gathered three
very big boxes of toys for the less fortunate
children. It is truly amazing to think that a
toy costing less than a gallon of glow fuel can
become the twinkle in a child’s eyes!
“I consider this to be a great success and a
testament to the great people we are fortunate
enough to meet through this hobby. With as
little effort as was put into this toy drive (I
will take full blame on the lack of effort), we
did a great job for the kids.
“The Marines were as grateful as the
children, and we are going to vote to make
this an annual event with hopes of it growing
into a community event helping all of the
kids we can!
“Thanks to all who showed up and gave
to the needy and had a good time doing so.”
What a great way to have fun and benefit
charity at the same time. Good job, DBRCA!
Gary informs me that the DBRCA club,
with the help of the Volusia County Council
and the Space Coast of Florida, has an
agreement to lease a plot of land on the
Volusia County Landfill. This site is in the
corner of an unused sod farm. It has beautiful
green grass and is flat for more than 100
acres! MA
Krissie Hilton, who helped with the
decorations, displays the toys collected at
the DBRCA fly-in for Toys for Tots.
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