View from HQ - 2004/03

192 MODEL AVIATION
WHAT A MONTH it has been! In honor of
the Centennial of Flight, I attended the
celebration in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina—
the site of the Wright brothers’
accomplishment 100 years ago. The event was
held December 12-17 and was attended by
thousands of visitors from all around the
nation and the world.
The commemoration of the first 100 years
of flight culminated in the Experimental
Aircraft Association’s 1903 Wright Flyer and
its pilot Kevin Kochersberger attempting to recreate
the 12-second flight. Although the
attempt failed and the aircraft barely made it
off the ground, all in attendance were
appreciative of the attempt.
Wright Brothers’ National Memorial in Kitty
Hawk, North Carolina.
AMA Marketing Director Tom Schwyn (R)
demonstrates a Radio Control (RC)
helicopter in front of the AMA booth at the
Centennial of Flight event.
The exhibitors’ area received a constant
flow of visitors.
I want to say how much I
appreciate Michael’s and
Jack’s hard work and
dedication to this project.
Joyce Hager Executive Director
View from HQ
In conjunction with the Centennial of
Flight, the National Model Aviation
Museum opened its first exhibit on
December 17, 2003. “From Spinning
Tops to Whirling Props” is a re-creation
of the 1905 Wright Flyer built by
Museum Curator Michael Smith and
Education Coordinator Jack Frost.
Scaled down to fit the available space,
the hands-on exhibit allows visitors to lie
on the wing and operate the controls of
the aircraft. A remote-controlled aircraft
demonstrator (RCAD) is placed between
the wing and canard so that the person
operating the controls can see on the
model the results of the control
movements.
More about this wonderful exhibit
will appear in next month’s Model
Aviation. I want to say how much I
appreciate Michael’s and Jack’s hard
work and dedication to this project. The
exhibit will be in place for two years, and
I encourage members who can visit to do
so.
A link on the front page of the AMA
Web site will take you to the museum’s
Web site, where photos of the exhibit are
featured. You can see the link at
www.modelaircraft.org. MA
AMA President Dave Brown (L) with
exhibit creators Michael Smith and Jack
Frost (R) in front of the Wright Flyer.
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager
Executive Director
[email protected]
AMA museum volunteer O.C. Stewart
operates the controls of the aircraft while
watching the RCAD to see how his
movements affect the airplane.
The exhibit had to be scaled down to fit in
the museum. Visible here is the assembly
including the canard and rudder which
move as the controls are operated.
Last September, DIY—the Do-it-Yourself
network—filmed a segment of a show
about RC parks at AMA Headquarters in
Muncie, Indiana. The show aired in early
December. Host Chris Chianelli interviewed
AMA Programs Director Jay Mealy (R) in
front of the administration building.