O ne of the
most rewarding aspects of being the Executive
Director of AMA is the opportunity to meet and
mix it up with fellow modelers. This past
Memorial Day it was my pleasure and honor to
attend the 2008 International Miniature
Aircraft Association (IMAA) West Coast
Festival at the Chowchilla Municipal Airport.
Before you start dragging out the maps or
MapQuesting, the airport is roughly 35 miles
from Fresno, California.
Some time back I was extended an invitation by District
X Vice President Rich Hanson to attend some of
the events in his district. The festival,
hosted by the Central California Model Flyers
(IMAA Chapter 679) fit the bill to get
together with a large number of members on the
West Coast.
Jim Giffin, IMAA president, and event directors Scott
Malta and Ken Shapiro were more than gracious
hosts during the event. Mike Brown helped
coordinate my visit and made my stay a
pleasure.
While attending the festival it was my privilege to
participate in the recognition of two longtime
modelers who have given so much to the AMA.
George Steiner has served as the Frequency
Coordinator for District X for 38 years. Ellis
Hall has served as the Sanctions Coordinator
for 31 years. Between the two that is 69 years
of service!
In talking with George, I learned he has also served on
the AMA Frequency Committee (now called the
Technology Committee) and participated in
testing the sound-level programs of the past
at AMA HQ in Muncie, Indiana. George and Ellis
received the AMA Superior Service Awards for
their dedication to the Academy.
Scott Malta is president of the Central California
Model Flyers and in "real life" is the
director of the Castle Airport Aviation and
Development Center. He told me of a nearby air
museum.
Castle Airport is one of the many Air Force bases that
were closed as a part of the Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) process. As with many
communities that have lost military bases,
Atwater, California, was given the Castle Air
Force Base property to develop in an effort to
recoup the lost employment base. A part of the
base was the Castle Air Museum ( (
www.elite.net/castle-air/index.html ),
which has more than 50 airplanes on display.
A break in the flying because of rain prompted a quick
trip to Atwater and a museum tour. Joe Pruzzo,
the Castle Air Museum executive director, gave
us a personal tour of the facility that is
nothing short of spectacular. You would be
remiss if you ever traveled in the
Fresno/Chowchilla/ Atwater area and did not
take time to visit the museum.
Scott also had one of the best crews I have ever seen
running the flightline. Ken Shapiro was akin
to a football coach calling the plays as he
coordinated the takeoffs and landings during
the event.
I noticed that the radio impound was not staffed by
members of the club as you would expect, but
three young ladies. When I commented on this
to Scott he informed me that the impound was
being run by his daughter, Brittany, age 18,
and some of her friends.
I later met Scott's wife, Barbara, who was selling
raffle tickets at the pilot registration desk,
and his son, Joseph, age 14, who was helping
dad with all the last-minute needs of staging
the event.
Truly an aviation family and a great example of the
whole family involvement we see across the
nation. I want to thank everyone who helped
make my visit most enjoyable.
AMA Executive Director Jim Cherry (L) gives
Ellis Hall an AMA Superior
Service Award.
IMAA President Jim Giffin speaks into the
microphone as Jim Cherry
presents George Steiner with a Superior
Service Award for his
numerous contributions to aeromodeling.
Here at AMA
HQ the staff is in full swing, getting
ready for the Nats and a summer full of
activities. Other items of interest are:
• Rich Hanson,
former District X Vice President, is
representing AMA in Washington DC with the FAA
Aviation Rule Making Committee (ARC) on
Unmanned Aerial Systems.
• Elections for the
Executive Vice President, Vice Presidents in
Districts III, VII, and XI, and the Vice
President from District II (Special Election)
are in the preparation stages. The Nominating
Committee will be meeting on July 26.
•
Preparations for the July 27 Executive Council
meeting are under way.
• Preparations for the
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association (IRCHA) Jamboree, to be held
August 14-18, are under way. You may recall
that last year 712 pilots were registered from
around the world.
• Various AMA committees
(Technical, Insurance, and Safety) are working
on proposals that will be presented to the EC
at the July meeting.
The summer is screaming
past by this time and I can only hope that you
are getting all the flying in that you can.
I
have been doing some instructing with a
student pilot this summer and have relived the
joys, thrills, and sometimes frights of
instructing. Why does it come so easy to some
and so hard to others?
I have mentioned in the
past a "psychological paycheck" (the
witnessing of or having a part in a rewarding
experience) and the great feeling one gets
when that psychological paycheck gets cashed.
You usually don't know when one is coming and
sometimes they are spontaneous. If you're not
sharing the thrill and joys of model aviation
with others, then you're missing out on a
great aspect of the sport/hobby.
Next time
that opportunity comes, take time to share.
Who knows? You could be banking some goodwill
and cashing some of those psychological
paychecks in the future.
MA
In the spirit of flight.
Jim Cherry, Executive Director
|
