Donors

The AMA Foundation received a bequest gift of $10,000 to assist with education and National Model Aviation Museum efforts.  The AMA and AMA Foundation would like to thank Dr. Warren Knapp and his family for this generous gift. Dr. Knapp, a member of both the AMA Foundation Heritage and Legacy Societies, requested these funds be allocated upon his passing.

Warren W. Knapp passed away on October 3, 2020 in Ithaca, NY. He was an avid modeler and enjoyed flying with the Ithaca Radio Control Society. For more than 30 years, he was a professor in Atmospheric Studies at Cornell University as well as served as the Director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center.

Warren's contribution will have a major impact on the lives of future students through educational programming and will help the National Model Aviation Museum in their efforts to continue preserving the history of model aviation.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Knapp and his history with model aviation and meteorology, you can read his obituary HERE.

It’s with great sadness we report the passing of AMA member Donald W. (Bill) Carnes of Florida. He passed in March 2017 at the age of 84. Bill was a long time member of the AMA and participant in his local model aircraft club in Naples, Florida. Bill is the newest member of the AMA Foundation Legacy Society. Thank you to Bill’s family for facilitating the donation of his model airplane collection for RC Resale to benefit the programs funded by the AMA Foundation. Bill Carnes was a master craftsman who loved building and flying model aircraft. Bill’s love for model aircraft started in the early 1940’s. He started with rubber band propelled airplanes and from there he went on to building 1/4 and 1/2 scale models from kits and from scratch. As he got older, his passion turned toward gliders. Bill built many different model gliders over the years. He also received his glider pilot license to fly his own full scale gliders. Bill hoped to someday own a motor glider to not have to rely on a tow plane to get airborne. In 2008, he ordered a motor glider kit from Slovenia. This was transported to the U.S. via ship. Bill learned to use the internet in order to track the kits arrival to Miami because he was so excited. The model was a Sirus by Pipistrel Motor Glider which could take over a year to build. With the help of Bill’s friend Joe Casey, a retired airline pilot, the glider was assembled in a few months. Bill always paid attention to the smallest detail when working on his many projects no matter how big or small. Bills collection of giant scale sailplanes has been donated to the AMA Foundation with the goal of helping raise some funds for AMA programs. These sailplanes were transported from Marco Island, Florida to Muncie, Indiana. Read more about the collection here.

Richard Swenson was born on February 24,1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sadly, Richard passed away in 2015. He will be remembered by his passion for aviation. Richard attended Purdue University studying aeronautical engineering where he fueled his love and passion by designing, building and flying model airplanes. Soon after college he joined the US Air Force and then moved to Texas where he founded his own company, SwenAir. In 1967, Richard returned to his hometown Milwaukee where he was a full time employee at Milsco Manufacturing Company. In this position he lead the engineering and design group. Richard is remembered by his friends and family for all of his cool gadgets he had in his airplanes and the tours he took them on. Not only was he a loved family member and friend, he was loved by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The Academy would like to thank Richard and his family for his beyond generous donation of $202,423.04 toward the International Aeromodeling Center Fund.The gift will benefit our programs and the future of the hobby. His contribution to the aviation community will always be remembered and will be missed by all.