Passing Members

Patrick W. Beagan, of Arlington, Massachusetts, passed away at the age of 45 in June 2017. Patrick studied mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and pursued a decades-long career in software design and development. He founded a small software company in the late 1990s and then held senior positions at several software companies in the Boston area. Most recently, he was awarded a patent for an innovative software design at Oracle Corporation. Complementing his professional career and long-held interest in flying, Patrick discovered the art of flying and the science of building multirotor FPV racing drones in 2014. He was immediately captivated by this hobby that combined the reward of designing and building his own aircraft, the analysis and problem solving of debugging issues, and the thrill of first-person flight—not to mention the camaraderie of the local FPV flying community. Patrick was a founding member of the Boston Multi Rotor Club in 2015, and at one time, was one of the top-ranked pilots in the New England area. He made a nice group of friends in the local racing community and was always willing to lend a hand or spare parts. In addition to his professional life and newfound passion in all things drones, Patrick pursued many outdoor sports in his lifetime including skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and cycling. He and his wife of nine years, Andrea, were also ardent travelers and nature lovers—having traveled together across the US and in 30-plus countries around the world. Patrick's wife is sponsoring a scholarship for the 2019 UAS4STEM program in her husband’s memory. She is keen to acknowledge how this hobby touched Patrick's life through continual learning, competition, and fun. Her hope is to help promote the same enthusiasm and learning opportunity for the next generation. The UAS4STEM drone challenge was designed by the AMA to encourage teamwork, competition, and success through a STEM-based education platform. The program provides teams of four to 10 middle and high school students with training, insurance, and equipment to compete in a waypoint and payload delivery challenge. To learn more about UAS4STEM visit https://uas4stem.org/.

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.

It’s with great sadness we report the passing of AMA member Charles (Charlie) E. Arden, Jr. of Lindenhurst, Illinois. He died unexpectedly on February 19, 2016, at the age of 83. 

Charlie graduated from Ithaca High School in 1950. He played basketball and he played the baritone horn in the jazz band. From 1953 to 1955, Charlie served during the Korean War in the Army and was trained as a Radio Operator. He served active duty in the 506th Anti-Aircraft Artillery detachment at Fort Clayton in the Panama Canal Zone, held the rank of Specialist 3rd class, received a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged. He then attended Cornell University (’55) where he received a B.S. in Agriculture Economics and an M.B.A. in Business and Accounting (’60). While at Cornell, he was reacquainted with a former high school classmate, Marilyn Joan Dyce, from Ithaca, Illinois. The two were married in 1957. After receiving his C.P.A. certificate in 1971, Charlie, his wife Marilyn and their three children, moved from New Jersey to Winnetka, Illinois. While working in Chicago, Charlie was a V.P for the Hackett Corporation and later an executive recruiter and regional sales person for SCS Cases. After 22 years, empty-nesters Charlie and Marilyn moved to Lindenhurst, Illinois, where they enjoyed living on Lake Linden. His loving wife, Marilyn, died in 2007. 

Throughout his life, beginning as a child in the 1940s, Charlie enjoyed building and flying tissue and balsa wood free flight and U-control model airplanes. He competed in model aeronautics meets in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, and was a member of the Chicago Aeronuts model airplane club for many years. An avid history buff, Charlie regularly attended meetings of the Illinois Chapter of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. He also enjoyed golf, boating, reading mysteries and historical books, bird watching, live music, crossword puzzles, and baking delicious homemade pies. He was a long-time fan of the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

A devoted father, grandfather, and brother, Charlie will be missed by many who loved him dearly. A memorial service is planned in his honor this summer in Ithaca, New York — date to be announced later. For more information, contact the Ness-Sibley Funeral Home in Trumansburg, NY: 1-888-534-5446 or www.ness-sibley.com.

His family asks those who wish to make a memorial contribution in Charlie Arden’s name to kindly consider donating to the Academy of Model Aeronautics Youth Scholarship Fund.