Stories

On Saturday, Nov. 5, Hampton Roads Radio Control Club hosted their 10th Annual Fun Fly Event benefiting Suffolk’s Toys for Tots Program. With more than 45 registered radio-control pilots, the event was able to raise more than $15,000 and collect thousands of toys for Toys for Tots program in the county.  “This is one of the best days we’ve had in five years, because of the weather,” said Chris Weeks, club vice-president. “The contributions exceeded our expectations.”     The day consisted of free Starbucks in the morning, a fly in with planes of all shapes and sizes and some electric powered, and Christmas themed parachutists. Santa was accompanied by elves who jumped out of the airplane to hear about children’s Christmas wishes. At the end of the day, Club President Jeff Haywood presented Skydive Suffolk owner Mike Manthey, members of Kingdom Kuts and Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department with plaques for their help in sponsoring the event.   Hampton Roads Radio Control Club has done a wonderful job bringing in members of the community to support a great cause.

Chuck Orrick, a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics for over 25 years, recently purchased two bricks along the Walk of Fame. During interactions with AMA staff regarding the bricks, he shared his unique story and gave permission for it to be shared. Orrick is a lifelong model airplane enthusiast whose first memory of a model airplane dates back to the 1960’s. He was in kindergarten, showing his first small balsa airplane his father carved for him during show and tell. His father carved a few more airplanes for him, but in 1976, when Orrick was 16 years old, his father passed away. However, Orrick’s love for model airplanes has continued to this day. [caption id="attachment_3276" align="alignright" width="213"] Orrick's father, Charles Orrick, Jr.[/caption] In the early years of Orrick’s AMA membership, he inquired about having his long and hard to remember member number changed to “1701.” However, that number was already taken so he accepted 17701 instead. Several years later, during the 1990’s, Orrick was cleaning out his grandmother's closet and found a picture from 1946 of his father holding an airplane with the number “17702”. Orrick never knew that his father was an AMA member and couldn’t believe their member numbers were just one away from each other. While further investigating the picture, he stumbled upon a very touching article. The article featured a story about his grandfather, Capt. Charles Orrick. Little did he know, his grandfather helped to form the first flying club in Thomaston, Georgia. Orrick had no idea his grandfather was involved, and had such influence in, model aviation, something that had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. Orrick had a deeper connection to his father and grandfather than he could ever imagine. He had gone many years loving his hobby of model airplanes without knowing that his father and grandfather both had strong ties to the hobby as well. [caption id="attachment_3277" align="alignleft" width="300"] Chuck Orrick (left) and Gene Seinkbeil (right)[/caption] Today, Orrick continues in the legacy of his father and grandfather. He and his friend, Gene Seinkbeil, built the “Martian Spaceship.” It was from an old free flight plan converted to R/C in the 80’s that they converted to electric. In 2008, Seikbeil and Orrick competed at the SEFF, and won the title “Best of Show.” The AMA is proud to help Chuck honor his family’s love for model aviation by placing his bricks in the Walk of Fame. To learn more about the brick program, visit: https://amafoundation.modelaircraft.org/walk-of-fame-donation-ama-foundation/

The AMA foundation would like to congratulate the York County Flyers club and Clover High School team, the Soaring Eagles UAS4STEM , for their efforts in raising $2,225 to benefit Hospice and Community Care, an organization that works to improve the quality of life for patients and families, and works to be the compassionate guide for end of life care. The two clubs paired together to host the annual Fallen Eagle Memorial Fly-In Event. The event consisted of electric flying all day, mission demonstrations by the UAS4STEM team, a make-n-take glider contest for children, an afternoon buddy box contest, and FPV pilots on a new 300 yard trail with obstacles and gates. The event included a raffle table with over $2,000 in prizes. The efforts of the two organizations does not go unnoticed and we thank them for working to better our community.

Boy Scouts of America clubs from Arizona towns:   Nogales, Tucson, Sierra Vista, Marana and more attend a Camporee Aviation Day with the Sonoran Desert Flyers. The 3 day event held over 150 scouts and their leaders to learn about the trade. Scouts had the opportunity to learn how they could receive free flight training and other events the Sonoran Desert Flyers put on. Scouts were able to see FPV quads through a 3D extra and a static display of the clubs electric planes. The Sonoran Desert Flyers showed their passion to the scouts. Leader member, Bob Schumann, stated, “The fpv goggles and monitor had the scouts enchanted.” The club was able to reach retired U.S. Colonel and Congresswoman, Martha McSally. She dedicated her time out of her day to talk to the scouts about her time commanding an A-10 squadron in combat. The AMA recognizes the Sonoran Desert Flyers for their love and passion for the hobby. Their dedication does not go unnoticed. Also, the AMA would like to thank the Sonoran Desert Flyer club for the $50 donation toward the year- end giving campaign.

The AMA is currently participating in #GivingTuesday to help us hit our 2016 goal of raising $200,000. What is #GivingTuesday? It’s a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Why should you give? Because model flying is what you love, and we love to help you fly. AMA’s team stands up for members everyday by providing membership services, working with the FAA and in DC, engaging youth and building educational programs using model aviation, building partnerships to enhance the hobby, and much more.  

9 departments

9 hours

1 hour of standing

Please help us take a seat.

Our goal is to raise $2,500 for the AMA Foundation. That’s $278 per hour. Once each team hits their goal they can take a seat, or be left standing for the entire hour. Join in on the fun and make a tax-deductible donation! DONATE NOW

Before starting at the AMA I worked for a local Chamber as the Membership Director. I really enjoyed interacting with business and community leaders. One of the people I most enjoyed talking to and working with was Charles (Chuck) Rife. Chuck was always in a good mood and was one of those people who knew a lot about all kinds of different things. He was really involved with videography, but he also was great at leading others to do great things for the city of Dunkirk. Chuck and his wife became dear friends of mine, and I truly admired the love Chuck had for his wife, his family, his friends, and his community. His other love was for aviation. He often told me about model flying, and eventually took my ex-husband under his wing and taught him to fly. When I told him I was interested in applying for a job with AMA he was so excited. He encouraged me to go for it, and was really excited when I got the job. Sadly Chuck passed away in July this year. He had been fighting illness for a long time. Aside from missing some hair, and walking a little slower—you never would have known Chuck was not 100 percent healthy. He still had a smile on his face, still checked in on me all the time, and he still did his best to come to my themed parties. The last time I talked to Chuck was weeks before he passed away. He was trying to clear out his work room so that he and Gay Ann could downsize. We talked about the donation process and he was very happy to see his models come to us to help with our efforts and to be sold to people who would really enjoy them. As always he was thinking of others before himself, and planning ahead. When we cleared out his work room Gay Ann told me I could keep an airplane shelf that he had hung up. It’s hanging in my office and I’m so proud to showcase it. Chuck will be missed by so many, and I am so happy to have known him and to make sure that his love of aviation is known and passed down to others through his collection. Mandee Mikulski Director of Development

[gallery size="medium" columns="4" ids="3176,3178,3177,3180"]

More about Chuck:

Charles (Chuck) Rife was a man who was enamored by the idea of flight, flying, planes, eagles, and everything airborne. He enjoyed sharing his love of flying with everyone with whom he came into contact. Chuck organized the Dunkirk Proptwisters Club and served as its president for twenty years and was a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics for over twenty-eight years. He was a devoted husband to his wife of fifty-seven years, Gay Ann. They had three children together and eleven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Chuck was a man with a big heart. Chuck loved his country and was a leader in his community.  He was involved with many things in his community including CASA, Junior Achievement, Job's Daughters, the Jay County Chamber of Commerce, the Dunkirk Beautification Committee, and the Dunkirk Elks Lodge.      

When beginning your online holiday shopping don’t forget you can support the AMA Foundation just by shopping on Amazon.  #StartWithaSmile at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-0799408 for your holiday gifts and Amazon donates to Academy of Model Aeronautics Foundation.   What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the AMA Foundation every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the AMA Foundation. How do I shop at AmazonSmile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. How do I get started? On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping.  AmazonSmile will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations? Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same. How much of my purchase does Amazon donate? The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. Is there any cost to charitable organizations or to customers? No. There is no cost to charitable organizations or to AmazonSmile customers. The shopping experience is identical to Amazon.com with the added benefit that the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate to the charitable organizations selected by customers. Thank you for supporting the AMA Foundation! If you have questions about the AMA Foundation's participation in the AmazonSmile program, please email donations@modelaircraft.org.    #StartWithaSmile at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-0799408 for your holiday gifts and Amazon donates to Academy of Model Aeronautics Foundation.

As the new member of the AMA Foundation team, I am experiencing a lot of things for the first time. Recently, I experienced my first donation pick-up. It was in Eaton, Indiana, not far from AMA headquarters in Muncie. Mandee, Tony and I jumped in the truck with the trailer attached and off we went! After a brief detour (we went the wrong way…twice) we made it to the beautiful home of Jeff Irving, son of William (Bill) Irving. Jeff had previously contacted us about donating some of his dad’s collection. He really wanted to make sure that his planes got into the hands of people who shared his love of model aviation, so he reached out to the foundation for help. Jeff greeted us with a smile and warm welcome, showing us into the house to begin collecting some boxes stored inside. As we entered the den, I was in awe of the beautiful planes on display, including a never-flown Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Bill clearly loved model airplanes and took pride in the ones he built and owned. Back out in the garage, we began taking down the planes that were being donated.  All of Bill’s planes were in pristine condition, including a J-3 Cub on floats with an 8 foot wingspan. This plane made my jaw drop when I first saw it. It was built by Bill from a kit but as far as Jeff knows, it was never flown. This plane took a bit more work than the others to get down and taken apart to fit in the trailer. Don't worry, I left this task to the professional...Tony. I am a newbie and am still learning so I’m not trusted to do much of anything beyond holding screws! Thank you to Jeff and the rest of Bill's family for their donation from Bill's collection. The foundation received several of his planes which will be for sale soon at different shows and on our impending RC Resale eBay store. Make sure to stay-tuned for more information. Chrystal Pearson Development Communications Coordinator   About Bill Bill was a longtime member of the AMA. He loved building models airplanes even more than he loved flying them. Bill also enjoyed adventures such as hunting, fishing, boating trips, and spending time with his grandchildren. He had a great sense of humor and was very proud of his hole in one at Albany Golf Course. Bill was an avid fan of Ball State Basketball and Football games. [caption id="attachment_3089" align="aligncenter" width="130"] William (Bill) Irving[/caption]

Working for AMA is a lot of fun. I love meeting new people and getting to visit new places. I have not had the pleasure of visiting any states east of Pennsylvania, so I was very excited to get the opportunity to visit New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York in one trip. Tony Stillman, my favorite road trip co-worker and I flew to New Hampshire and then drove to Keene, NH where we got to meet Charles and Fran Sylvia. Charles has been our most organized collection donor so far. He had his planes ready, and even had files on each one. I was so impressed! Then, he took us to see his other planes in the basement. It’s obvious that his Navy pride is strong from his collection. Charles has wonderful craftsmanship and is a true modeler. It was really great to see all of his airplanes. [caption id="attachment_3053" align="alignleft" width="150"] Mandee and Tony at Niagra Falls[/caption] On the trip back, I did my best but could not talk Tony into stopping in New York City— even though we were really close! But, we did get to see some beautiful scenery. On the first day of our two day trip back we were getting ready to stop for the day and we saw a sign for Niagara Falls. Tony said yes-and off we went to see one of the most beautiful sights I have ever been lucky enough to see. [caption id="attachment_3054" align="alignright" width="165"] Some of Charles' planes[/caption] The items from Charles were stored at AMA and we are going to be selling them soon at different shows and on the impending RC Resale EBay store we have created. Make sure to stay-tuned for more information. Thank you so much to Charles and his wife Fran for donating several models to the AMA Foundation for AMA’s educational/youth programs. It was a pleasure to meet you both and we look forward to seeing you again in February when we pick up more planes to sell at AMA Expo East! Mandee Mikulski Director of Development AMA Foundation   More about Charles: [caption id="attachment_3052" align="alignright" width="225"] Charles with his planes[/caption] I have been building models and flying them ever since I can remember. My first recollection is of an accident I had in carving the nose block of a model when my NO.11 knife slipped and cut a deep hole in my leg. We faced some hard times after my father passed away, which meant there was not much extra money for models. Later I flew a few free flight planes and a few control line models when I was working while in high school and had some extra bucks. My first entry into R/C was with an ACE RC pulse system which gave left rudder with one pulse and right rudder with two pulses. The range on the system was not the best and I remember I had a fly away with that system. Then came along the Bonner servos which were powered by rubber bands and gave us up elevator with right rudder. Over the years I had several Ace radios and some were very good. I also had a custom made single stick radio which I loved. I was active in South Shore RC Club which I helped start and ran the first contest for the club. We had a nice write up in the July 1962 issue of America Modeler magazine with pictures that were taken by Ken Smith. I was flying a P-51 Mustang with a .25 gas motor which flew away and was never found. This club is still active today and has a large membership that flies in Bridgewater, MA. I first entered into electric flight when I built a model from plans in one of the RC Magazines, that’s when I first came in contact with Astro Flight who are still with us today. That model had an .05 can motor and was powered by flashlight batteries. In those years I was in the Naval reserves and a Combat Air crewman and was taking training at Willow Grove Naval Air Station. On one sunny day I noticed a man flying a model not far away from the base and I met up with him. My lasting friendship with Bob Kopski, who wrote the Electric Column for AMA magazine for many years began that day and still continues. Bob taught me how to fly my first electric model and I was hooked on electric flight. During the next 12 years I attended all of the KRC electric fly’s in Pennsylvania with Bob Kopski and he attended one of my fly-ins. During that time period I started a home Hobby Business selling Astro Flight equipment and models under the name of C S Flight Systems and grew into a lasting friend ship with Astro Flight whom I visited their business out in California. My business lasted until I moved to New Mexico in 2001 when I sold out to a hobby shop. During those years I converted many gas models to electric flight with great success and was really into the electric flight so I sold all my gas models and became a true fan of electric flight. In the clubs that I belonged to in those years I was the only one flying electric, but when they saw that I was having good success they started to try electric. Today that club is still active with almost all electric flyers. Also during this period, I was active in the AMA Cub program and ran several sessions for youth. I still support this program today and have run it since moving to New Hampshire. I try to encourage the two clubs I now belong to now to run the AMA Cub program for youth. My AMA membership, AMA 16137, shows that I am a Contest Director. While in New Mexico my modeling came to almost a stand still due to my wife dying of Cancer. I can remember only flying an electric motor glider just a few times which happened to be one of Astro Flights models with a 15 Cobalt motor and Ni Cad batteries— a model I had won contests with at the KRC events. After my wife’s death I moved back East to Troy, NH in 2005 and started my modeling experience all over again since the move had cost me the loss of all the models I had in New Mexico. I started building again from kits which gave away to the ARF’s and then the BNF foam models. I loved building and I acquired several fiberglass models up to ¼ scale and of course all electric, many of these conversions from gas models. I also got into the jet EDF part of the electric flight and have many jets now up to ¼ scale. As of the first of September 2016 I had a little over 100 models in my hanger which I have been scheduling to fly on a rotational basis. However, some favorites like the FMS and E-flight T-28 models get flown more often simply because they are such good flying models. I also have an EMS fiberglass T-28 which is a very complex plane that waits its turn to fly. Now at the edge of my 80th year I am ready to down size my hanger and have made arrangements with AMA to donate to the AMA Foundation Education Fund for Youth programs. Although I am keeping just a few of my favorite models to fly.

Tony and I are becoming pros when it comes to accepting model airplane collections. As I am sure a large percentage of AMA members know, the models can really add up, and before you know it an entire U-Haul is filled. Our trip to Lee’s Summit was no exception. In fact, this ended up being the largest collection we have ever received. In total, we accepted 98 model airplanes. Months ago Craig Brown contacted the AMA Foundation with information about Wayne Nyberg’s collection. Wayne was a friend and club member who had recently passed. He told me that the collection was massive and that he was sure we would be interested. Thankfully, Randy Cameron, District VI VP was willing to view the collection and take pictures. He also thought it was a collection that we should accept. [caption id="attachment_3022" align="alignright" width="169"] Tony and I love BBQ![/caption] Fast-forward to October, and there we were, again on our way to pick up a collection. We drove all the way to Missouri, reaching our final destination, and stopping by a local BBQ restaurant for dinner. The next morning Craig, Randy, and Randy’s wife Fina were all there to help us out. They were so helpful, and because of everyone’s hard work we finished going through the airplanes and loading them in less than 10 hours. [caption id="attachment_3023" align="alignleft" width="300"] Randy Cameron, District VI VP[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3024" align="alignleft" width="225"] Our 27 ft U-Haul was packed![/caption]         I want to thank Craig, and of course Wayne's wife, Betty, for reaching out to the AMA Foundation about the collection. The proceeds will benefit the AMA Foundation Education Fund, which funds several AMA programs. We had a great time, and I got to learn about some model airplanes I had never seen before. Wayne had a great collection, and we are very excited to offer them for sale in the near future! Below is a sneak peak of some of the airplanes we selected. Thank you to the Madison County R/C Flyers for inviting the AMA Foundation to be part of its 18th annual swap meet. We will be selling some of the airplanes at the show. This year’s event will be held in Elwood, IN on November 26 from 9 am to 1 pm. Admission is only $4.00. You won’t want to miss out on some great deals.   [gallery link="file" ids="3039,3038,3037,3036,3035,3034,3033,3032,3031"] If you are interested in donating your model airplane collection please contact us via email, donations@modelaircraft.org. Mandee Mikulski Director of Development AMA Foundation   About Wayne Wayne H. Nyberg was known for his sense of humor and fun loving nature. His curiosity, inventiveness, and love of science began at an early age. He learned how things worked and how to fix them from his father who was a mechanic. Wayne graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in chemistry and worked as a research chemist contributing to medical, food, and plastics research. Wayne carried his inventiveness and ability to fix things into his hobbies; sailing and radio-controlled airplanes. He taught himself how to make and repair sails for a variety of sailboats and also built and flew radio-controlled airplanes. Wayne and his friends at the 95th Street Flying Group and KCRC Flying Club at Lake Jacomo enjoyed many great flights together. He was known there for his sense of humor and fun-loving nature. Wayne is greatly missed by all who knew him.