AMA member David Kulesa wrote the following story, which details an amazing coincidence that occurred thanks to his club—The Mohawk Valley Firebirds—receiving a Flying Site Improvement Grant from the AMA Foundation.
It was an unusually warm day on Friday, September 25, 2026, with winds only at about 7 mph at our club's new RC field (named Victor Field) located in Deerfield, New York. Our club is The Mohawk Valley Firebirds, and while it is our second year at this new field, this event—the Mohawk Valley Firebirds Fall Jet Hangout 2026—was our first Jet Rally.
We wanted to showcase all the work and the amazing field that we, along with our incredible landlord, Randy, created with the assistance of our Flying Site Improvement Grant from the AMA Foundation. We invited the public using road signs, social media, and our local hobby store, Turn 4 Toys & Hobbies, located in Clinton, New York.
We had a great pilot turnout, and the local community came out to see what we and AMA are all about. We interacted with the public and explained the hobby to many folks.
I knew the forecast was looking good, so the night prior, I called my 82-year-old dad and told him I was picking him up at noon to go to the club event. As usual, he was ready when I got there and he was wearing his favorite hat: a hat that said, "Veteran of the USS Forrestal," the US Navy Aircraft Carrier which he served on.
When we arrived at the field, I set dad up with a nice, comfortable chair and got him a cold root beer. Sometime after that, my dad was approached by another older gentleman who had noticed his hat. He said to my dad, "I also served on the USS Forrestal." This started in motion a reunion that I will never forget. For several hours, they talked and laughed about memories they had aboard that ship. Even though they served on the same ship and the same aviation division during the same time, they had never encountered each other until that day at our AMA Jet event. They are both 82 years old and live about 8 miles from one another. They exchanged information and plan on meeting at a local VFW soon.
I feel as if without the help of the Flying Site Improvement Grant, my dad and his newfound friend would never have had this unforgettable experience. For several hours, I could tell both men were brought back to a time in their lives that was so important to them and to the United States of America.
Thank you, AMA, for these memories.
