AMA Foundation

Summertime is busy with visitors at the International Aeromodeling Center. One of the places many stop to see is our Walk of Fame, where hundreds of people are honored by their friends and loved ones. The Walk of Fame is a great way to remember friends, honor loved ones, and be a permanent part of aeromodeling history. The Walk of Fame is growing and becoming more popular each year and is quickly filling up! We just had 64 bricks engraved and are in the process of placing them in the Walk. We also just started a special 'Supporting Clubs' section in the Walk that features clubs who have donated $1000 or more to the AMA Foundation. We are grateful for all the support of the foundation and the programs it supports and are glad to recognize these clubs that go above and beyond! If you are interested in learning more about or would like to purchase a brick in the Walk of Fame, visit our Walk of Fame page here. [gallery columns="4" size="medium" ids="4909,4906,4908,4907"]  

Come celebrate National Model Aviation Day at the International Aeromodeling Center. The AMA Foundation will be hosting Aviation Adventure Day on Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free for a full day of aviation fun. Kids 8-17 can sign up for youth airplane rides provided by EAA Young Eagles. The kids can also try flying a model airplane. Everyone is welcome to make kites, airplanes and rockets. For more information about National Model Aviation Day, click here.  

RC Resale has had a busy year selling planes donated to the AMA Foundation to raise funds for our educational programs, but we still have planes left to sell! On June 22, join us for an Open House at the International Aeromodeling Center. We will open up our storage pods so you can get an up-close look at the planes available. The storage pods are located behind the Maintenance area, near site 3. The yellow star on the map below shows where we will be. Stop out and see us on Friday, June 22 from 12pm-2pm.

The Fluvanna County RC Flying Club recently received an AMA club recognition and reward grant for $175. The club is located in Fork Union, VA. On June 9, the club hosted their third annual Wings and Wheels 4 Paws event.  All proceeds from ticket sales were donated to four animal rescue shelters in Fluvanna County including Caring for Creatures, Fluvanna SPCA, Green Dogs Unleashed and Peaceful Passing. The club charged $10 per carload, $20 pilot landing fee and $20 for car show registration. The fundraiser featured model aviation demonstrations, a car show with prizes and a large raffle. The event also had a flyover of a ⅞ scale S.E. 5a British World War I fighter aircraft and two shows by the Dare Devil Dogs. Hundreds of people from the community came to the event to support the cause. The event had a successful turn out and the club raised approximately $5,000 for the rescue animals.   The AMA Foundation would like to thank the Fluvanna County RC Flying Club for hosing this annual event and raising money for the shelters in Fluvanna County. The AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program was established to encourage clubs to promote model aviation. The AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. Click here to learn more about this program.

RC Resale is going on the road to Horizon AeroTow at Piatt County Airport, just outside of Monticello, Illinois. The event will be Jun 14, 8:00 AM – Jun 17, 7:00 PM. RC Resale will take their collection of impressive large model sail plans all in good condition on June 15 & 16. These models were donated to the AMA Foundation by the family of Donald W. (Bill) Carnes of Florida. Bill passed way 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. Planes in the collection: Minimoa with 4.87 meter span size. (Asking $1750.00) Reiher III with 4.3 meter span size. (Asking $2000.00) Bowlus with 3 meter span size. (Asking $600) Bowers Fly Baby in Army scheme with motor and 3.8 meter span size (Asking $2,500) Spalinger with 4.2 meter span size (Asking $1,000) Nemere II with 3.7 meter wingspan size (asking $800)   [gallery ids="4419,4420,4415,4414,4396,4395,4393,4392,4391,4390,4388,4386"] The AMA Foundation team would like to thank the Carnes family, Tony Stillman, Steve Pasierb, Andy Griffith, Ian Noble, Len Buffinton, and everyone else who has helped us with this collection.

Ken Cigler, Earl Caton, and Frank Rebec have been building and flying planes together since the 1950s. They belonged to the same RC clubs and have spent over half a century as friends. When Earl passed away, Ken contacted the AMA Foundation about placing a brick in the Walk of Fame in his memory. After receiving the brick certificate in the mail, Ken reached back out to foundation staff to see if it would be possible to add two more bricks in the walk alongside Earl's; one for him and one for their friend, Frank. Ken really wanted to be able to add arrows to his brick so it would be obvious that the three bricks are connected. After much going back and forth, staff was able to get the engravers to put arrows on Ken's brick pointing up at Earl's brick and down at Frank's.   The Walk of Fame is a great way to honor loved ones, showcase your love for the hobby, and to help support AMA. For more information on the Walk of Fame, click here.

RC Resale is going on the road to Joe Nall. AMA member and donor, Ray Moore, has donated a large sample of his work from 2005 to 2016 to the AMA Foundation. This donated collection includes mostly WWI aircraft designs. Roy encourages the prospective buyers to restore the aircraft for flight or for display. Roy Moore has been building and creating since he was young. His passion for modeling and crafting has been consistent throughout his life. He would build everything from plastic aircraft 1:72 scale models to multiple 20 foot wooden power boats. From Tamiya to Revell and from balsa to marine plywood, Roy would build it, finish it, and then use it. Throughout the years, Roy has perfected his modeling skills in aviation, nautical, and railroad designs. Roy grew up in the 1940’s and 50’s during the “Golden Age” in Fairfield, CT.  He earned educational degrees at Harvard University and Duke University School of Law. Roy also served as a supply officer in the US Navy during the Vietnam War Era. After being discharged from the military service, Roy returned to Fairfield, CT where he made his career and raised a family with his wife, Margaret. In 2002, Roy and Margaret retired to Beaufort, SC. Roy’s passion for craftsmanship and aviation continues through his children. His oldest son, Woody, a retired USMC KC-130 Hercules pilot and combat veteran, is employed as a B737 First Officer with a major in US Airline. Roy would like to thank the Academy of Model Aeronautics and fellow aviation hobby enthusiasts for helping to continue the legacy of his lifelong passion. Roy’s donated collection will be available for resale at Joe Nall May 16-18. Money from the sales will directly benefit the AMA Foundation, which helps the Academy with programs designed to preserve, enhance, and promote the model flying hobby.  Sneak peak photos of the collection: To send photography or media of these aircraft to Roy: mitmo1119@gmail.com

The Flying For Good featured March submission is The Lancaster County RC Club. The club is located in Lancaster, PA. The club hosts a Charity Air Show and has a “Neighbor Thank You” program to give back. The club also gives flight demos and speeches at their local airport, churches, lions club, retirement communities and high schools. Each year, the club invites the public to their field for their annual Charity Air Show. The club raises money for Path, a local organization devoted to supporting those in need in their community through education and financial help. The club raises around $2,000 during their event. During the event, the top RC pilots and instructors in their club educate and entertain the public. With a donation, the public is allowed to try piloting an RC plane with the aid of two instructors and a buddy box system. There is a paintball shooting contest that is monitored by a certified marksman, safety officer and experienced pilot. Planes are put up for static display and there is a candy drop at the event. The club also has a flight simulator that they set up in their clubhouse for the public to try. The Neighbor Thank You program was implemented by the club to thank the surrounding neighbors of their flying field. It started because many times the club members would need to retrieve items from the farmer’s fields. Each year around Thanksgiving, they give their neighbors a gift card to say thank you for being a good neighbor. The club gives approximately $600 each year in gift cards. In addition, if a club member loses an aircraft in a farmer’s field, they give a $100 reward if they find it, along with an apology and a thank you. The AMA Foundation would like to thank the Lancaster County RC Club for their dedication to their community and their ability to give back to others. The AMA wants to know how your club has given back to charity. To learn more about the Flying For Good Program, click here.  

AMA Foundation staff members will be taking RC Resale on the road again for the Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo April 6-8 in Toledo, Ohio. We will be set up upstairs at the SeaGate Convention Centre, near the swap shop area. Thank you to the families of Donald W. (Bill) Carnes, William Irving, Wayne Nyberg, and Charles Rife, and to Charles Sylvia for donating the collections to make this sale possible. The Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo is North America’s largest and longest running R/C model expo. This three day event showcases all types of R/C models including planes, cars, and boats. Along with all the exhibitors, there will be an R/C model competition, speakers, swap shop, and an auction. This event runs April 6 through April 8 and is fun for the whole family. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.toledoshow.com/ Here’s a sneak peek at just a few of the planes RC Resale will have available! [gallery ids="4601,4600,4599,4598,4597,4596,4391,4388,4419,4418,4395,4392"] Foundation staff members are excited to take RC Resale on the road again after just completing a successful weekend in the Swap Shop of AMA Expo East in Secaucus, New Jersey. Over $5,000 was raised for the programs the foundation supports thanks to donor Charles Sylvia who donated over 20 planes for the weekend sale. We look forward to seeing you in Toledo! [gallery columns="2" ids="4606,4605"]

The Flying For Good featured February submission is the Erie RC Club. The club is located in Erie, IL. The club hosted the annual Quad Cities Children's Cancer Fly. At the event, there were turbine jets, helicopters, sports planes, biplanes, gliders, planes as big as 60 percent and more. There is always something flying in the air at the event. Eighty pilots registered for the event. At night, spectators can camp in the primitive field and night fly. The event raised almost $6,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. The AMA Foundation would like to thank the Erie RC Club for their hard work and dedication to raising money for a Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. The AMA wants to know how your club has given back to charity. To learn more about the Flying For Good Program, click here.