events

The Casa Grande Flyers will hold an event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12 at their club airfield on 2725 S. Isom road in Casa Grande. The event will benefit the Hospice Charitable Fund of Central Arizona and is open to the public. The club will offer free flying lessons using an instructor's model aircraft, free first-person view airplane rides, a swap meet featuring many radio-controlled hobby items, and food service for both breakfast and lunch. Visitors will be able to watch and ask the pilots questions while they fly their model aircraft. Representatives from Hospice will be at the entry gate accepting donations from visitors who wish to support the cause. Donations are not required, but the club hopes the community will be generous in their support of the charity. The club field is located across from the public shooting range in Casa Grande. Directions to the club field can be found on the club’s website:  www.CasaGrandeRCFlyers.com along with a list of the many other special events the club holds for the community.  Membership information is also on that website.

The Casa Grande RC Flyers made many changes to their flying field in 2018. Membership has increased which has allowed the club to make improvements to their field. Some of the changes to the airfield included:

• A new remote weather station installed in January that allows members to see real-time weather conditions
• Two stainless steel sun shades over pilot tables
• A large steel storage unit
• Approval of an increase to the weight limit for aircraft used at the field from 10 to 20 pounds
• A new runway, a donation by the former Palm Creek flying club
• Addition of 120-volt AC power
• Increased charitable events including weekly "combat" airplane dogfights on Thursday mornings and a new "Fly in For Hospice"
• Over the last six years, the club has been able to donate money to charities such as the Casa Grande Food Bank, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Valley Humane Society

The Casa Grande RC Flyers is an Arizona nonprofit corporation chartered and their goal is to promote interest in model aviation and give back to the Casa Grande community. The year 2018 was good to the Casa Grande RC Flyers so let the growth continue in 2019.

The Kootenai RC Flyers recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $75. The club is located in Libby, MT. The club hosted their annual fun fly on July 14. Last year, the club had to skip the event altogether due to the production of past Fun Fly events made it too much work for the small, casual club. The club currently has around 17 members but the amount of members fluctuates for the 8-year old club. The club is also open to people who fly drones. The club has their very own flying instructor, Norm Crum. He doesn't charge for anyone interested in getting into radio control flying. The club even has their own "trainer" planes with controls that allow the trainer to take over if an inexperienced pilot has problems. The AMA would like to thank the Kootenai RC Flyers for hosting their annual event. For more information about the Kootenai RC Flyers, visit Facebook.com/KootenaiRCFlyers. 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.      

The Blacksheep RC Modelers had their 11th Annual Warbird Fly-in on June 30. The event was hosted at Corsair Field in Danville, IN. The club’s event was open to the public and had a good turn out despite the hot and humid weather. There were many planes including Warbirds from WWI, modern day and giant scale models. There was a bomber gathering, a T-28 gathering and an EDF gathering featuring Motion RC EDF jets. Each registered pilot received a prize that was donated by the event sponsors. The prizes included a DX8E radio, multiple AS3X 6 channel receivers, tee shirts, hats and two micro planes from Horizon Hobby and Spektrum. Each year, a plane wins the title of Director’s Choice, Pilot’s Choice and People’s Choice. This year Director’s Choice was awarded to club member Stephan Woods’ large Balsa USA Fokker DVII. Pilots Choice was awarded to John Lawyer’s phoenix A-26, a rare plane that was nitro powered. People’s Choice was awarded to Bryan Baumer’s Freewing F-4 Phantom. The event also had an open raffle and proceeds went to support the club. The AMA would like to thank the Blacksheep RC Modelers for hosting this event each year. To learn more about the club and their events, click here.

The Flying For Good featured May submission is Colonels Fly'n Aces. The club is located in Taylorsville, NC. The club actively raises money for three different charities in their community. On Memorial Day weekend, the club hosted their annual Spring Fling Fun Fly. All proceeds from the event supported Sipe's Orchard Home, a local children's home that houses teens approaching adulthood who need help learning to live on their own. Sipe's Orchard Home also has a preschool program that helps kids prepare for kindergarten. This year, the Colonels Fly'n Aces raised $500 to help Sipe's Orchard Home. On July 14, the Colonels Fly'n Aces will be hosting Warbirds Over Hefner Air Field to support the Alexander Chapter of the DAV. The funds will be designated to directly benefit the local disabled veterans. The club will also host their final event of the year on September 15. The event is Fly'n for Food to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of NW North Carolina. The club is able to donate proceeds from all of their flying events. They have chosen to keep donations local because the money has a bigger impact and the charities depend on the community for support. The AMA would like to thank the Colonels Fly'n Aces for giving back to their community. The AMA wants to know how your club has given back to charity. To learn more about the Flying For Good Program, click here.

Every year several national and international events are held at the Academy’s International Aeromodeling Center (IAC). With the help of our generous supporters, various new signs have been placed on site from the National Site Development fund. These signs will help easily direct visitors to flying sites. Each flying site is now labeled by number. We would like to thank the donors of the National Site Development fund. To learn more about how to donate to a fund, click here. 

The Casa Grande RC Flyers will begin raising money for the Hospice Charitable Fund of Central Arizona next winter. The clubs board recently decided to add the Hospice Charitable Fund of Central Arizona to their list of charities to give back to. Currently, the club raises money for Casa Grande Food Bank and Valley Humane Society. The club’s events are free to the public and act as fundraisers for these local charities. The club has several events throughout the year. On Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, the club will hold its first annual Fly-In and club swap meet to benefit Hospice Charitable Fund. In addition, they will hold their sixth annual National Model Aviation Day celebration and swap meet on Saturday, Dec. 8 to benefit the Casa Grande Food Bank.  On Saturday, March 9, 2019, the club will hold its sixth annual Air Show and swap meet to benefit the Valley Humane Society. The club hosts their events at their award-winning flying field on Isom Road across from the public shooting range. The events start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. To learn more about the Casa Grande RC Flyers and their events, click here.

Visit the National Model Aviation throughout the month of February to learn more about the history of African Americans in aviation and celebrate Black History Month. The museum will host “Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight”—a Smithsonian traveling exhibition—to honor the history of African Americans in flight, as well as a speaker series on February 10, 2018. The exhibition will open at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Ind., on February 1, 2018, and will be on view through the month of February in honor of Black History Month. The Wright brothers signaled the arrival of the new air age with their historic flight in 1903, they sparked America’s new fascination with and exploration of flight. And while many African Americans were enthusiastic about flight, they still faced racial discrimination and were denied access to formal training as pilots and mechanics. The Smithsonian traveling exhibition “Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight” chronicles the powerful group of aviation proponents who challenged these obstacles and created their own legacy in the world of flight. “Black Wings” will open at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Ind., on February 1, 2018, and will be on view through the month of February in honor of Black History Month. Developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the MetLife Foundation. On February 10, 2018, the National Model Aviation Museum will host a special speaker series featuring members of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) who will be sharing their experiences in the aviation industry. Returning panelists include Captain Albert Glenn (OBAP) and John Graham (FedEx), and joining them will be A.C. Glenn (F3A Team USA). The discussion will begin at 1 p.m. inside the gallery of the National Model Aviation Museum. Admission to the panel discussion and the museum will be free of charge for members of the community. This event is presented in partnership with the YWCA of Muncie and the Muncie Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo, Inc. This exhibition chronicles some of the most important black figures from the past and present who helped make the dream of careers in flight and space exploration possible, including Bessie Coleman, a young African American woman who desired to fly but whose race prevented her from doing so in the U.S. To combat this injustice, Coleman went to France to learn to fly. Another important figure, William J. Powell, led an ambitious program to promote aviation by establishing the Bessie Coleman Flying Club and later sponsored the first all-black air show in Los Angeles in the late 1930s. These are people who shaped the lasting legacy African Americans would forever leave on aviation. Divided into six sections, “Black Wings” chronicles the evolution of aviation through the stories of African Americans who dreamed of flight, left their mark and helped pave the way for those who would follow. Figures whose contributions are explored include the Tuskegee Airmen—the first military division of African American pilots who fought in World War II—and Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to fly in space. The exhibition is based on the book “Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History” (HarperCollins, 2008) by exhibition curator Von Hardesty of the National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world, is a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight, and memorializes the national development of aviation and space flight. Learn more online, airandspace.si.edu. SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at sites.si.edu. For more information please visit our Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/1939877386332461/?active_tab=about.  

Dean Palermo (Miami area, Florida) Dean Palermo is a Client Relations and Business Consultant for Palermo, Landsman, and Ross P.A. (full service account service). Palermo takes his extensive experience working with Fortune 500 companies from which he offers consulting services to our client base of entrepreneurs, athletes, entertainers, and high net-worth individuals. Dean takes their passion and dreams to the next level. He organizes the firm’s involvement in numerous charities and not-for-profits for our clients and associates in the South Florida community. His involvement with the AMA and AMA foundation include: -2014 Sony open with Rich Hanson, RJ Gritter, Nick Maxwell -2015/16 NBC Today Show/Good Morning America. Matt Lauer, Kerry Saunders. Rescue assist from flood waters Live Show, life jacket to swimmer LifeGuard assist program Live Show, Drone safety in Hotel “Live” -2015/2016/2017 Facilitated several demos and training sessions for UAS for safety, inspection, etc. -2006-17 Vista View RC 501c3 nonprofit Electric only club due to city requirement (236 active members) -2015/16/17 Educational/safety events to the public “boy scout Jamboree” “multi GP Safety Grant given”, and Private Crest” both Nonprofit and for profit -2016 ESPN college Final ESPN Blimp with interactive FPV gear -2006-17 Deans RC Keeps, Wire-Keeps, Battery-Keeps Etc. original distributor for 8 years, Horizon Hobby. From Dean: “A lot of behind the scenes work goes into building a reputation and culture. I have enjoyed every moment helping others get into the hobby as hobby and others build a carrier around what they love. I have been flying Scale RC plans, Gliders, Jets, Helis, quads ect… All aspects of aircraft and truly enjoy it all and have built a club site where they all interact together sharing and enjoying that common bond of the pure enjoyment of RC flight   Francis “Rusty” Kennedy (Poquoson, VA 23662)   Rusty Kennedy is retired. He served in the United States Air Force from 1975-1997. He was the owner and operator of a retail hobby shop from 1997-2007. His involvement with the AMA and AMA foundation include: -AMA member for a few years in the 60s, 1979 - present AMA Member -AMA Leader Member 1983 - present -Life Member L716 -Life Member AMA Museum Patron -Lifetime Contributor AMA Foundation -AMA Distinguished Service Award 2015 -Associate Vice President AMA District IV   Terry Fleener   Terry Fleener is the Director of the National Rugby Foundation. His long and noteworthy involvement with the sport of rugby began in 1963 when he was a Founding Member and player for the Quad-City Rugby Football Club in Davenport, Iowa. In 1967 he served in his first of numerous administrative positions as he served on the Board of the Midwest Rugby football Union.   In 1975, Mr. Fleener was a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of the Western Rugby Union. That same year, he was also elected to the first ever Board of Directors of the Western Rugby Union. He remained a USARFU Board Member until 1999 serving among other positions as Treasurer from 1983-87 and President from 1987-89. He was also the first president and a member of the Board of Directors of the Pan American Rugby Association from 1992-2001. From 1996-2001 Mr. Fleener served as USA Rugby Director of the Pacific Rim Rugby Championship and was Chairman, Board of Directors, of the Pacific Rim Rugby Championship, Inc. from 1998-2001. In 2004, Terry joined the Board of Directors of the United States Rugby Foundation, a position he continues to hold today. Terry also continues to serve as a Trustee of the Green and White Rugby Trust, the non-profit arm of the Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club. And he’s also been to every Rugby World Cup as a spectator.   Mr. Fleener recently retired as Director of Marketing for Ball Aerospace, a company in Colorado developing products for the civilian and military Space Programs. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from the University of Iowa, and a Masters in Business Administration from Denver University. He has been married to Jane since 1969 and they have two sons, Clint and Clay, and two granddaughters. He is an AMA member and a multi-rotor pilot.   Paul Frankum (Atlanta, GA)   Paul Frankum is transitioning into a position in Atlanta at the corporate office to serve as lead for one-third of global business ($1 billion annual revenue) for Flower’s Foods. He has worked with Flowers Foods for 30 years and has served as president of operations for five locations within the company.   His involvement with the AMA and AMA foundation include: -Lifelong modeler in Georgia -Served as AVP for 6+ years -Leader members -Turbine Waiver holders -Contest Director -AMA Foundation Donor  

The Southern Indiana Flying Eagles club recently received an AMA club recognition and reward grant for $75. The club is located in Seymour, IN. The club hosted one of model aviation world’s biggest national events at the Indiana Flying Eagles field. The club hoped to have as many as 60 pilots but due to the hurricanes there was a lower turnout. Even though the club had a smaller turnout than they thought they would, the event was very manageable. Pilots come from all over the country to the championships. The pilots involved qualify by doing well at regional competitions. This event is said to be “the Olympics of the RC plane world”. There is no prize money but the winner does get bragging rights. There were two parts of judging for this event. The first part included static judging to determine how accurate the model is compared to the real plane. There were models of World War I, World War II, aerobatic planes, home built and recreational planes at the event. The contestants provided the judges with documentation on the plane including blueprints, pictures, drawings, and history. The second part of judging was about flying the planes. The contestants had five required maneuvers and five optional maneuvers to complete. The clubs field is one of several in the running to be one of four permanent homes for the Scale Master Championships. The event will be rotated among the sites, which are located in different sections of the country. The AMA would like to congratulate the Southern Indiana Flying Eagles Club for hosting such a big event at their field. 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.