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Join us for a special AMA Foundation RC Resale sale during the Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo, April 7-9, in Toledo, OH. We will be set up upstairs in room 207 at the SeaGate Convention Centre, near the swap shop area. Thank you to the families of 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 7 through April 9 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="3547,3548,3549,3550,3551,3552,3553,3555,3554"]

Richard Swenson was born on February 24,1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sadly, Richard passed away in 2015. He will be remembered by his passion for aviation. Richard attended Purdue University studying aeronautical engineering where he fueled his love and passion by designing, building and flying model airplanes. Soon after college he joined the US Air Force and then moved to Texas where he founded his own company, SwenAir. In 1967, Richard returned to his hometown Milwaukee where he was a full time employee at Milsco Manufacturing Company. In this position he lead the engineering and design group. Richard is remembered by his friends and family for all of his cool gadgets he had in his airplanes and the tours he took them on. Not only was he a loved family member and friend, he was loved by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The Academy would like to thank Richard and his family for his beyond generous donation of $202,423.04 toward the International Aeromodeling Center Fund.The gift will benefit our programs and the future of the hobby. His contribution to the aviation community will always be remembered and will be missed by all.

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

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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.      

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]

The Academy of Model Aeronautics recently awarded the Fort Wayne Flying Circuits with a $150 Club Recognition and Reward grant. The club was featured in KPC News and The Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette for two separate events they recently held. The KPC News featured an article about the club's participation in the community's seventh annual Balloons Aloft event on July 5, 2016. The event included many different activities including dancing, classic cars, face painting,  a 1-mile family walk, and of course, R/C aircraft. The club was participating for the first time in the event and members were excited to put on a good show for the community. To read the full article, visit KPC News. [caption id="attachment_2924" align="alignright" width="300"] Flying Circuits President, Tom Hayes, with his giant model airplane.[/caption] The Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette featured the club's 35th annual Monster Mash and Swap Meet. This year's event was in celebration of National Model Aviation Day. The club president, Tom Hayes, said the purpose of the event was to bring pilots together, but also to share the hobby with the public. Hayes' hope was that spectators at the event would develop an interest in model flying. Visit the Journal Gazette to read more about the event. 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.

[embed]https://youtu.be/A2Ik5ppfs8Y[/embed] Middle and high school students from across the US competed in the UAS4STEM program’s national competition at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. The student teams built their own drones and competed in various flying challenges for the national title. The contest is designed to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills. The 2016 UAS4STEM Search and Rescue Challenge’s first-place winners are Quad Squad from Shoreview, Minnesota, who were awarded a trophy, medals, and a $2,500 cash prize. The PTC Droners of Georgia took second place and the St. Mary’s CAP Squadron-O89 of Maryland took third place. The Dewey O. Broberg Jr. scholarship was also awarded to one of the competitors during the UAS4STEM national competition. The award recognized a team member who showed dedication, determination, and adherence to the rules and purpose of the competition. Congratulations to Paige Hensley, the recipient of the 2016 Dewey Broberg Jr. Memorial Scholarship. The Academy of Model Aeronautics Foundation would like to thank the family of Dewey O. Broberg Jr. for establishing this scholarship, and thank each supporter who has made contributions to the fund. Learn more about the Dewey O. Broberg Jr. scholarship. UAS4STEM was designed by the AMA to encourage teamwork, competition, and success through a STEM-based education platform. The UAS4STEM program provides student teams of four to eight people with training, insurance, licensing, and equipment to compete in search-and-rescue challenges. The program is managed by AMA’s Education department as part of AMA Flight School. Each of the teams that participated in the national competition earned their spot by qualifying at one of the many regional competitions held throughout the country. To help support the UAS4STEM program and similar programs offered by the AMA, visit the AMA Foundation's donation page. Congratulations to Quad Squad for winning the 2016 UAS4STEM Search and Rescue Challenge! View more pictures from the competition on the AMA Flickr page. Details about this year’s event and how to sign up to compete next year are found on the UAS4STEM website, https://www.uas4stem.org/.

The Academy of Model Aeronautics has awarded a $50 Club Recognition and Reward Grant to the State College RC Club of Pennsylvania. The club was featured in the Centre Daily Times on March 13, 2016. The story, titled "SpikesFest provides family fun on a rainy day," shares the story of an indoor event in the Penn State Multi-Sport Facility in which the State College RC Club participated. The article explains how popular the club's booth was with the children at the event, especially the model airplane flight simulators. Club Vice President, Elwood Brem, and Secretary, Chris Ivory, were both interviewed for the article. You can read the full story from the Centre Daily Times here. [caption id="attachment_2721" align="alignright" width="285"] Dontae Stafford, 9, flies an airplane simulator at the State College Remote Control Club booth.[/caption] 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.

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.

The Phillips family is no stranger to model aviation. W.E. “Phil” Phillips, and wife, Waneva ran a small R/C glider manufacturing company by the name of Phillips Custom Models in the mid-1960s. The couple appeared on the cover of R/C Modeler magazine in July 1969 with a patriotic “Snipe” glider (pictured left). Waneva was named R/C Model Wife of the Year by the same magazine. In the 70s, both were club officers of the Farragut Flyer’s model airplane club in Idaho. This is why Ray, son of Phil, has decided to commemorate his family’s model aviation legacy with a donation to the AMA Walk of Fame. The love of airplanes, whether model aircraft or full scale, has now spanned three generations. Phil was a FAA rated airline transport pilot as is Ray, who flies for United Airlines. The youngest generation, Chris, at age 19, is a FAA rated private pilot. Three bricks honoring three generations of Phillips men will be placed at AMA headquarters in the summer of 2016 (pictured below). [gallery ids="2503,2501,2502"] You’ll notice Ray shares his father’s AMA number. For many years, his number was 19731, his mother’s was 19730 and his dad’s was 19729. Around the time his son, Chris, started flying R/C at the age of eight, Ray requested his father’s number be issued to him. Most recently, Ray and Chris were both club officers of the Mile Hi R/C Flying Club in Aurora, Colorado. If you’re interested in paying tribute to your family’s AMA legacy, consider purchasing a brick in the AMA Walk of Fame.      

It’s always sad when the AMA community loses a dedicated model aircraft enthusiast, but many ensure their interest in flying continues well beyond their passing. Charles E. Klabunde has donated over $16,000 to the AMA Foundation in support of the future of our hobby, the preservation of timeless artifacts, and the fight to protect member’s right to flight. Born October 28, 1931, Charles lived in Niagra Falls, NY and graduated from NFHS, the local high school, in 1949. He would then go on to graduate from the University of Illinois in 1955 with a Master of Science degree in physics. Later working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Charles researched a number of topics, most recently super-conductivity. He retired in 1996. In his retirement, he was a man of many passions, dedicating himself to hiking, folk dancing, photography, and model flight. Charles was an active member of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, the Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy leading many hikes along the Appalachian Trail through the Smokies. Friends knew him as Charlie; a consummate advocate for the conservation of natural Tennessee. He was a regular at the Oak Ridge Folk Dancers, sweeping many lucky partners off their feet. He built and flew multiple radio control model planes throughout the course of his life. Charles passed away from cancer earlier this year at the age of 84 in Oak Ridge, TN.  Friends and family will miss a truly dear friend. We are thankful for members like Charles whose passionate commitment to model flight continues to support the AMA Foundation. To learn more about the AMA Foundation and how to donate, visit the Foundation website.