museum

The AMA Foundation has received a bequest of more than $171,000 to support the National Model Aviation Museum.  The AMA and AMA Foundation would like to thank the family of Herbert Bone for his generous estate gift. Herbert is a Heritage and Legacy Society member of the AMA Foundation. Herbert had a lifelong passion for model aviation, trains, and Disney, specifically Mickey Mouse. He was a United States Army Veteran and a loving husband, father, and family member. Herbert was loved by his family, friends, and community, was an active member of the Boeing Hawks RC Club, and was a long time member of the Marymoor MARCs (1970's-2020). He was also a docent at the Seattle Museum of Flight, with over 3,000 volunteer hours. Before passing, Herbert wrote a reflections project that looked back on his life: My Story, P&T&MM. Herbert's contribution will have a lasting impact on the National Model Aviation Museum, allowing it to continue as a world-class experience. We are honored to carry Herbert's legacy forward.

The National Model Aviation Museum is proud to announce that it was awarded a Rapid Grant in February 2020 from the Ball Brothers Foundation in the amount of $5,000. The Ball Brothers Foundation is a family foundation located in Muncie, Indiana that focuses on improving the quality of life through arts, culture, and humanities; education; the environment; health; human services; and public society benefit. NMAM will use the grant funds to begin a strategic planning process with Whitinger Strategic Services, also located in Muncie, Indiana. Embarking on a new decade, the museum staff is eager to develop an actionable and achievable three- to five-year strategic plan, building its capacity for sustainable growth, greater performance, and high-impact practices. We are sincerely grateful to the Ball Brothers Foundation for their generous gift, and we look forward to sharing the strategic plan upon its completion. Stay tuned!  

Thank you to the family of Warren Kurth for donating to the AMA Foundation in honor of Warren. Warren Kurth was born on April 5, 1933 in Bloomington, Illinois. His modeling career began with a sheet-balsa model kit when he was six years old. He was an assistant instructor at a YMCA model building class during junior high school. Warren lectured on model building, flew Control Line demonstrations, and taught a model building class at the community center for disadvantaged boys when he was in high school. Warren designed several models in his career, including the Miniball, Jetstream, Hedgehopper, Peetriot, and the infamous Peanut. The Miniball, first published in the October 1970 issue of Model AIrplane News, had seven National AMA records in 1/2 A Proto Speed in Open, Junior, and Senior classes between 1968 and 1972. Warren's Jetstream also won many trophies in 1956, 1960, and 1961. The Jetstream set three national AMA records in 1959 and the early 1960's. Several of Warren's kits and complete airplanes were donated to the National Model Aviation Museum.

The winner of the AMA Foundation For The Future Sweepstakes has been chosen and the winner has been revealed. William (Bill) Fitzharris from Arizona is the lucky winner and will be enjoying a trip to AMA Expo West and a flight in a P-51 Mustang, Lady Alice. When asked about his history with flying and how excited he is for the trip, this is what he had to say: How long have you been flying model aircraft/involved with the AMA? Bill has been flying since his early teens and has built and flown control-line in the days of the Redhead McCoy glow engines. His club was sponsored by the local Plymouth Auto Dealership, and that was it for the next 60 years. Then, a few years ago his daughter gave him a surprise birthday gift, an E-Flite Apprentice ready-to-go out of the box. He joined a local club, the Arizona Model Pilot's Society (AMPS) and the AMA. What are your areas of interest in model aviation? Free flight, RC, helicopters, scale, etc.? Currently he enjoys flying RC. What is your profession? Has model flying had any impact on your career path? Bill is a retired Wells Fargo Financial Advisor. Model Aviation has not really had an impact on his career choice. He has attended numerous airshows in the D.C. area along with the Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Museum, which his daughters have said they have visited too many times. How excited are you about winning? "Being known as "Mr. Never Has Won Anything," excited is not a strong enough word to describe how happy I am. This one is for the books!"

The Olympic RC Modelers recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $75. The club is located in Port Angeles, WA. In August, the club participated in the 2019 Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in. The event brought in about 3,000 visitors and included a group of five historic planes from the Port Townsend Aero Museum, helicopter rides, a car show and more. The Olympic RC Modelers participated in the event as a fundraiser for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam 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.

The National Model Aviation Museum will be hosting Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition. The exhibit will be on display February 1, in celebration of Black History Month, and will run through March 31. The exhibition is based on the book Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History. The exhibit was created by exhibition curator Von Hardesty of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In 1903, America's fascination with flight was sparked by the Wright brothers.  Many African Americans were enthusiastic about flight but faced racial discrimination. They were denied access to formal training to become pilots and mechanics. The Smithsonian traveling exhibition, Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight, chronicles a powerful group of aviation proponents who challenged these obstacles and created their own legacy in the world of flight.  Developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the MetLife Foundation. To learn more about upcoming events at the International Aeromodeling Center, home of the AMA in Muncie, Ind., visit www.modelaircraft.org/IAC.

AMA youth member, Trey Hackman,  was selected as one of the 25 student ambassadors for the Back to Space program. Hackman is from Brownstown, Ind. The student ambassador competition was open to U.S. citizens enrolled in grades 8 through 12 and included students from all over the country. The Back to Space program allows student ambassadors to meet astronauts and discuss how to bring STEM into popular culture. Back to Space LLC was founded by Danielle Roosa, the granddaughter of Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa. The program's objectives are to preserve the legacy of the Apollo astronauts by focusing Americans on the 50th anniversary of Apollo; prepare and inspire high school-age students to focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), Apollo history and the future of spaceflight; and propel the United States to commit to finding a pathway to STEM education. The applicants were able to submit either an essay or video on one of four topics. Hackman chose to do a 3-minute video on the historical significance of the Apollo program. The winners of the program were invited to a gala event hosted by Back to Space on Oct. 19 at Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas. Hackman attended the gala with his parents. Hackman has been involved in model airplanes for around seven years. He believes that building model airplanes is a great hobby for the younger generation. Efficiency and endurance are what captivated Trey to the hobby. Last summer, Hackman worked at an egg farm to save up money to attend one day at Flite Fest. Trey is excited for the ambassador program because he will have the chance to meet some extraordinary people. Trey Hackman is the youngest member of the Southern Indiana Flying Eagles. By joining the club, he was able to meet people that shared his passion for aviation. Trey also enjoyed being able to connect with people outside of his age range. After high school, Trey plans to attend Purdue University.