Season’s greetings from your AMA District IX representatives.
It’s the time of year when I ask you and your club to make a donation to send a young District IX flier to Camp AMA. If we are successful, 2017 will see the fourth such camper from our district.
You will understand this value if you talk with previous attendees, Austin Axmann, Matt Carlson, and Toby Ray. To support our District IX Scholarship Fund, send me a check with AMA as the payee and AMA District IX Scholarship Fund in the reference. I will send the donations as one deposit. Thank you in advance for the continued support.
There are still some summer event reports to pass on to you. Warbirds Over the Rockies is the largest District IX event. This year’s pilot registration exceeded 120. Thanks to the hard work of Brian and Bonnie O’Meara and the Arvada Associated Modelers, this was another banner event.
Members got to meet two of the AMA president candidates, Rich Hanson and Lawrence Tougas. An added bonus was meeting and listening to World War II ace, Bud Anderson, at the banquet. He was at the field talking to us and signing books, plus he gave a dynamite presentation at the banquet.
There are more pictures and coverage on the District IX website at www.amadistrict-ix.org and the District IX Facebook page.
Max McCartney reported on the Pueblo Sky Corral RC Club’s 12th annual Big Bird and Fun-Fly event and barbecue held August 27-28, 2016. Pilots and families from three states attended the event and brought a variety of aircraft to fly from mini electric warbirds to a 163- inch Carbon Cub. All registered pilots received a swag bag filled with goodies.
An added attraction was the display of vintage cars brought by the Southern Colorado Model A Club. These people were amazed by our craftsmanship and flying and we were certainly in awe of their restoration skills. We all love anything with a motor on it.
Arend Schuurman, associate vice president (AVP), attended the fourth annual Aberdeen Area Modelaires Fun- Fly in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
“Good flying and good weather plus a meal that was top flight. The Modelaires have made hospitality their byword and it shows. Add that to a spectacular field that any of us would be proud to have. Great job! See you next year.”
Meet Josh Nelson, the newest District IX AVP from Casper, Wyoming.
“The aviation seed started to sprout during a five- year avionics career in the Marine Corps. Getting to hang around KC-130s, Super Cobras, and FA-18s will do that. After the Marines and back in Wyoming, a buddy sat me down with a RC flight simulator. Soon after, I walked out of our local hobby shop with an Alpha 40 and a micro T-28.
“An internet search pointed me to our local club’s monthly meeting. They embraced me with open arms and introduced me to the AMA. Fast forward just a few years and a few crashed planes, my passion has continued to grow. The fun I have, the memories I make, and the people I meet are the reasons this will be a lifelong hobby.”
