Q: When is National Model Aviation Day? A: The hottest day of the year in Florida!
Seriously though, I had the great pleasure of attending the National Model Aviation Day Fly-In that took place at the Shadetree RC Club in Glen St. Mary, Florida. In order to spread out the workload, three clubs near Jacksonville rotate hosting the event—Gateway RC Club, the RC Club of Jacksonville (my club!), and the Shadetree RC Club.
Nearly 60 pilots showed up with everything from foamies to a Hemple 50% Cub. Thanks to generous prize donations from Tower Hobbies/Great Planes, Hobby World of Jacksonville, Redwing RC, Dave and Buster’s of Jacksonville, and AMA District V, the event raised $3,000 for Disabled American Veterans.
Being a veteran myself, I can’t thank everyone enough who helped run the event or simply showed up and flew, bought raffle tickets, and hung out. I’m proud that District V hosts such wonderful gatherings.
I hope that next month I’ll have some feedback about how District V and the AMA did as a whole.
The kids are alright! Nothing will ensure the longevity of both your club and our hobby more than getting youth members involved. District V—and the AMA in general—has some wonderful young people coming up through the ranks.
One such example is Kevin Garland who grew up in Georgia. I met Kevin when he was 14 years old on the 3-D event circuit, as well as running into him at several International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) events. He pursued an aviation degree at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
One of the clubs in my area, the Lake City RC Club based in Lake City, Florida, is doing a great job of encouraging young pilots. Norman Green and Curtis McCallister are doing a marvelous job of mentoring and encouraging younger members. Norman spends endless hours maintaining and repairing their aircraft, driving them to events, and making sure they have fun.
Two of the club’s members whom I have known for a number of years, Brandon Stephens and Raymond Johnson, have advanced so far in their 3-D flying that they were asked to join the Aerobeez RC flight team.
In addition to Brandon and Raymond, younger Lake City RC members Avery Thronton and Gracelyn Arnold are both pilots. They aren’t just flying foamies, either. Both have been doing a lot of flying with Giant Scale 3-D gas models and have improved each time I’ve flown with them.
Another District V standout is 12-year-old Kal Reifsnyder from Lake Placid, Florida. Consider this: by age 12, Kal had won Youth Masters IMAC Advanced class (two years ago), won a class at the AMA Nats, and competed at the Extreme Flight Championship (XFC). As I write this, he’s in third place after the first round of the Clover Creek Invitational. He has also performed noon demos at major events such as the Top Gun air show. I’m not sure what path Kal will take when he gets older, but his future looks bright.
What do these kids have in common? They have a group of family and friends who support them without pushing them, making sure they learn the value of working hard and having fun. They also have something else in common— they are all nice kids with good attitudes and respect for others. It’s nice to see.
National Model Aviation Day Fly-In.
Youth membership is free to our members 18 and under, and $15 with a subscription to Model Aviation magazine. Our club has followed suit and offers free membership to youth 18 and younger. I encourage you to get some kids off the couch and out to the field! Until next month, fly safely and have fun