Spring has sprung! We have had some great flying days already this year. I hope you have gotten out to enjoy some of them.
Sorry, but I need to go into a short rant! When submitting stories and pictures for my column, please adhere to the following guidelines. Do not embed pictures into any type of a document. Pictures must be submitted individually in a .jpg format and must be at least 500 KB each. This will make my life much easier and help ensure that your submission will make it into the magazine!
This came from Dan Dare, of the Rend Lake RC club. in Ina, Illinois:
We want to recognize Bob Johnston. Bob started flying at a field across from his house many years ago, and eventually, every Thursday, club members would meet there. We had a great time flying, and Bob always held cookouts for the members. Bob was the caretaker of the field and it was always in perfect shape.
There was a little shack with a wood stove and some homemade benches inside. The field was lined with starting tables, and lawn chairs were used to watch the flying. Bob was one of those guys who had done it all and was always willing to help everyone. Eventually, time took its toll, and Bob quit coming to fly.
The members still talk about the good times they had at Bob’s place. This past Christmas, the members signed a wooden propeller and it was presented to Bob to thank him.
Darwin (above) reported that January 14, 2022, was the 52nd anniversary of his inaugural RC model airplane flight. He flew a Midwest Sky Squire airplane with a VECO .61 engine, and a Kraft six-channel radio on 72.960 MHz. The location was Beale Air Force Base in California.
He wrote, “I still have the airplane and still fly it, although rarely. I replaced the original engine with another VECO .61 and now use a Futaba 14SG radio. I now fly with the Belleville RC Flyers and the Midwest Air Wing RC Club, both in southwest Illinois near St. Louis.”
Greg Willson reported on the first indoor fly of the year for the Whitley County Barnstormers, in Columbia City, Indiana. “We are blessed to be able to use the gym in the new high school for winter flying. We had a special treat on January 2, with a visit from Don DeCook, who flies Indoor Free Flight (FF). It was an impressive demonstration. It was the first time I had personally seen Indoor Rubber FF models in action.
“Keep sending those submissions from your club’s event or even just a fun day of flying! Email them to amadistrictVI@modelaircraft.org with the word “magazine” in the subject line. Follow the guidelines noted at the beginning of this column. With flying season coming around again, please to take time to introduce someone new to model aviation!
Gary Himes
Vice President District VI