AMA News

AMA News

AMA Chartered Club Report: 1984–85

For the previous two years the number of AMA‑chartered clubs with 100 members or more was 55. Last year, however, the number jumped to 82. The two clubs with the highest membership remain the Pioneer RC Club and the Interstate Model Flying Club, on opposite sides of the country. The Pioneer Club regained its number‑one position last year — the only club to exceed 400 members.

The total number of clubs for 1984–85 was 1,771. Almost a thousand (991 — 56%) had fewer than 25 members. The next largest group, with between 25 and 49 members, had 454 clubs (26%). 159 clubs had between 50 and 74 members (9%) and 85 clubs had between 75 and 99 members (5%). 40 clubs (2%) had between 100 and 124 members and 24 had 125 members or more.

A total of 11,601 AMA members were registered in the 82 clubs that had 100 members or more. Of those, 21 clubs, all in California, had a total of 3,420 members.

Club — State — Members

• Pioneer RC Club Inc. — CA — 406
• Interstate Model Flying Club — NJ — 393
• Valley Forge Signal Seekers — PA — 282
• Boeing Hawks RC Flyers — WA — 245
• Birds Inc. — CA — 235
• Greater Southwest RC — TX — 234
• Northern VA RC Club — VA — 207
• Greater Cincinnati RC Club — OH — 204
• East Bay RC Society — CA — 196
• Goodyear MAC — OH — 187
• First Weed Wacker Aero Squad — CA — 184
• Palomar RC Flyers — CA — 181
• San Jose Wavemasters RC Inc. — CA — 179
• Mid Hudson RC Society — NY — 177
• Sacramento Area Modelers — CA — 177
• Anaheim Radio Control Club — CA — 170
• Suncoast Aero Modelers Inc. — FL — 169
• Jefco Aeromodelers Club — CO — 167
• Chula Vista Model RC Club — CA — 165
• Cape Ann RC Model Club — MA — 164
• Tulsa Glue Dobbers — OK — 163
• Rockland County RC — NJ — 158
• South Shore RC Club Inc. — MA — 158
• St. Paul Minn RC — MN — 151
• Diablo Valley RCers — CA — 150
• Pomona Valley MAC — CA — 149
• Skymasters RC Club — MN — 149
• Tri‑Valley RC Flyers (1980) — MN — 144

Film Library (Available for Rent)

Nineteen 16mm color, sound films are presently stocked and may be rented by AMA‑chartered clubs. Rental fee: $10 (open to members); additional $50 deposit required. Send a pre‑addressed, stamped business‑size No. 10 envelope to: Film Librarian, Academy of Model Aeronautics, for a full listing and a film order form.

Partial listing:

• Pioneers — AMA’s latest film (1985). Walt and Bill Good recount their efforts in the 1930s and 1940s to develop a successful radio‑control system. Includes their own spectacular movies from before and after World War II. About 27 minutes.
• Marvelous Miniatures — An AMA film by Jay Gerber. Spectacular footage of many kinds of model flying: sailplanes at Torrey Pines, seaplanes at Lake Brimfield, MA, and scale models ranging from Peanut free‑flighters to large multi‑engine R/C craft. Excellent for public showings and modelers.
• Wings & Things — British general‑interest film, music only (no narration). Good coverage of all types of model flying. About 25 minutes.
• Fly ’Em, I Break ’Em, I Fix ’Em — Scale model flying at Rhinebeck, NY. Produced by Jerry Joseph, Eastman Kodak Company. About 20 minutes.
• 1973 RC Aerobatics World Championships — Story of the first time the event was held in the U.S. AMA’s first professionally produced film. About 25 minutes. (Jay Gerber)
• The Choppers — History, construction, and flying of RC helicopters. About 20 minutes. (Jay Gerber)
• Free Flight World Championships in Sweden — 1971. Professional Canadian film. About 25 minutes.
• AMA Executive Council Meeting — February 1973. Shows Council operation and decision‑making. About 30 minutes. (Jay Gerber)
• Take Off to Learning — Produced for the Hobby Industry Association to show how AMA club model is used in schools. About 12 minutes.
• A Plane, A Place, A Perfect Day — Explains areas required for Control Line, Free Flight, and Radio Control flying. Useful for flying‑site presentations. About 15 minutes. (Jay Gerber)
• Aerolympics 1974 — World Championships and international events at Lakehurst, NJ. Musical background, no narration. (Jay Gerber)
• 1974 Nats — Part I & II (Lake Charles, LA) — No sound; useful for someone who can narrate. About 25 minutes each. (Jay Gerber)
• Worldly Flights of Indoor — Featuring the 1980 World Championships at West Baden, IN. (Dick Hardcastle)
• Wired for Excitement — Competition Control Line flying at the 1979 Nats in Lincoln, NE. About 30 minutes. (Jay Gerber)
• Adrift in the Air — The fun of Free Flight flying, indoor and outdoor; includes night flying. About 30 minutes. (Jay Gerber)

Executive VP's Report

Jim McNeill AMA Executive VP 617 South 20th Avenue Birmingham, AL 35205

Letters and responses:

• Ralph Dockham, Albuquerque, NM, reported renewing Victoria Sensenig’s 1985 AMA license with a pro‑rated 1984 dues payment but receiving nothing else (no magazine, papers, decals). Jim notes this will be investigated.
• Paul Trendley, St. Charles, MO, requested placement on the National Newsletter exchange mailing list. Jim has contacted AMA HQ; editors who want a National Newsletter (about 10 times a year) should mail their club newsletter to Reston, VA, care of John Worth or Cindy Rollenhagen and show the editor’s name and address.

Profiles and club highlights:

• Jim introduces many club members he met at Louisville, KY, and singles out Carl and Delores Fries (St. Louis, MO). Carl is a co‑founder of the National Free Flight Society, membership No. 2, and a Hall of Fame inductee. Carl flies FAI Power and other Free Flight models.
• Marshall Emmendorfer edits the New Lothrop, MI Model Flyers newsletter. Marshall reports his club swap meet recently had 90 tables and over 700 people; they raffled a .60‑powered plane.
• Jim emphasizes the importance of club newsletter editors, citing Ralph Prey (San Valero, CA) as an exemplary editor who keeps a club united with communication and identity.

Save the Lady!

A unique RC Seaplane Fly‑In was held in Lakeport (Clear Lake), CA on May 10–12 to "Save the Lady." Event director Lee Taylor organized flying demonstrations, displays, model boating, and full‑scale seaplane rides. The event raised proceeds for the Statue of Liberty Restoration Project and was supported by the City of Lakeport, Lakeport Lions Club, the "Lakeport Renegades" giant model group, and the Will‑O‑Point Resort.

Jim urges clubs to consider dedicating events in 1985 to the restoration project. If AMA’s roughly 1,500 sanctioned events each donated $10, model aviation could raise about $15,000.

Buy a Bear!

Bob and Dolly Wischer (Delafield, WI) have made handmade bears (AMA Cubs) for the Toledo show and the National Championships, raising significant funds for the AMA Building Fund (over $1,200 by 1983, and almost $1,000 contributed in 1985). Bob is Model Aviation magazine’s Scale columnist and a national and world Scale champion. Both are long‑time, quiet volunteers and supporters.

Hobby Shop Membership

A 1984 program to promote AMA membership sales through hobby shops provided participating shops with display materials and brochures. In one year over 4,000 AMA memberships were submitted via hobby shops (mostly new memberships). Nearly 200 hobby shops have sent in memberships and over 420 have received program materials.

Top ten hobby shops (as of March 1985):

• Joe's Hobby Center, Inc., Dearborn, MI
• M.J. Model Products, N. Hollywood, CA
• The Play Company, San Diego, CA
• Ron's House of Hobbies, Sacramento, CA
• Tom's Hobby Korner, Chelmsford, MA
• Universal Hobbies, Plantation, FL
• Westside Hobbies, Indianapolis, IN
• Action Hobby Shop, Memphis, TN
• Clayton Hobbies, San Antonio, TX
• Suzie Goose Hobbies, Rockville, MD

How a hobby shop can join the program:

1. Request a kit from your hobby distributor.
2. Phone AMA HQ and ask for Doug Pratt, Special Projects Director, (703) 435‑0750.
3. Send a postcard or letter to AMA HQ, attention Doug Pratt, 1810 Samuel Morse Drive, Reston, VA 22090 (type on letterhead or include a business card).

RC Transmitter Crystal Changing

AMA legal counsel advises that FCC rules permit individual modelers to change the operating frequency of their RC transmitters by "crystal swapping" within the authorized 72–76 MHz band. Since RC transmitters are type‑accepted for operation over the entire band, changing a crystal to an authorized RC frequency is considered servicing, not modifying. Section 90.221(b) was amended (effective November 12, 1984) to allow any person, including the individual modeler, to service an RC transmitter. However, the operator remains responsible for correct on‑frequency operation.

Cautions:

• An un‑mated substitute crystal may not produce transmitter operation within FCC technical limits and could interfere with other services.
• Unless the transmitter manufacturer provides a warranty that a substitute crystal will maintain FCC compliance, modelers should verify transmitter output with appropriate test equipment after swapping crystals.
• Frequency‑flag discipline at flying fields and contests remains essential to avoid interference.

Awards and Profiles

• George Higgins — Distinguished Service Award for long service on the Control Line Contest Board (appointed 1974 and still serving). Higgins has been active in Control Line for about 20 years, including membership in the Quincy Aero League, Wingbusters, and the New England Stunt Team.

• Bob Brodeur — Distinguished Service Award for New Hampshire AVP (1978–1984). Bob is a buyer for the Alexander Food Store chain and owner/operator of Granite State Model Products. He organized exceptional contest meals.

• Henry Struck — Distinguished Service Award for service on the Free Flight Contest Board (appointed 1969 and still serving). Henry lives in Hamburg, CT, and runs Ken Lab, Inc., which builds a precision gyroscopic device called the "Invisible Tripod." Henry’s modeling interests remain strong; he repairs and flies old models and participates with the RC Propbusters Club in Salem, CT.

DISTRICT REPORT — District II

John Byrne District II Vice‑President 36‑29 213 Street, Bayside, NY 11361 (718) 225‑3319

Second (District) Thoughts:

• As flying season begins, renew safety pledges: how, where, and what we fly. Ensure machines are airworthy and perform pre‑flight examinations.
• Club newsletters consistently emphasize safety and condemn reckless flying.
• On RC frequency flags: with many authorized frequencies, color choices may be exhausted; consider using numbers instead of colors to avoid confusion (and for color‑blind fliers).

Obituary:

• Edward A. Pomponi (1925–1985) of White Plains, NY, founder and past president of the Westchester Radio Aero Modellers (WRAM), passed away at age 59. Condolences to his family.

III DISTRICT REPORT — District III

Dave Brown District III Vice‑President 4560 Layhigh Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013

Associate Vice Presidents:

• Eva Biddle, Warrington, PA
• Joe Eiben, Solon, OH
• Francis Fluharty, Vienna, WV
• Corky Heilman, Houghton, OH
• Laird Jackson, Philadelphia, PA
• Eugene Shekley, Scottdale, PA

Frequency Coordinator:

• James Bearden, Cincinnati, OH — (513) 542‑4406

Notes:

• Busy months with Toledo, a Frequency Committee meeting in Washington, and an Executive Council meeting in Chicago.
• The FAI (CIAM) award and venue decisions for international contests continue to be fluid.
• Resignation of AVP Joe Eiben due to a job relocation; a replacement is expected.
• The Executive Council focuses on finances, safety, insurance, Nationals, HQ operations, PR, and other corporate‑type issues; safety receives extensive discussion.
• Safety example: someone spilled a large container of cyanoacrylate (CYA) adhesive and used a circuit‑board cleaner to clean it up; people exposed showed signs of cyanide poisoning. Be cautious mixing chemicals with CYA.

Local events:

• Northern Virginia Sno Fly (12 January) — good turnout despite melting snow; skis and wheels were used.
• Fauquier Aero‑Recreation Modelers (FARM) cold‑weather fun fly — active club with good flying site arrangements.
• Capital Area Soaring Association meet (17 February) at Manassas Battlefield Park — well attended, scenic site.

VII DISTRICT REPORT — District VII

Peter Waters District VII Vice‑President 117 E. Main, Upper Level, Northville, MI 48167 CompuServe EMAIL: 70047,2162

Associate Vice Presidents:

• Arthur A. Arno, Ann Arbor, MI
• Boyd Bondieth, Golden Valley, MN
• Jack Finn, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Russell Knetzger, Milwaukee, WI
• Robert L. Lundberg, Duluth, MN
• Carl Marks, Madison, WI
• William Rohring, St. Joseph, MI
• Ron Sears, Pontiac, MI

Frequency Coordinator:

• Pete Waters, Northville, MI — (313) 348‑0085; evening (313) 437‑4244

Notes:

• Clubs are preparing fields and planning spring activities.
• Toledo show was busy; Tom Brett’s Perigee was transferred to the AMA Museum.
• Union Lake Flying Organization will host an electric aircraft fly‑in (July 21) with demonstrations and clinics.
• Clubs are exploring ways to accommodate RC cars on aircraft frequencies by setting up controlled courses.
• Emphasis on club health: flight training, active recruiting, shared responsibilities, and the importance of fun.
• Practical advice and humor included; proofreading and mailing list accuracy are ongoing concerns.
• Progress report for the National Model Airplane Championships at Westover AFB is positive; early entries are strong.

XI DISTRICT REPORT — District XI

Ed McCollough District XI Vice‑President 53 S.E. 61st Ave., Portland, OR 97215 (503) 234‑4449

Associate Vice Presidents:

• Al Culver, Wilder, ID
• Gary R. Fuller, Juneau, AK
• Glen Mecklen, Seattle, WA
• Don Wilkes, Seattle, WA
• Bruce Nelson, Spokane, WA
• Dick Kluge, Kalama Falls, OR
• Chuck Voss, Puyallup, WA
• Don Zippy, Redmond, WA

Reports and events:

• "'85 Misery Meet" had excellent weather and good attendance; contests scheduled through the summer.
• Mitch Polling published a book on electric flight; hobby shops are encouraged to stock it.
• Upcoming events include CL Speed Champs, Bladder Grabber (Combat), Boeing Air Fair and Stuntathon, Spokane Scale Invitational, and several Scale meets and fun‑flies across the district.
• Third Annual All‑Electric Fly‑In at Hawks Field (near Boeing Space Center, Kent, WA) on June 29 — register at 9 a.m.; clinics by Mitch Polling; CD Bernard Cawley at (206) 939‑1778.
• Racing schedule includes F‑500, Formula 1, Quickie 500, and JEMCO events across the region.
• Show team schedule and local demo team appearances listed for June and July events.
• The Great Falls club renamed its field "Black Horse Field" (formerly Rattler Field) to attract visitors.
• Rust‑Busters soaring contest had a strong turnout and good conditions.

Miscellaneous Notes and Requests

• District representatives request newsletters, photos, and reports from clubs to include in district columns. Clubs that want the AMA tabletop display for shows should contact their district representative for arrangements.
• Many district columns remind members to recruit, train new members, conduct public demonstrations, and keep safety first.

Invite your district VP to your next meeting or contest; drop them a line and coordinate a visit or presentation.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.