AMA Announces the Winners of the 2004 AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarships
Since 1970, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has provided scholarships to young men and women seeking to continue their education in colleges and universities. The primary awards are presented through the Charles Hampson Grant scholarships.
In 2004, five individuals received a portion of the $20,998 Charles Hampson Grant awards. These monies came from a variety of sources including gifts, memorials, and the AMA general fund. The top winner of the Grant award also receives an award provided by the Toledo Weak Signals from monies generated from the club’s annual trade show and exposition. This year the Weak Signals contributed $5,000.
An additional scholarship program awarded funds this year. The Sig Award, a memorial in honor of the late Glenn Sigafoose, is presented by Hazel Sig-Hester and Sig Manufacturing Company. Presented to one or more individuals, the award is based upon financial need and aeromodeling activity. A total of $1,500 was awarded in 2004.
Additional notes:
- Number of applications in 2004: 27 (down from 47 in 2003).
- Applications were evaluated by a four-member committee. Major rating areas included grade average, test results, school and community activities, and modeling activities.
- Committee evaluations were close: the top two Grant Award recipients were separated by one point; the remaining three were only four points apart.
Students’ planned majors included:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Biology / East Asian Studies
- Aviation
- Engineering / Chemistry
Information regarding applications may be obtained from Jack Frost at AMA Headquarters or by visiting the AMA Education web site at www.buildandfly.com.
Douglas Eatman
Douglas Eatman is from St. Augustine, Florida, and is the recipient of a Grant Scholarship totaling $6,000 and the Weak Signals Award totaling $5,000. Douglas is the son of Keith and Susan Eatman and plans to study mechanical and aerospace engineering, then pursue a master’s degree in aerospace propulsion.
Douglas graduated from Pedro Menendez High School, ranking fifth in a class of 340. He scored 1560 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). His dream is to work for an aerospace research and prototyping facility and someday build his own airplane for personal use. "I love aviation in every form," Douglas wrote.
He joined the Ancient City RC Fliers when he was in elementary school, starting with a Cox Thermal Hawk glider then a Carl Goldberg Gentle Lady. Competing in club glider contests, Douglas placed second only to his instructor in spot landing while flying his Gentle Lady. He transitioned to a three-channel, 48-inch-wingspan model called the Cupcake, an aircraft designed by his instructor. After mastering the Cupcake, which Douglas called "a great performer and a snap-rolling monster," he bought a partially completed scratch-built trainer based on the Great Planes PT-40. Because of time constraints, Douglas "went ARF" with his latest model, a Model Tech Magic. With a Thunder Tiger .42 engine and a four-channel radio, Douglas wrote, "It is a serious hotrod."
In the seventh grade, Douglas began taking flying lessons from his neighbor, John Simon, a regional airline pilot and flight instructor. Douglas holds a private pilot’s license and is pursuing an instrument rating.
Douglas attained the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, where he served as Patrol Leader and Troop Instructor. He was elected crew leader for the Northern Tier Trek, an eight-day canoe trip in Canada. His Eagle Scout project involved designing, raising funds for, and directing the construction of a hawk flight cage for the Humane Association of Wildlife Care and Education.
He has lettered in varsity tennis and cross-country and was a member of the National Honor Society. Douglas was a member of the Future Problem Solvers, a worldwide organization in which students are divided into teams and given a future scenario; in timed evaluations they present possible problems and solutions. Douglas has competed at the state level four times, once ranking third in the state.
Douglas has also served as a volunteer tour guide at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. He has run a small neighborhood lawn-care service since 1998, mowing, pruning, edging driveways, and trimming trees. A summer job at a department store helped him earn money until school started; he noted it was nearly impossible to work jobs other than the time-flexible lawn service during the busy school year.
Douglas plans to attend the University of Florida College of Engineering. The Academy of Model Aeronautics wishes him success.
Russell Parker Parrish
Russell Parker Parrish (Parker Parrish) of Alpharetta, Georgia, is the recipient of a $5,000 Grant Scholarship.
Parker graduated from North Springs High School in Atlanta with a 4.0 grade-point average and scored 1460 on his SATs. He is enrolled at Georgia Tech studying mechanical engineering.
In high school, Parker was a member of the National Honor Society; student council; class council; and participated in academic bowl, science bowl, and math team. He also served as president of the National Science Honor Society.
In 2002, Parker was selected for the NASA Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP), a paid internship that supports future participants in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Parker worked on research to develop small-scale rocket engine fuel to burn clean propellants. Since that internship, Parker has been employed as an aquarium consultant, working roughly 25 hours in the summers and fewer hours during school.
Parker’s first modeling experience came at age seven with a Bolink Legends RC car. Calling it "the most incredible toy ever," Parker joined a local club and learned how the radio worked, basic electric motor principles, how to properly charge a battery, and, most importantly, how to fix problems as they arose.
In seventh grade he joined the Georgia Model Aviators, constructed an Easy Fly 40, and learned to fly. Parker’s next airplane was a Sig Four-Star 40. He pursued Pattern aerobatics until his interest shifted to a more peaceful style of flying.
The summer before high school, Parker began constructing and flying rubber-powered indoor free-flight (FF) models. Free Flight proved more challenging than he imagined. He joined the Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta and pursued several Junior class Category II records.
In 2001, Parker attended the Nats in Johnson City, Tennessee, winning three medals and a plaque for Best Senior MiniStick. He nearly qualified for the United States Team Finals in F1D; competing in Lakehurst, New Jersey, he achieved a Senior Category IV record at 22:29 and qualified for the finals. At the finals in Akron, Ohio, he had another record flight of 28:05, placing second.
Parker later constructed an RC blimp that "ended up larger than I was at the time but flew very well despite being my first attempt at anything lighter than air." He has also built an electric park flyer to stay active in modeling while attending Georgia Tech.
"Modeling has always been a part of my life," Parker wrote, "and as long as I can see and walk, I plan on keeping it that way." AMA wishes him the best.
Joshua Chan
Joshua Chan, from Eatontown, New Jersey, is the recipient of a $4,000 Grant Scholarship.
Joshua graduated from Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science and plans to double-major in biology (premedical track) and East Asian studies at New York University.
Born in Seattle and raised in a military family, Joshua has traveled extensively. He credits world travel and his father's stories of life in Hong Kong for nurturing his interest in cultural aspects of the world and, in part, his interest in model aviation. In Hong Kong it was nearly impossible to have large flying fields or funds to support the hobby, so his father found creative ways to enjoy it. After moving to America, his father joined a flying club; seeing Joshua’s excitement at the airfield, he allowed Joshua to fly an airplane.
Using his father’s PT-40 trainer, Joshua crashed on his first flight. After several crashes and increasing difficulty repairing the PT-40, Joshua decided to build a Tower Hobbies Trainer so that if he crashed it would be his own airplane. Mowing lawns and birthday money financed the project. The kit’s thick manual and hundreds of parts were daunting; Joshua made mistakes, such as assembling the wing ribs upside down, but persevered. After much work and with instructor assistance on a buddy box, Joshua eventually flew the airplane and felt an "indescribable sense of pride and satisfaction" in his achievement.
Since his first airplane, Joshua has constructed a Sig Kadet Senior, a Duraplane Aerobat, a Great Planes Easy Sport 40, and is working on a Dynaflite Spitfire. He credits aeromodeling with teaching patience, perseverance, and initiative, giving him confidence to achieve his goals.
Since 1999, Joshua has attended Monmouth Chinese School to learn Chinese and appreciate his heritage. He served on the Student Council and volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club as a homework and computer instructor. He was a member of the Technology Club, Business Club, National Honor Society, Health Occupations Students of America, and Medical Explorers.
Joshua competed on his school’s track and tennis teams, served as a summer camp counselor, and helped raise funds to buy toys for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Jersey Shore Medical Center. He served as an altar server at St. Dorothea's Church and was the Children's Liturgy Leader for the monthly children’s Mass.
Bryce Haselhorst
Bryce Haselhorst is the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship. He graduated from Orangeville High School in Orangeville, Illinois, and will attend the Institute of Aviation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Bryce was a four-year honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. He participated in Academic Bowl, played basketball, ran track, lettered in football, and served on Student Council. Active in music, he played trombone in band for eight years (pep band, jazz band, and concert band), received Best of Day at the District Solo-Ensemble contest in 2003 and 2004, was a Conference Music Festival selection, an Illinois Music Educators Band selection, and received a scholarship to University Trombone Camp. He was also a member of the Community College Concert Band.
A Boy Scout who earned 21 merit badges and attained Eagle Scout rank in 2004, Bryce was involved in 4-H for nine years and was Illinois’ Mechanical Sciences and Technology delegate to the National 4-H Conference in 2002. He competed in electricity, woodworking, bicycle, foods, visual arts, photography, and rabbit projects, crediting 4-H with cultivating his interest in aviation.
Bryce built his first two rockets at age nine, gave a talk on model rocketry safety, and received blue awards and Grand Champion honors at the county fair. At 13 he built an Easy-2 model airplane and earned Grand Champion and a trophy for the top aerospace project at the county fair. He later built a Super Sportster 40 and presented on applying UltraCote; he also built an electric rocket launcher and earned Grand Champion at the county fair and Superior at the state level.
Subsequent 4-H projects included a DuraPlane 40, a P-51 Mustang, and a CAP 232, all earning county Grand Champion and Superior state ratings. Bryce gave aerospace presentations, judged rocket launches for grade-school students, and exhibited his RC airplane at the State Capitol on Legislative Connections Day due to his Superior award.
He has already soloed and plans to pursue a private pilot, instrument, commercial, multiengine, and instructor ratings while completing the Professional Pilot program and a degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. AMA wishes him success.
Keith Wong
Keith Wong is the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship and plans to attend Cornell University. He received an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma from Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Washington, and is considering a field of study in engineering.
Active in sports, Keith competed in school and club soccer and was on a community rowing team. As a member of his school’s science club, he competed in Science Olympiad and won regional and state medals in various events. He used this experience to help middle-school students prepare for the same competition. He was inducted into the National Honor Society in 2003 and is an avid photographer.
Community service is a requirement of the IB program and Keith fulfilled it by volunteering at the Festival of Trees, helping at a Rotary Foundation auction, and working at a Santa Claus photo booth. He updated, edited, and formatted his soccer club’s rulebook and collected and recorded game scores during the season. He also helped build a float for the Portland Rose Parade.
For his IB extended essay, Keith researched Vancouver Lake (part of the local watershed), collecting water samples and data over two years to complete a 38-page paper that fulfilled the scholastic requirement and impacted the community.
Keith’s interest in airplanes began in childhood. From paper and plastic models, he progressed to RC at age 10 when he took possession of his older brother’s unfinished Midwest Aerostar 40. The project took several years to complete; after finishing construction, Keith joined a local club and AMA. With help from experienced modelers, he learned basic maneuvers. He admitted limited flying time made safe landings challenging. A club member gave Keith a winning raffle ticket for an ARF Hangar 9 Piper Cub; although attractive, he missed the building process and later built a small electric park flyer he found online. The park flyer allowed local flying and the electric motor made operation easier. "In short," he wrote, "this airplane kept my model aviation career from ending."
AMA wishes Keith well in his academic endeavors.
Kerry Orrick
Kerry Orrick of Donalsonville, Georgia, received a $1,500 Sig scholarship. Kerry graduated from Seminole County High School and was accepted to the University of Georgia to study business management, with plans to attend law school and pursue corporate law or politics.
Kerry followed his grandfather and father into aeromodeling, building a Great Planes PT-40 at age 12. In ninth grade he merged his hobby with his Science Fair project: "Which Airfoil is the Faster: Flat Bottom or Fully Symmetrical?"
Kerry’s hypothesis, based on research, was that the flat-bottom airfoil uses a high-lift profile and produces more drag, while the fully symmetrical airfoil is more aerodynamic and produces less drag, making it faster. Kerry built an airplane following the kit instructions, mounted servos, installed the fuel tank and engine, and built two wings—one fully symmetrical (Flight Box 40) and one flat-bottomed (PT-40). With the help of a local sheriff’s deputy to assist with radar, Kerry made five full-speed passes with each wing, recorded results, and averaged the findings. The project took first place at his school and at the regional level; he received an Honorable Mention in Physics at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair.
Kerry has built and flown several airplanes including a Guillow’s free-flight model, an Estes Flight Master glider, a Goldberg Sky Tiger II, a Sig Señorita with floats, and a GWS Tiger Moth. As a Boy Scout he built rockets (Sidewinder, Alpha II, Bull Pup 12D, Mk-109 Stingray) to earn his Space Exploration Merit Badge. After becoming an Eagle Scout, he helped other Scouts build and launch rockets to earn the same badge.
He was a charter member and club officer of the now-dissolved Screaming Seminoles Club of Donalsonville and is a member of the Port City Fliers of Bainbridge, Georgia.
Kerry played golf, tennis, and football in high school. He had dreamed of leading the University of Georgia football team as a star quarterback, but a serious injury (broken pelvis, a leg broken in two places, and a blown knee) ended that dream. The accident followed the deaths of his grandmother and pet dog and left him devastated. After leaving the hospital he returned to school facing seven midterms; a poor score on one test dropped his grade below an A for the first time, and he spent the remainder of high school raising his GPA to 97.88 and ranking third in his class. "Through dealing with these obstacles, I have learned to concentrate on my academic abilities and always do my best," he wrote.
Kerry was a member of the National Honor Society, student government, Science Club, Spanish Club, Debate Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and Future Farmers of America. In FBLA he served as a state officer, chapter president, was recognized in the organization's Who's Who in Georgia, and placed third in a state competition. An All American Scholar, Kerry received numerous scholastic awards.
He has run a lawn-care service for several years, serving clients including the local hospital, a nursing home, several businesses, and neighbors. He also works as an office assistant at an insurance agency.
Congratulations to Kerry, and AMA hopes he achieves his dreams.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
