AMA News

AMA News

AMA's Open House

AMA's grand opening will be Saturday, September 24. Admission before 4 p.m. that day will be reserved for major donors for a special preview. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the National Center for Aeromodeling will be open to all AMA members and their guests. The Center will reopen on Sunday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you plan to attend, please observe these dates and times—the building cannot accommodate unlimited numbers and arriving too early or too late may cause disappointment.

Bill's Book Bargain About to Run Out

Bill Winter's new book, The World of Model Airplanes, was introduced earlier this year. Regular retail was $19.95; AMA sold copies for $16 postpaid. Retail is scheduled to increase to $22.95, which will force AMA's price to $18, but AMA will hold the $16 postpaid price while current stock lasts. Order from:

AMA Supply & Service 1810 Samuel Morse Drive Reston, VA 22090

(Reviewed in the July 1983 issue of Model Aviation.)

AMA Announces National Scale Award

During the 1983–1984 trade show season, modelers who win "Best of Scale (aircraft)" at participating major trade shows will be eligible for the Academy's National Scale Award.

• AMA's Public Relations Department will provide a trophy for "Best of Scale" at selected shows; show judges make the final decision. AMA staff will not judge at the trade shows.
• Show winners will be eligible for the National Scale Award at season's end. Winners must supply good-quality photographs to AMA PR, which will forward them to an independent panel of qualified judges (none will be AMA staff or officers).
• The National Winner will receive a large inscribed trophy. The purpose is to encourage high-quality scale model building; press releases and photos of the winning model will be distributed to the modeling press.

Geoffrey Styles

AMA Scholarship Winners — 1982

The Scholarship Committee has announced six 1982 recipients who will share a total of $9,500 to assist their educational goals. The awards for 1982 are exactly double the total awarded in 1981.

Recipients:

• Matthew Bauer — $2,500
• Tom Fluker — $2,000
• Matthew Giovanetti — $1,500
• Leonard W. Rozamus, Jr. — $2,000
• Richard E. Simpson — $500
• Norman Timbs, Jr. — $1,000

Scholarship Committee:

• Bob Stalick (Chairman) — Albany, OR
• Cliff Telford — Bethesda, MD
• Bob Underwood — St. Louis, MO
• Betty Stream — Long Beach, CA

Nominations are open to any AMA member meeting the requirements and should be submitted on the appropriate forms available from Joyce Hager at AMA Headquarters. The Scholarship Committee recommends names; final decisions rest with the AMA Council.

#### Matthew Bauer — $2,500 Matthew is majoring in mathematics at Illinois Institute of Technology. He entered college with advanced credits and was officially a sophomore upon admission. In high school he had a 94% cumulative average, ranked 13th among 493 seniors, and was a National Honor Society member and Band Manager. Activities included Math Club, Ping-Pong Club, and extensive band participation.

Matthew's interest in model airplanes began at age 8 in a family fond of miniature aircraft. He concentrated on control-line models, flying Scale, Sport Scale, Precision Aerobatics, Combat, Carrier, Balloon, Mouse Race and Sport Race. He entered his first contest at seven and at eight was the youngest competitor at the 1972 AMA Nats in Glenview, IL. Since then he has flown in nine Nats, earned 10 Nats trophies and more than 50 other trophies. At the 1982 Nats in Lincoln, NE, he placed first in Senior Control-Line Sport Scale. He was also athlete of the year in high school for two years.

#### Tom Fluker — $2,000 Tom is attending Texas A&M University pursuing a double major in computer science and mathematics with plans toward electrical engineering. He lives off campus, increasing his expenses. An active AMA member since 1972, Tom has competed widely in contests, earning many trophies and a place on the 1982 Control Line Combat Team that competed in Sweden. High school activities included speech contests, band, industrial arts competitions, and membership in Junior and Senior National Honor Societies. Tom is active in church and school activities.

#### Matthew Giovanetti — $1,500 Matthew attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, planning to major in electrical engineering and eventually pursue a doctorate. In high school he won awards in biology, chemistry and physics; lettered in soccer, wrestling and track; served on the student/faculty senate; and was class treasurer for three years. A National Honor Society member, he enjoys Fortran and complex electronic circuit construction. In model aviation he favors pylon racing with numerous wins and placements (1979–1982) and is active in the Northern Connecticut RC Club and Pioneer Valley RC Club.

#### Leonard W. Rozamus, Jr. — $2,000 Leonard attends The College of William and Mary, majoring in chemistry on a pre‑medicine track. A 1982 graduate of Hopewell High School, he graduated with a 4.17 (on a 4.0 scale), was a National Merit Scholar, and participant in the 1981 Virginia Governor's School for the Gifted. He earned science and social studies awards, letters in debate and chess, and was a semifinalist for "Who's Who Among American High School Students." Leonard began modeling at age 10, moved from plastic kits to Control Line and Free Flight, and discovered radio control at 15. He is active in Scale and Soaring, plays piano and guitar, lifts weights, maintains an old car, and works part‑time at the Appomattox Regional Library.

#### Richard E. Simpson — $500 Richard is studying Aerospace Engineering at Parks College of Saint Louis University. He had a 3.5 grade average in his senior year and was a National Honor Society member. In high school he lettered in soccer, track, basketball and cross-country; won a NASA Certificate of Outstanding Achievement in Science; and placed second in the St. Louis Post‑Dispatch Science Fair. In the community he volunteered for church youth groups, the Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis fundraising and a Bike‑a‑thon. A longtime aviation enthusiast, he flies sailplanes and hand-launched gliders and has competed in Nats and other contests. His club is the Mississippi Valley Soaring Association, St. Louis.

#### Norman Timbs, Jr. — $1,000 Norman attends Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo studying Mechanical Engineering. A Granada Hills High School graduate with a 3.92 average, he received multiple school awards including the William Dopp Memorial Award and several first-place science project awards. Active in sports and community fundraising from a young age, Norman designs and builds racing yachts and sailplanes. He has been a member of the San Fernando Valley Silent Fliers and has earned many contest trophies. In 1981 he set a new AMA altitude record (3,045 ft) with his "War-Bird" Standard Class sailplane and placed fifth in the Two‑Meter World Cup event in 1981. Norman and his father have been active volunteers at contests and club activities.

Geoffrey Styles

Around the Districts / Club Highlights

District IV & Local Events

• Winston‑Salem RC Club: At the Annual Memorial Day Fun Fly, children under 14 were given identical rubber‑band models judged for time and distance; trophies were awarded.
• Bob Fulwider (ex‑District IV hobby shop owner) has opened Bob's Hobby Center at 7333 Lake Underhill Road, Orlando, FL.
• PGRC East Coast Quickie 500 Race — October 1–2, 1983 at PGRC field. $1,000 in cash awards through sixth place ($500 to winner). Contact Rick Moreland: (301) 261‑7366.
• Capitol Area Soaring Association (CASA) Soaring Contest — September 10–11, 1983, Gaithersburg, MD. Events: TASK T5 (precision), TASK T1 (international duration), TASK T4 (modified cumulative duration), and Landing Option L4 (spot landing). Contact: Tom Dickey, 20408 Meadowpond Place, Gaithersburg, MD.
• Aeromasters supported the Air Shannon Antique Aircraft Fly‑in with an AMA booth and Model Aviation issues for distribution.
• Mid Virginia RC Club: Chesterfield Airport 10th Anniversary display on August 13; coordinator Ed Avera.

District VIII — Electric Flight, Big Bird Fly‑In and Safety

• Electric flight is becoming an important modeling discipline; AMA is establishing formal standards and team selection methods. Volunteers with experience are encouraged to participate.
• Fort Worth Thunderbirds Big Bird Fly‑In: about 75 entrants and 91 large-scale planes registered. Facilities include paved runway, taxiways and shelters. The club limits public advertising because of parking/access constraints. Safety spacing between active runway and spectators was noted as an area for improvement.
• Safety reminder: enforce frequency control and impound procedures. A reported incident involved a competitor picking up the wrong transmitter and causing a heavy quarter‑scale model to crash—luck prevented injuries. Follow the AMA safety code to ensure insurance remains valid.

District IX — Club News and All‑Season Flier Patch

• Reports from Nebraska and surrounding states: successful mall shows, contest reports and a note of thanks to outgoing AVP Dr. Glenn Lau.
• The All‑Season Flier patch is available ($2.50) to members who fly monthly for one year; clubs typically maintain a voucher record for verification.

District XI Report (Ed McCollough)

• Contest season is winding down; indoor meets in Portland and Seattle will be coming up—try simple glider contests as club activities.
• Mark your calendar:
• Third Northwest Expo (MRRCs) at Puyallup — February 4–5.
• Raider Round‑Up (Control Line fans), Kent — September 10–11.
• Old Timer Fun Fly at Delta Park (Portland) — October 8; followed by Stuntathon ’83 — October 9.
• FAI Semifinals — September 3 (check site with Don Zipy).
• Willamette Modelers “Silents Please” at Parkers Field — September 17–18.
• F1 Pylon Championships at Boundary Bay — September 3–4.
• F‑500 Pylon race at Hawks field, Kent — October 2.
• Lake Tapps Floatplane Fun Fly (MRRCs) — September 11.
• Vancouver Lake Sky Knights Fly — September 18.
• SRAC F3A Scale Fun Fly and Pattern Contest (Snohomish) — October 8–9.

• Noise concerns: clubs are adopting quieter four‑stroke and Wankel engines; electric power is also gaining popularity. Boeing Hawks Electric Fly‑In (Kent) — September 18; clinic by Mitch Poling. Contact Bernard Cawley for details.
• Safety tips: always preflight aircraft and keep fingers away from propellers; use chicken sticks, starters, or heavy gloves.

Club Activities, Events and Anecdotes

• Morristown, NJ Air Show: Roxbury Area Model Airplane Club presented successful demonstrations despite being placed in a remote part of the airport.
• Control Line and RC gliding events across the region were well attended despite variable weather; notable events include the Empire State RC Soaring Classic and the Eastern U.S. Free Flight Championships at Galeville, NY.
• Volunteerism and outreach: many clubs staffed airport air shows and museum booths, distributing Model Aviation back issues and AMA information to the public.
• In‑field stories: reports of dedicated club efforts, contest photos and successes, and the value of strong local club leadership and site development (for example, the Lost River Modelers' Society and their Patoka State Recreation Area flying site).

Notes, Safety and Closing

• Clubs and individuals are encouraged to communicate with their district Vice‑President and associate VPs—AMA volunteer officers rely on member input.
• Safety remains paramount: do not fly alone when possible, preflight carefully, enforce frequency control and impound procedures, and be mindful of spectator separation.
• The AMA community marks the passing of fellow modelers with appreciation for their contributions; condolences were noted for Richard Hardy (Logansport Thunderbirds) and Pat Ventola (KCRC).

Geoffrey Styles and various district vice‑presidents and club reporters contributed to the above reports.

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