District II Report - 2004/01
Fly-In
I attended the annual District II Fly-In held at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York. Although the weather on Saturday was a bit nasty (there’s a surprise for this year!), Sunday was a little cool but otherwise a nice, sunny fall day. I’ll write more about the fly-in in a future column, but I want to take a moment now to thank this year’s host club, the Pennsylvania Avenue Radio Control Society, all its members who volunteered to work the event, and contest director (CD) Jon Gerber. It was a great weekend.
Indoor RC and Batteries
As the outdoor flying season begins to wind down here in District II, many of us will turn to indoor radio control (RC) to get our modeling fix. Indoor modeling has really begun to take off in the Northeast, spurred by advancements in lithium-polymer batteries. I attended the Northeast Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair and it was clear that this technology is going to advance electric flight to new levels. If lithium-polymer power is in your future, please remember these cells are sensitive to the way they’re handled. Follow the instructions that come with these batteries closely and they’ll provide a great source of power for your electric models.
Clarence Sailplane Society — F1.5B Contest
On August 2, 2003, the Clarence Sailplane Society held its annual F1.5B contest. The contest is a low-key, fun-oriented F3B event with an emphasis on relaxed competition. Three separate tasks were flown:
- Thermal duration
- Distance
- Speed
To entice newcomers, the club waives the entry fee for first-time contestants. When the dust settled, the top three were:
- Jim Sonnenmeier — first place
- Bill Wegman — second place
- Jim Roller — third place
Club Reports and Mall Shows (AVP Gary Fitch)
I have several reports from club events that I attended during this past season. They’ll all be presented in this column during the next several months, but I just received the following from associate vice president (AVP) Gary Fitch and, as we move into the winter months, I think it’s a perfect piece for this issue.
As the flying fields close and the 2003 outdoor flying season winds down, club members begin to think about participating in mall shows. Most of us have participated in or at least attended a mall show where RC, control line, or free flight model aircraft are displayed. A mall show is much more than an opportunity to show off our latest winter projects — it is an opportunity to educate and sell our hobby to our communities.
Selling is exactly what is required today, for we now compete with many different things for the attention of potential new members. For many clubs, a mall show is the single largest public event it sponsors each year and this is a marketing opportunity that should be capitalized on.
Most clubs provide contact and meeting information, field location details, club membership applications, AMA applications, and related promotional material. This is important, but more important is showing potential members that belonging to your club equates to fun and creative time well spent!
The best mall shows demonstrate how the club helps new members learn to build as well as fly. Provide a listing of all of your club’s annual events and show your club’s building projects and events in photos.
Practice activities and displays to engage visitors:
- Show kids how to build an egg-carton glider during the show.
- Offer a flight simulator so people can get a sense of what it is like to fly an RC trainer.
- Display a varied assortment of aircraft, including models under construction.
- Greet passersby with a smile and be ready to explain what a terrific hobby this is.
However you do it, take advantage of the opportunity to engage passersby and make the case for your club and the hobby.
Closing
That wraps it up for another month. This issue of Model Aviation should reach you approximately Thanksgiving. I extend my best wishes to everyone for a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. See you next time.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
