District VIII Report - 2003/03
Coverage
Arkansas / Louisiana / New Mexico / Oklahoma / Texas
District Vice President
Dr. Sandy Frank Vice President 105 N. Brazos St. Weatherford, TX 76086-3207 Tel./Fax: (817) 599-7131 E-mail: sfrank69@airmail.net Website: www.AMA-Dist-8.org
Associate Vice Presidents
- Buzz Averill — 11608 Singing Arrow Rd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123. Home: (505) 323-8571; Work: (505) 298-6870
- Lester L. Barry — 4808 N. Rockwell Ave., Bethany, OK 73008-5373. Tel: (405) 789-5373
- Max Blose — 1001 N. Betsy, Waco, TX 76706. Tel: (254) 662-5587
- Ervin "Chick" Frierson — Box 188, Haskell, TX 79521. Tel: (817) 864-3086
- Bill Lee — 601 Van Zandt County Road 4815, Chandler, TX 75758. Tel: (903) 852-5599
- Jim D. Marshall — Box 9092, Mission, TX 78572. Tel: (956) 585-6446
- Randy Randolph — 4873 Fallon Pl., Dallas, TX 75227. Tel: (214) 381-7624
- Jim Rice — 118 E. Wright Blvd., Universal City, TX 78148. Tel: (210) 945-8221
- Ron Stanfield — 26 Oak Ridge Dr., Maumelle, AR 72113-6846. Tel: (501) 851-1697
- Charles Stevens — 226 Delta St., Pasadena, TX 77506. Tel: (713) 473-4995
- Ward Watts — 13415 Ivor Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70818. Tel: (225) 261-5974
Frequency Coordinators
- North: Joe DuMond — 6711 Bridge Street, PMB-224, Ft. Worth, TX 76112. Tel: (817) 457-6865
- South: Gene Kent — 2811 Cork Cove, San Antonio, TX 78230. Tel: (210) 308-8043
AMA Display Coordinator
- Karen Hopkins — 5515 Bridgestone Avenue, Arlington, TX 76018. Tel: (817) 467-9211
Southwestern Aeromodeling Conference
Please note that the new date for the Southwestern Aeromodeling Conference is October 3–4, 2003.
If you, your company, special interest group, or AMA-chartered club is interested in establishing a commercial trade show display at the October 2003 event, please contact Dr. Sandy Frank at the address above. He will provide all applications and registration information. These spaces are going fast and will be sold out very soon. Act now if you want to be an exhibitor at this event.
Youth Club Letter
I hope all AMA members enjoy this as much as I did. It was sent to me via e-mail from Frank Sodek, president of the Temple (Texas) Aero Modelers.
The following letter was written by one of our youth club members, Nicholas Mondrik, fourth grade, for a school project. It was submitted by his slightly proud father (who happens to be the vice president/secretary of our club) for publication in our club newsletter.
"My Dad, My Hero"
"Do you have a hero? If so, who is he?
"Well here's my hero! My hero is my dad, Don Mondrik. He is also my instructor in model airplane flying. My other instructors are B.W. Ponder, Frank Sodek, and Mark Cullison. My dad, I think, is the most reliable though. I like them all. They are a great help to me.
"Model flying is harder than you think. My dad is my hero because he helps me more than you think — like flying, writing, and computers. The quote I got is, 'I like it because it's challenging and fun.'
"My dad is my hero as a model airplane instructor but most of all because he is my dad. I hope all people are heroes; all good and giving people deserve it. I hope they get the good fortune they deserve!"
Our hobby/sport is far more than just the building and flying of model airplanes. It is making memories and friendships that will last forever!
The AMA — the glue that bonds model aircraft enthusiasts together!
RC Combat Event (November 16, 2002)
The following photos are from the November 16, 2002 Radio Control Combat Association's (RCCA) event sponsored by the Greater Southwest Aeromodelers Club, Ft. Worth, Texas.
It is becoming a tradition to gather all contestants and their models for a group photo prior to any Radio Control (RC) Combat event (because soon after that many models will have vanished!).
Hand launching is the rule in RC Combat and it does take skill. Back in my Control Line (CL) Combat/Speed flying days, I was taught to hand launch by imagining a slow flyby of a model and pretending that I had just picked the model out of the air. The hand launch should be like returning it to the path and trajectory from which it was removed. Do not push the model, do not launch it at an awkward nose-up or nose-down attitude — just let it fly out of your hand as if placing it back into flight.
There is much overlap in the skills and abilities learned in the differing aspects of aeromodeling. RC, CL, and Free Flight (FF) do overlap and have much in common. Things can be readily shared between the disciplines in modeling. We are all modelers and are more alike than we are different!
Whether CL or RC, Texas has long been a hotbed of aeromodeling combat activity. Always was, always will be.
Waco Swap Meet (November 23, 2002)
The following photos were taken November 23, 2002, at the Waco, Texas annual swap meet. It was sponsored by the Heart of Texas Miniature Aircraft Club, Inc.
Flying, fun, and fellowship!
Dr. Sandy Frank Representing you to the AMA Executive Council.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
