Grand Event/Homecoming '99
The International Aeromodeling Center, AMA Headquarters, Muncie, IN, hosted the third annual Model/Hobby Grand Event/Homecoming on June 12–13, 1999. Sponsored by AMA and RCHTA (Radio Control Hobby Trade Association), the weekend offered modeling activities for families, make-and-take projects, full-scale airplane rides for kids, Homecoming flying, and no-fee admission for AMA members. The site included a food court, several food vendors, a large dining tent, and RV parking.
Attendance and Weather
- Attendance was about 3,500, consistent with the previous year. Some AMA members traveled from as far as Canada, California, Texas, Alabama, New York, North Carolina, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Florida.
- The weather was volatile at times. Activities were suspended Saturday afternoon due to wind and rain, but Sunday was generally warm and cooperative.
Make-and-Take Activities
Approximately 200 youngsters (ages 8–17) participated in make-and-take projects, which included kites, AMA Delta Darts, free-flight (FF) models, rockets, and control-line (CL) models. Roughly 600 make-and-take projects were completed during the weekend. Flying fields near the construction tents were shared as kids flew kites and models and launched rockets. The Hoosier Kitefliers Society displayed larger, colorful, elaborate kites.
- Notable participants:
- Brendan Gill, 10, from Portage, IN, attended with his Boy Scout troop and said, "We want to fly big kites."
- Julie Zankl, 11, of Anderson, IN: "I built a glider — I'm hoping I can build a rocket and ride a big airplane."
Youth AMA Membership Program
A new Youth AMA Membership Program encouraged kids to try a variety of activities. Youths completed three of seven activities listed on blue cards; instructors signed the cards and turned them in at the AMA booth to receive a free one-year AMA membership.
- Activities (choose three):
- Build/fly free flight (FF)
- Build/fly control line (CL)
- Build/fly kite
- Build/fly rocket
- Fly RC airplane
- Drive RC boat
- Drive RC car
Dave Brown, AMA president, said, "I think we've done the right thing so [the kids] could check off the activities."
Control Line Make-and-Take
At the CL tent, kids constructed models and also flew instructor-prebuilt models. The models built by kids were powered by .049 engines and could be taken home. Volunteers, including members of the Indy Sportliners CL club, staffed the make-and-take. Dan Cooper served as crew chief of the CL tent and noted, "We've learned some lessons. It's educational, plus it's just plain fun."
Young Eagles / Full-Scale Flights
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) of Oshkosh, WI teamed with AMA for the EAA Young Eagles program. Kids ages 8–17 signed up at the raffle pavilion and were shuttled to Reese Airport near AMA for flights in full-scale airplanes. After flying, participants received Young Eagles certificates; their names were entered in a logbook sent to EAA, and each participant will receive a free subscription to Sport Aviation for Kids.
- Pilots: Mike Bullock, Gale Craig, Ron Smith, Jay Mealy
- Reactions: "It's great," said Ron Smith. Matt Sidwell, 14, of Anderson, IN, said, "I thought it was fun."
Exhibitors and Vendors
There were 48 exhibitors under two tents, offering products and displays for shopping and browsing.
- Representative exhibitors:
- Ace Hobby Distributors
- Du-Bro Products
- National Free Flight Society
- Futaba Corp.
- Society of Antique Modelers
- Fox Manufacturing (Fort Smith, AZ)
- Muncie's Horizon Convention Center
John Lowry of Fox Manufacturing displayed five new engines that generated substantial interest. Cliff McKee, Volunteer Coordinator, commented that the crowd was decent but could be larger.
RC Boats
Several radio-control boats operated on the pond at AMA's main entrance. Two sailing groups from Michigan and the Indianapolis Admirals showcased scale and sailboats. Some boats were available for youngsters to steer via radio control.
- Gene Wisner of the Admirals: "We've had a lot of kids here."
- Dave Hampton (Admirals' admiral) noted this year was the best weather-wise for boats.
RC Cars and Buddy Box Trainers
The RC car area featured a winding dirt track with yellow tubing bumpers. The buddy box sign-up tent allowed kids to fly RC trainers with instructor help.
- Greg Chartrand (AMA employee/volunteer): "Other than a short break for the rain, it's been great."
- Lance Nelson, 13, of Holland Patent, NY: "I like car-driving the most. I like radio control more than building."
- Roughly 260 buddy box flights were made during the weekend with help from about 15 volunteers.
Volunteers
Volunteers were essential to the Grand Event, supporting make-and-take, the Young Eagles program, the raffle, parking, RC trainers, and more. Volunteers included AMA Headquarters employees, Boy Scouts, AMA members, and others.
- Lonnie Estep, Volunteer Coordinator, estimated approximately 60 volunteers.
- He noted strong turnout, especially for Delta Darts and Control Line.
Special Displays
New to the event, Dave Shultz of Merton Models (Cleburne, TX) displayed four model RC tanks built from steel, aluminum, PVC, and plywood. The two largest were 1/8-scale German Marks V tanks that weighed about 1,500 pounds apiece and rumbled at about four mph; their cannons fired blanks on command.
Homecoming Flying Events
Homecoming drew many AMA members. Bleachers were set up for spectators; the flightline was a hub for pilots preparing to fly and showing models. Events included air shows with Steve Kulaf (AMA Technical Director) as announcer and an aerobatic demonstration by Frank Noll Jr. There were a few mishaps, including crashes of Greg Hahn's B-17 and Willie Pope's pterodactyl model.
Jeffrey Crone, club secretary of SCARF (Southern Counties Area Radio Fliers), Marysville, IN, brought his family for the weekend. "It's fantastic," he said. "I think more people should turn out."
Raffles, Meetings, and Museum
Hourly raffle drawings for modeling-related merchandise were held in the pavilion near the RC flying area. Each person received one free ticket on entry; additional tickets were sold for $1 each.
An AMA membership meeting took place Saturday at 5 p.m. in the dining tent, followed by a dinner and festivities for AMA members, volunteers, and their families. Bob Vojslavek said it was probably the largest attendance at a membership meeting in recent years.
The National Model Aviation Museum and museum store at AMA Headquarters were open throughout the weekend; more than 600 people visited the museum during Grand Event, according to AMA Executive Director Joyce Hager.
Leadership, Feedback, and Future Ideas
This was Bob Vojslavek's final year as Grand Event chairman; he plans to spend more time flying "toy" airplanes. Vojslavek and others noted strong turnout and enthusiasm.
Dave Brown praised the event's success for kids and suggested ways to improve, including:
- Adding activities that appeal more to women and whole families
- Doing more to engage members
- Setting up forum tents for SIGs (Special Interest Groups) and commercial forums
Joyce Hager concluded, "Overall, the Grand Event was successful. We attracted many new faces, and some not-so-new. Members had a chance to show off their flying abilities, and others had a chance to get some hands-on experience."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
