Letters to the Editor
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie, IN 47302
Corrections
D.B. Mathews’ May 2004 column refers to “Pat Harkness.” His name is Pat Hartness.
Our apologies for the error. —MA staff
I was perusing your fabulous web site, which is packed full of great information and wonderful photos, when I noticed a photo of Maynard Hill and Nelson Sherren in front of the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander, Newfoundland.
Sorry, but that is not Nelson Sherren. It is me! Nelson is a director on the museum board and assisted Carl Layden and Maynard in the historic flight.
Maynard donated the model to the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander just a couple days after the historic flight. He presented it to me for a series of photos, one of which you have on your site.
Brian Williams Manager, North Atlantic Aviation Museum Gander, Newfoundland
Nitpickers
Referring to Rich Borders’ letter on page 9 of the April 2004 issue, I have been a reader of MA for many years and periodically have seen someone write to the editor complaining about a cover being historically inaccurate. These nitpickers seem to have lost sight of the fact that this is a modelers’ magazine—not a historical reference book.
Irregardless of what the background is, the cover depicts a model that should be enjoyed for what it is. The background chosen is just to add a little color to the cover and need not be historically accurate to the time frame.
I have seen the Wright Flyer juxtaposed with modern jet flight—for sure not accurate. There is no apology needed for this, as it’s the model that is important and the centerpiece of any cover. Some people just have a need to try and fault anything.
Joan DuGrosse Oroville, California
SA Representation
I would like to second the letter from Mr. Hurley about the lack of SA [Scale Aerobatics] representation in the magazine [May 2004 “Letters to the Editor”] and possibly by the AMA itself. It is the only flying I care to watch or participate in, and I do not compete nor am I a member of IMAA.
Many of the other magazines have noticed the trend with many fly-ins such as Joe Nall and the number of Giant Scale advertisers (someone is buying all this stuff) and have responded with expanded coverage of the products and events.
I would like to see the renewal forms be better equipped to gather the information in the coming years and more attention to SA by Model Aviation.
Sheldon Campbell via E-mail
What About the Others?
I love MA magazine; it takes me most of the month to read it because I enjoy reading all the different articles. I learn things here and there that make my modeling experience more enjoyable. I pick up tips that help me in the design of my own models, and the technical articles help to broaden my understanding of the sport.
I have noticed a trend that I wonder about, though. It shows up in the reporting of competition events that I really enjoy reading because I am convinced that the competition side of our sport will always produce better products for myself and the others who really don’t have an inclination to compete.
I used to compete in motocross when I was younger, and I understand the dedication to a sport or discipline where the competitor is concerned. What I have seen happening in the last few years is that the reporters for MA seem to be “glitter” bound.
Example: Mike Hurley did a great job of reporting the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout in the May issue of MA. It was a good article, except I wonder why we didn’t get to see or hear about some of the other pilots and their performances.
Scale Aerobatics is pretty cool stuff; it’s not my “cup of tea,” but I enjoy seeing it when I can, appreciating the skills it takes to fly like that and reading about the equipment they are developing. But it is the same names and faces over and over again.
I understand that it’s the same competitors who are winning the high end of the competition, but what about the other guys and girls who are competing in and winning their respective classes? How come we don’t get to see the Tony Quists who win Sportsman, or the Adam Brys who win Intermediate, or the Matt Szuebers who win Advanced?
I know that the reporters who write these articles are bound by size to some extent, but I saw three pictures of Bill Hempel in the article and no pictures, or even mention in the text, of the other competitors in the other divisions. Bill Hempel is a great guy, but time after time it’s the same “mugs” with no effort to recognize the other guys, other than their names in the final tally sheet.
It sure would be nice to see some of the other guys get some publicity for their dedication. The Chip Hydes and the Jason Shulmans are getting help from the “factories,” you can bet, but the other guys and girls are probably footing the bills on their own, which in my estimation makes them the ones to applaud.
This is not a complaint because I really love the magazine and the stories. But I, for one, would like to see some of the other competitors who are at these events and their equipment. You gentlemen out there reporting on these events, put yourself in the “other guys’ shoes”; they drove just as far or farther to be there, they flew just as hard or harder than the winners, and they felt just as good or better about their performances as did the winners. Why can’t we see them once in awhile?
Mike Klintworth Greenville, Ohio
Good Job!
I just wanted to drop a note about my finding the current [May 2004] issue of AMA magazine very, very good. There were a large number of high-quality articles. Good job!
Alexander Kain Portland, Oregon
Nitpickers, Part II
I have always been intrigued by the infinitesimal size of the nits some people choose to pick on. If the only complaint some of these nitpickers can find with Model Aviation is the inclusion of “technical definitions” within the text of articles (addressed in the May 2004 “Modeling Spoken Here” column), the magazine staff is to be highly complimented.
I have paid special attention to articles published in my other hobby magazines and note they are also including definitions in parentheses following the initial usage of a technical term. With as many newcomers to the sport as we have today, and the rapid changes of technology with attendant new terminology, this can be a great help.
Take comfort in the sad fact that a few soreheads will always complain about the bone while the rest of us enjoy the steak.
Rodney Noll Myerstown, Pennsylvania
It's fine if you keep using abbreviations. I contend there are a lot of "experienced" modelers who think "CG" on the plans means the design was approved by Carl Goldberg.
Nat Comfort Chester, Virginia
Chance to Be the Good Guys
The AMA takes so much abuse from so many members, criticizing everything they think the organization does wrong. If you will indulge me a couple of minutes, I think I have something very worthwhile that will show something we did right.
Back in 1991, when I still owned PowerMaster Fuel, I was contacted by a young man named Ron Segura in New Iberia, Louisiana, with the request that I be his fuel sponsor (i.e., free fuel).
Though only in his mid-teens at the time, he wrote me a marvelous letter, even including his grades in high school, etc. After a little checking around, I found he was a very deserving young man, so I decided to honor his request.
Over time, especially after moving to Texas in 1992, I got to know Ron and his family quite well. The father also flies RC, and the mother, although not a flier, is totally supportive and spent lots of time with the father and son at contests, etc. Ron won the Sportsman class in RC Aerobatics at the 1990 Nationals, won Advanced in 1991, and placed third in Masters in 1992.
The family is one of modest means. The father, Ronnie, works on offshore drilling rigs and is gone for a couple of weeks at a time. Liz, the mother, works for an eye doctor in New Iberia for $8 an hour. This is necessary, because in addition to helping Ron in college, they also have a grown daughter with spina bifida who requires lots of care and medical attention.
In spite of having limited means, Ron started Louisiana State University in 1994. A number of others and I nominated Ron for some AMA scholarship help. He was awarded a Charles Hampson Grant scholarship in the amount of $2,500 in 1993. Liz tells me the AMA paid for Ron's books for the first 2½ years, totaling something like $5,000.
Ron continued in college, and May 14 of this year he became Ron Segura, M.D. AMA had a part in it.
I think this is a wonderful opportunity to show the AMA is a lot more than just "insurance and a magazine." My guess is, very few members are even aware of the scholarship program, and they should be.
Don Nix San Antonio, Texas
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
