District II—New Jersey, New York, Europe
Eric Williams
Vice President
rcpilot@nycap.rr.com
4242 Amanda Ln., Schenectady NY 12303
Tel.: (518) 356-2057
www.amadistrict-ii.org
www.facebook.com/DistrictIIAMA
Throughout the years, this column has documented several efforts of the Tri-County RC Club (TCRC) of New Jersey. Whether it’s working with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers to excite hopeful engineering students, or sponsoring a bus trip to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the TCRC is a heavily involved community organization.
On a recent trip, TCRC Vice President Larry Kosinar paid a visit to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. I’ll let Larry’s report tell the rest of the story.
On April 17, 2015, I had the honor of meeting with Dr. Peter Jakab, chief curator at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the Steven Udvar-Hazy Center. Peter was a member of our club while he was a resident of North Brunswick, New Jersey, and a student of Rutgers University. The purpose of the meeting was to present Peter with a plaque for life membership in the TCRC.
During the club’s 2014 bus trip to the museum, Peter spoke with our members and members from the indoor flying student group who are involved in learning to build and fly indoor RC aircraft in a TCRC-sponsored program. His journey from RC hobbyist to having a career in aviation is an example to illustrate where the hobby can lead. Peter’s talk to the group explained the many aspects of support that are necessary to the future of aviation.
—Larry Kosinar
It is important that clubs practice community involvement. It is even better when clubs such as the TCRC reach out to individuals such as Dr. Jakab and thank them for their support of model aviation. As chairman of the National Model Aviation Museum steering committee, I have had occasion to speak with Dr. Jakab. Although not an active flier, Dr. Jakab maintains his AMA membership in support of the organization. We are fortunate to have such clubs and supportive individuals.
Indoor auctions, swap meets, and indoor events were popular this past winter. Numerous clubs continued with annual gatherings and many started new ones. Several of the events I attended in April included the Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo, April 10-12, 2015 in Ohio; the Finger Lakes Air Pirates Swap Meet and Auction on April 18, 2015 in New York; and the Watervliet Wind Warriors indoor swap meet on April 25 in New York.
Good news came from the Finger Lakes Air Pirates event. The club has a new field in Seneca Falls, New York. I wish the club well in its new location.
Remember, it’s not about what we fly, it’s about the people and the friends we make.
