District XI—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Chuck Bower
Vice President
cbower@whidbey.com
6075 S. Coles Rd., Langley WA 98260
Tel.: (360) 632-9211; www.amadistrict-xi.org
The following report comes from Robert Stephens, District XI associate vice president (AVP).
The first-ever Alaska indoor electric Scale contest was held on Friday, November 13, 2015, at the Teeland Middle School gym in Wasilla. There were more than 10 Scale airplanes on static display and 15 or so spectators and participants in attendance. We were honored to have AMA District XI Vice President Chuck Bower attend all the way from Washington state. The event was organized and run by Don Myers. This was his first RC contest and he did an outstanding job.
Five pilots flew three rounds in the contest. Participants voted for Best Pilot (Armand Marshall) and Best Model (1911 Caudron Racer by Dirk Greenley).
A few people asked afterward when the next Scale contest would be held. That’s a sign of a successful event!
I had asked Robert Stephens to recommend a winter event in the Anchorage area for me to attend. A winter flying event in Alaska—it didn’t seem likely, but I was surprised!
This Scale event turned out to be the first of its kind in Alaska. It opened my eyes to the crossover of the mini radio systems and what used to be Free Flight rubber-powered kits and designs. The 1911 Caudron Racer is a great example of this class of scale indoor flyer. Add in some Depron or
foam board profile designs and foam ARFs, and it can be an enjoyable event.
It was hard to tell who was having the best time, the pilots, the spectators, or the judges. Reeves and I got in our share of the fun!
On Saturday, Robert had set up an informal meeting with club officers and a hobby shop owner. The meeting room was provided by Steve Colligan, president of E-Terra LLC, a member of AMA’s sUAS task force, and District IV assembly member for Matansku-Susitna Borough. Steve made a presentation on sUAS issues in Alaska and then we had conversations about AMA news. This gave me an insight into this vibrant modeling community.
My thanks go to Robert Stephens, District XI AVP for Alaska, and to all of the modelers who welcomed me.
I hope to see you at the NW Model Hobby Expo, January 29-31, in Monroe, Washington. The AMA District XI booth is again where you can pick up your ticket for the drawing, which will be held during the district membership meeting. See you there.
