District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Now that the holiday season is in the rearview mirror, I hope that your schedules are getting back to normal again. For me, this means time to head to the shop to see what can be done with my mishaps from the past year.
An old modeling friend once told me when I was a newbie that after a crash, never make a decision on whether or not to fix it or trash it until you’ve had time to think on it for a bit. Simply gather all of the pieces and take them home.
Thankfully I only have two to deal with for now. A Topaz RES sailplane that suffered a midair and a Goldberg Tiger 60 that stalled when my brain and thumbs momentarily quit talking to one another. I hate losing them as much as the next person, but two isn’t a half bad score for this guy.
On the homefront and across the country, we’re starting to see some state and local municipalities seeking to establish no-fly zones within certain areas. Just to be clear, the FAA states that it maintains jurisdiction of the airspace from the top of the blades of grass and beyond.
Although some local legislation has gone unchallenged pertaining to using a model aircraft to invade privacy, in hunting applications, and interfering with emergency responders, the FAA is still the final authority. Should you or your club begin seeing local ordinances that interfere with your recreational or hobbyist use of your model aircraft, please contact AMA’s Government Relations team for help with questions that might arise.
In other district news, Michigan Associate Vice President (AVP) Noel Hunt has retired from the workforce and relocated to Arizona. Thank you, Noel, for your years of service, and best wishes for your future.
Stepping in at Noel’s recommendation is Peter Van Heusden of the Radio Control Club of Detroit. Please join me in welcoming and thanking Peter for joining the district team.
The following comes Minnesota AVP Bud Gorman about some events that happened before the snow started flying. I’ll bet this gets you thinking about spring!
As I write this article, it’s a cool morning, the grass is green, and “in need of mowing.” It’s late November and this is Northern Minnesota. This has been a year of strange weather.
I attended a Fourth of July weekend campout at the Bemidji RC Club’s field in Minnesota—great weather, great flying, and great friends. Later in July, a storm took down trees across the state.
In September, the Itasca RC Club puts on a Float Fly in Hill City, Minnesota. It takes place the first weekend after Labor Day. RC pilots from across the state, and even a couple from Canada, take over the Hill City public campground starting early in the week. Rod Hess took time out from his ongoing July storm cleanup to serve as contest director for the float-fly. Included are a couple of pictures from Rod. Jerry Lawler was the safety officer. The weather was good and there was a lot of flying. A lot of electrics took to the air in that last hour of light. The bonfire was burning before the last model landed on the smooth lake. The circle of chairs was gathered around the fire and the hangar flying began.
The only thing missing on this cool Minnesota night was the hum of mosquitoes and friends who couldn’t be here.
Associate Vice Presidents: Bruce Baier, Oshkosh WI; (920) 233-1127; buzssr@gmail.com; Lee Frederickson, Ada MI; L1520@comcast.net; David George, Riverview MI; (734) 284-9017; indiancity5129@yahoo.com, Randall Gibson, Lansing MI; (317) 698-4346; rgibson@mmrcha.org; Bud Gorman, Knife River MN; (218) 834-5797; bgorman@frontiernet.net; Don Held, Elmira MI; (231) 584-2662; edge540m@gmail.com; Noel Hunt, Shelby Twp. MI; (586) 677-1540; hunt4it@comcast.net; Bob Johnson, Fond du Lac WI; (920) 922-6705; bobj54935@yahoo.com; Mark Robotti, Lindstrom MN; (651) 257-6792; mgrobotti@frontier.com; Marc “Doc” Shelstrom, Lancaster WI; (608) 732-4077; shelstrm@uwplatt.edu; Peter Van Heusden, Bloomfield Hills MI; (248) 515-1071; petervh@malibutech.com; Kent Woods, Ames IA; (515) 232-8180; woods229@msn.com. Sanctioned Event Coordinators: Wayne Yeager (RC Michigan), (517) 260-0132; yogi1931@comcast.net; Michael J. Haller (RC non-Michigan), Fond du Lac WI; (920) 979-9452; mike.haller60@gmail.com. Frequency Coordinators: Al Schwartz, Roseville MN; (651) 633-2286; alberts@frontiernet.net; Pete Waters, Northville MI; (248) 924-0223; petewaters@charter.net.
