District V—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands
Bob Brogdon
Vice President
r.a.brogdon@comcast.net
5251 Hermitage Dr., Powder Springs GA 30127
Tel.: (404) 660-3682; www.amadistrict-v.org
Where has the time gone?
I’m getting ready to turn things over to your newly elected District V vice president (VP), Bob Brogdon. I am proud to have served as your interim VP. I want to thank you for all of the support I received in person and via phone and email. I learned an awful lot over the last seven months and hopefully took the district forward, and now we welcome the New Year and our new VP.
I’ve been a modeler for a long time—since the late 1970s—but this year taught me another lesson about how awesome my fellow modelers and friends truly are. I could cite many examples, but one stands above all others.
As Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on Jacksonville, Florida, I had calls and text messages from throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and even Alabama and Louisiana with offers of a place to stay so we could be safe from the impending Category 4 storm. When I reminded them that it would not only be me but a girlfriend, a cat, and a 40-pound dog, the answer was the same: “Bring ’em all and get out of the path of that storm!”
That’s it for me. I’ll turn things over to your new VP as I go back to working with Bob as an associate vice president. I’ll still be at a lot of events, so feel free to say hello and talk modeling or AMA!
—Andrew Griffith
Hello fellow modelers. I’m Bob Brogdon, your new AMA District V VP. I want to express my appreciation to all of you who voted for me for this important position. I wish to thank you for your support and your confidence in me to represent you in AMA matters. I also thank you for taking the time to vote—it is important.
I want to take a moment to thank Andrew Griffith for stepping in and filling this position when Kris Dixon resigned in the middle of 2016. I have read every article Andrew has written for this magazine during the past few months, and I commend him for a job well done. Thank you, Andrew!
I am excited about my new role as District V VP and, at the same time, a bit apprehensive. It’s similar to the first day on a new job in a new field. I fully embrace the challenge. I know I have a lot to learn—please bear with me as I work my way through a fairly steep learning curve. I’m sure I will stumble along the way, and I won’t have anywhere near all the answers, but be assured, I will do my best.
For those who are curious, I am a retired aerospace worker. I was fortunate to be involved in engineering flight-test operations for most of my career. I managed the operations associated with the development and testing of many exciting aircraft designs, as well as the development of aircraft systems and associated modifications. I also spent an exciting time managing the processing of the space shuttles in the mid-1980s; I’m not sure that “exciting” fully encompasses the emotions involved there. What a rush when that bird lights up!
As for my modeling career, it is ongoing with no retirement in sight. My start was in Control Line (CL) flying with my dad’s help, which is pretty much like a lot of other modelers. I did, however, become involved in competition early. My dad and I competed throughout most of the Southeast in CL Rat Race, Combat, Speed, and Stunt during my preteen and teenage years. We also flew some Free Flight and even some early RC (think escapement systems).
Although I enjoy all aspects of model aircraft, my main interest is, and has been for many years, RC Pylon Racing. After college and later getting married, I discovered Pylon and got hooked on it. I even had to learn how to fly proportional RC in order to race, but I was determined to do it. I’m glad I did! The friends I have made throughout the years in this great sport make it all worthwhile.
In addition to continuing my adventures in RC Pylon Racing, I am now venturing into the world of RC turbines. I recently bought an airplane and I’m getting it ready to fly. I’m in the process of installing the turbine engine and associated hardware. The next step will be to prepare the airplane for flight so that I can proceed to getting my turbine waiver. Wish me luck!
Okay, enough about me. Let’s move to some district business. Did you know that the AMA has a Flying Site Grant Committee that determines which AMA chartered clubs receive funding to assist in making improvements to flying sites? Did you know that District V currently doesn’t have a representative on the committee? Don’t you think the district should be represented? I’m looking for a volunteer to be on the grant committee to represent District V. Would you, or someone you know, be interested? Please let me know.
For those of you who fly competition events, do you know what, if any, changes to your event(s) go into effect for 2017-2018? Don’t get caught by the changes; go to the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org and hover over the Competitions & Events tab. Click on Rules & Regulations in the drop-down menu, and you’ll find a listing of individual events. The first page of each regulations booklet lists any amendments that have taken place for 2017-2018. Even if there are no changes, this might be a good time to review the rules to ensure that you are in compliance.
Until next time, keep them flying!
