District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Tim Jesky
Vice President
timjesky@charter.net
2886 E. Country Ln., Monroe MI 48162
Tel.: (734) 384-6085;
www.amadistrict-vii.org
Hello again. Writing last month’s column from the seat of an aircraft worked out so well for me, I decided to try it again. I’m on my way back home from a business trip to China and besides, there’s just only so much you can do when you’re stuck in the flying tube for 13 hours.
First off, it’s April. Daylight is getting longer, it’s beginning to warm up, and the flying field is calling. Please take a few moments to go through your preflight and safety checklists before you take to the skies. The extra five minutes or so that it takes might save you from rekitting that new model, or worse, a trip to the emergency room for you or someone else.
Another thing worthy of noting is that the ranks of AMA Youth members continues to grow. I don’t have an exact figure, but I believe it now exceeds 55,000. If you happen to see some new young faces at your field, take a minute to welcome them and see if they could use a hand. They’re the future of our hobby and will be the ones we pass the torch to.
The following comes from the Darrel Watts Memorial Float Fly held at Island Lake State Park this past fall. If you enjoy float flying or are interested in finding out more, you need to put this event on your calendar for 2017.
Skymasters R/C of Michigan held its 26th annual Midwest Regional Float Fly the weekend of September 10-11, 2016. This year, the name of the event was The Darrel Watts Memorial-Midwest Regional Float Fly in honor of longtime member and float-fly founder, Darrell Watts, who passed away in 2014.
The event was held on the southwest shore of magnificent Kent Lake, situated in the 4,000-acre Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton, Michigan. At the flying site location, the lake has approximately 1,000 feet of gently sloped sand beach, which transitions into cool clear water. The Skymasters have seven pilot stations set up on the beach from which to fly.
On the first day, despite the threat of spotty showers, an offshore breeze provided excellent flying off the safety line. The weather kept pilots away that first day, but the second day brought nearly 70 participants. Float pilots came from across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and as far away as Iowa and Niagara Falls, Canada.
Bob Chapdelaine, club president, entertained us with his skilled master-of-ceremonies talents, and provided smooth event narration and flight coordination for the busy pilot stations. At one point, Bob awarded Mrs. Watts, the event’s guest of honor, our Award of Appreciation for all the service she and Darrell gave to the Skymasters and the Midwest Float Fly throughout the years. District VII Vice President Tim Jesky was coerced into doing ticket draws for numerous other prizes.
That evening, the park allowed fliers to use the upper parking area to camp with their campers and motorhomes. After dinner, a campfire was set along the beach where events of the day, stories of past events, and slightly stretched yarns were shared. Many reflected on reminders of many International Miniature Aircraft Association fly-ins of days gone by.
Sunday, September 11, brought a gorgeous clear morning with only a light breeze. For many, this day was a significant reminder of what happened 15 years before. At 9:59 a.m. the South Tower of the World Trade Center fell at the hands of terrorists, changing the way many conduct business and pleasure. At that time, all activity at the event ceased and a moment of silence was observed in remembrance of the victims, responders, survivors, and those who have protected our freedom. To those we say, thank you!
At several points throughout the event, generous pilot prizes were raffled off. One was a Great Planes Super Stearman on floats that came from Darrell’s estate.
Planning for Float Fly 2017 is underway. Make plans to attend and we will see you at this unique and extraordinary event.
Associate Vice Presidents: Bruce Baier, Oshkosh WI; (920) 233-1127; buzzsr@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; 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 G. 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; yogi931@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@comcast.net; Pete Waters, Northville MI; (248) 924-0223; petewaters@charter.net.
