District IV—Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia
Jay Marsh
Vice President
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The AMA has put together a list of dates for our scholarships, grants, awards, and renewals. I encourage all of the clubs to look at this list and plan to apply for some of these programs. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask me or one of my associate vice presidents (AVPs). The link is www.modelaircraft.org/membership/amadates.aspx.
Congratulations to the Morganton Aeromodelers in North Carolina, and the Patuxent Aeromodelers in Maryland, for receiving a 2017 Take off And Grow (TAG) grant for introducing model aviation to the public. Also, congratulations to the West Hickory Aero Modelers in North Carolina; the Newport News Park RC Club in Virginia; the Flying Tigers of Jordan Lake in North Carolina; and the Fredericksburg Area RC Club in Virginia for receiving 2017 Flying Site Assistance grants to help with field improvements.
This month we have a couple reports from AVP David Trogdon.
On Saturday, April 8, the Kinston Aero-Modelers (KAM) of Kinston, North Carolina, kicked off its official flying season with the club’s Spring RC Fly-In. For several weeks beforehand, high wind had dogged pilots across the area, but by Saturday the wind subsided enough for a great day of flying. Southeastern North Carolina has one of the highest concentrations of clubs around and they go out of their way to support one another at every event. There were 40-plus pilots registered from more than 12 surrounding clubs as the chilly morning festivities got started. By noon, many visitors had gathered for the day as well as a group of men and women veterans from the NC State Veterans Home in Kinston. Ironically, the home was built on the site of KAM’s original field 25 years ago, leading the club to its present location. The midday barbecue chicken meal cooked on-site was, as contest director (CD) David Jones said, “Southern hospitality at its best.” The club lived up to its reputation and all had a great day of flying. For more information, visit www.coastalplanes.com/clubs/kam/rca.html.
Last year, Hurricane Matthew swept through the southeastern part of North Carolina with devastating wind and rain that flooded homes, washed out bridges, and closed roads. Thirty-four pilots from at least four clubs attended the 6th Annual Southeastern Modelers Flying Club (SMFC) Fall Fly In. The home field for SMFC is in Tabor City, North Carolina, and is the only place I know where you can take off in North Carolina and immediately upon takeoff, be in South Carolina airspace because the state line actually divides the club’s field. Chris Prince, the club’s president, and his members always put on a good show and all of the local hobby shops go out of their way to supply them with an abundance of door prizes. The ladies’ auxiliary provided the wonderful meals! After a great lunch, CD David Williams put on quite a show with his 3-D Hobby Shop Extra 330 SC, powered by a DA 170. Chris Calhoun wowed everyone with an aerobatic display with his Mikado Logo 700 helicopter, powered by a Scorpion 4525-530 motor, and Lee Lowery dazzled the crowd with a Boomerang RC XL jet, powered by a Kingtec K-180 engine producing 40 pounds of thrust. If you plan to visit the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area, throw your airplane in the car and come and enjoy flying with the SMFC members in Tabor City! Learn more at www.southeasternmodelers.com.
Go fly and have fun safely!
