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.: (770) 421-8838; www.amadistrict-v.org
Hello District V friends and guests! I trust that your year of model activity is going well. As I write this article, I’m getting ready for the Nats. I have flown my airplanes, and I’m as ready as I can be. I hope to do well and not embarrass myself. It will be nice to be at the AMA site and visit with the many friends I have been associated with throughout the years.
If you attended the Nats this year, good for you. I hope you enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie with your fellow competitors. I know of no better experience when it comes to model flying.
This month I’m happy to report that Dave Wenzel, a District V associate vice president in Georgia, has accepted the task of being the Control Line Event Sanction Coordinator. This important position has been open longer than I had hoped, but it is now filled by a highly capable individual whom I am confident will meet our needs. Thank you, Dave, for stepping up to fill this vacancy. I know you will excel in this position.
I also have a number of members who are stepping up to be contest directors (CDs). This is another key role in making AMA better for you and me—even if we all don’t fly in competition events.
New CDs this month include Mickey Avery, Selma, Alabama; David Moser, Toome, Tennessee; Alvin Blair, Madison, Alabama; Jason Smith, Blackshear, Georgia; and Michael Wargo, Geneva, Florida. I hope you will thank these individuals for accepting the role of CD. I certainly do.
This month I am pleased to present an interesting story about one of our senior members as told by Warren Vanderwell, a member in St. Augustine, Florida.
“My name is Warren Vanderwell, and I am the treasurer of our club, the Ancient City RC Flyers in St. Augustine, Florida. I would like to give special recognition to one of our members, Bob Colpitts. I would not be surprised if Bob might be the oldest living RC modeler still actively flying. Here is a little background about Bob.
“He is 91 years old and still flies on a weekly basis. And he still has great aerobatic talents. He is one of our club’s charter members. The club was formed in 1988, and he was part of an unorganized group that formed prior to that. He was the treasurer of our club for more than 20 years and just retired last year.
“Bob still builds all of his planes from scratch, and they are mostly his own designs. His covering abilities are impeccable, and he always builds with a goal of keeping his aircraft as light as possible. For some of our members, Bob is the ‘go-to’ guy for special repairs.
“He started his love for flying when he was 8 years old, with a dime store balsa airplane. I am sure many of us remember those. His family got him his first RC radio when he was 38 years old. He worked for many years for a government contractor as an airplane mechanic. For 20 years he also owned and flew a full-scale Cessna 150 around the St. Augustine area.
“Bob presently is the proud owner of 50 RC planes; all are ready to fly at any moment. He is ever present with his signature blaze-orange cap. His philosophy about his RC interest is ‘building RC planes and flying RC planes has kept me sane.’”
This is an interesting story about Bob Colpitts. I thought I was doing well at my current age. I can only dream of being able to continue flying models into my more senior years. Congratulations to you, Bob. I wish you many more years of good health and modeling.
Last month I mentioned the 50th anniversary of the Chattanooga RC Club (CRCC). I am happy to report that Associate Vice President Scott Anderson and I were able to attend the event and present the club with the AMA Award of Excellence for this achievement and to recognize CRCC for its continued community service. It was a fun day for me!
Until next time, stay safe and practice safe, responsible flying wherever you are!
