District I—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Andy Argenio
Vice President
brandshobby@gmail.com
3 Sheila Ln., Smithfield RI 02917
Tel.: (401) 231-6901; www.amadistrict-i.org
Participation by AMA clubs and members in worthwhile community events is one of the best ways we can ensure the future of aeromodeling as the following event report, from Associate Vice President (AVP) Steven Goler, describes.
During our spring Jet Rally at Plum Island Airport, I was introduced to Bob Snuck, the airport manager at Beverly Regional Airport in Beverly, Massachusetts. Bob was so impressed with the jets flying that he asked if we would be interested in doing an RC Jet demonstration at the airport on September 9, 2017, during the airport’s annual air show fundraiser for cystic fibrosis.
Bob had Richard Little, the person responsible for this event, work with me to include RC jets in the show program. Richard has a family member with cystic fibrosis and this charity is close to his heart. He told me that this was going to be an interactive show for spectators, with full-scale airplanes offering rides to the public.
I filed for a Class D sanction with AMA and was granted a sanction waiver. I had the exact club members in mind to perform. I asked Chris “Moe” Gleason, Domenic Mirabello, and Brian Lloyd, and they all agreed to participate in this worthwhile event. Brian and Domenic volunteered to demonstrate the speed, agility, and precision flying capabilities of their Ultra Flash turbine jets.
Chris demonstrated realistic Scale flight with his Breitling L-39 and other AMA members and family—including Janet Lloyd, Amanda Gleason, Al Bontempo, Bob Segroi, Jim Caloggero, and Larry Roper—helped with the static displays, take pictures, and answer attendees’ questions. We met at 7 a.m. to set up our jets and a pit area.
Shortly thereafter, the full-scale airplanes started to fly in. The first was a T-34 Mentor, and then a red WACO biplane and a yellow WACO. Following those were Robinson helicopters, a U.S. Army Black Hawk, Eurocopter EC135, a MedFlight EC145 Airbus, and more. I was most excited about the Douglas DC-3. It was like watching a piece of movie history! I expected Humphrey Bogart to get out of the airplane as if it were in Casablanca!
Attendees had the thrill of taking a flight in the DC-3 and other aircraft. There were all kinds of children’s activities, including bouncy houses, train rides, and all kinds of trucks for kids to explore. There was a large food court and exotic cars were on display.
The airport was shut down from noon to 1 p.m. so paratroopers jumping out of the Eurocopter EC135 could display their skills followed by the RC turbine jet flight demonstrations. We asked Larry Roper of Boomerang RC Jets to narrate this portion of the event.
Dominic and Brian were up first.
They took off, got into a formation, and performed a routine that they had been practicing. You could hear Larry narrating and the oohs and aahs of the crowd as the jets made passes down the flightline at what seemed like supersonic speed. Their routine was approximately 5 minutes.
Next it was Chris’s turn to burn the sky. Chris had a routine that showed the L-39’s capabilities from high speed, to aerobatics, to slow-and-low flight. It was breathtaking. Brian went up and did a routine demonstrating his skills. He’s one of the best! Brian’s landing concluded this awesome RC turbine jet demonstration. The crowd was clapping and cheering so loudly you would have thought that they came just to see us.
Thanks to everyone who helped make the Beverly Airport Family Fun Day cystic fibrosis fundraiser such a success! Also thank you to Andy Argenio and his wife, Anna, for attending, answering spectator questions, and handing out pamphlets about the AMA and aeromodeling.
Thank you, Steven, for an excellent report. Additional pictures of this event can be seen on the district Facebook and webpage.
