District III—Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Mark Radcliff
Vice President
mradcliff@suddenlink.net
199 Heron Dr., St. Marys WV 26170
Tel.: (304) 684-2133
www.amadistrict-iii.org
www.facebook.com/ama.district.iii
As you may or may not be aware, AMA has money available to assist your club in making improvements to your flying facility by utilizing the Flying Site Development and Improvement grant program. I would like to share how a club in Pennsylvania took advantage of the program to improve its flying field. The following is from Jack Gilbert, president of the Tri-County Wing Snappers (TCWS).
The members of TCWS would like to thank the AMA team responsible for selecting our club as one of this year’s recipients of the 2017 Flying Site Development and Improvement grant. The award we received went immediately toward completing the projects necessary to transition to our new flying site.
In August 2016, we first entered into a three-month provisional agreement with the landlord, just to be sure both parties would be happy with the RC activity taking place on this private airfield. We had a small plastic storage shed and that was it!
That period ended successfully and we entered into a formal, two-year agreement effective January 1, 2017. On the morning of March 3, we had the ground excavation all completed and the stone bed laid and rolled to be the base of our new main area of non-flying activities. By the end of the day,
we had our more permanent sheds positioned and our belongings stored inside.
On June 25, we held our first outdoor meeting of the year at our site. We had our pavilion canopy complete, our new grass was growing strong, and we brought in 10 of the previous members who had not yet rejoined because of the uncertainty of our field situation. We have yet to solve our long-term electric supply issue, but other than that, our new facility is basically complete.
On behalf of the membership of TCWS, once again, thank you for your support and for honoring us with the 2017 grant, enabling us to complete our new field transformation process.
Thank you TCWS for utilizing the funds available from AMA to improve your club’s facilities. I would encourage the clubs in District III to look at their flying facilities, choose a project that needs done, and apply for one of these grants. Applications must be received by March 1, 2018. For more information, go to www.modelaircraft.org/membership/clubs/flyingsitegrants.aspx.
I want to thank all of the members of District III for again electing me as the District III Vice President. I assure you I will do my best to represent the needs and desires of the modelers of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana.
Until next month—fly safely, fly AMA.
