District VIII—Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Lawrence Harville
Vice President
lawharv@yahoo.com
932 Calloway St., Hurst TX 76053
Tel.: (817) 781-9615;
www.amadistrict-viii.org
The events are slowing down now, so get out the field and fly! The District VIII website is packed with reports, photos, and information. Check it out at www.ama-dist-8.org. Here are some upcoming must-see events:
- December 9: Las Cruces, New Mexico; Fly for Tots Fun Fly sponsored by the Mesilla Valley Model Airplane Club
- December 10: Katy, Texas; Pearl Harbor Remembrance sponsored by the Space City RC Club
- December 16: South Mayd, Texas; Texoma Winter Wonderland Combat sponsored by the Texoma RC Modelers
Contest Coordinator Amanda Coke reported that the Richardson RC Flying Club had a large turnout for its Big Bird/War Bird Fun Fly with 26 pilots. I offer special thanks to club president Harold Walsh and all of the club officers who made this event a success.
The Take off And Grow (TAG) program was developed to encourage clubs to get their communities interested in model aviation. If your club is selected to receive a TAG grant, the AMA will provide up to $1,000 to use to set up your program. All applications must be received by February 1, 2018. For more information, visit amaflightschool.org/programs/take-off-and-grow.
The 2017 Texas Scale Championships included an Electric Scale Class for the first time. Get ready for the 2018 Championships.
Flying Site Development and Improvement grants cover 10% of costs, up to $3,000, for making improvements to your club flying field and facilities. Learn more at www.modelaircraft.org/grantguidelines.aspx. The application deadline is March 1, 2018. Recipients will be announced in May. For more information, email Erin Dobbs at erind@modelaircraft.org.
Model of the month goes to Jacque Parker from the North Dallas RC Club.
The sparkplug of the month is Mike Hickman, from the Corsicana Miniature Aircraft Club. Mike started in Free Flight and Control Line in 1955, escapements in the 1960s, and he now flies RC electrics. He is originally from Colorado where he flew competition sailplanes. Mike lives 75 miles from the field, but is active with club summer camps, club events, and meetings. Mike makes District VIII proud.
