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 to District V members and friends. I wish you a belated Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year! I hope that everyone is well and that you received the new model or whatever you were wishing to receive for Christmas.
I know many of us are merely happy to be alive and well after hurricanes Irma and Maria swept through the district. Our friends in Puerto Rico were hit especially hard by Hurricane Maria, and they will be rebuilding for quite some time. I have heard from some of them and, despite being without electrical power and a good supply of water, they are upbeat and determined to rebuild their flying sites to be better than ever.
As an example of their gusto and good spirits, I quote Gus Diaz: “On a light note, our ‘Port-A-Pottie’ bathroom was literally blown away for a kilometer or so (over cattle fences, hedges, and tall shrubs) into the farm next door. After returning it and a much-needed cleanup, we are offering free ‘air miles’ for those members going aboard!” That’s great Gus, however, that’s not the way I want to earn air miles!
This month I would like to thank the following members who have taken on the responsibility to be Contest Directors and Event Managers: Edward Baker of Ocala, Florida; George Hunter of Auburn, Florida; Gregory Blackwell of Clover, South Carolina; Steve Arrington of Jacksonville, Florida;
and Michael Jenkins of Manchester, Tennessee.
I must say that District V seems to be doing well and is very active. My associate vice presidents and I have attended several events in the district—so many that I don’t have space to report on all of them this month. So, if you don’t see a report on your event this month, please be patient. I have my list and I’m working my way through it.
I attended the Super Jets South event hosted by the Georgia Jets club in Gay, Georgia. My thanks go to Gordon Dickson, Joe Rafalowski, and all of the club members for a fantastic, well-run event. The Georgia Jets facility is top-notch, and that, along with good food and camaraderie among the pilots, made for a great event.
One thing that stood out to me is that the pilots (100 registered) came to fly. Four or more jets were in the air at all times. In fact, the only time the flightline was inactive was during the pilots’ meeting. The impressive models included small jets, medium-size jets, large jets, and really big jets. And of course, I observed some outstanding flying. Well done, Georgia Jets!
I also attended a fun-fly in Dickson, Tennessee, hosted by a local chapter composed of five area clubs: the Middle Tennessee RC Society, the Music City Aviators, the Hendersonville R/C Club, the Middle Point R/C Flyers, and the Cumberland Flyers RC club. There was a good turnout of local and visiting pilots, flying everything from gliders to jets, and scale to sport models. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Thanks to Dick Tonan and the chapter members for a fun event.
I also attended a Free Flight contest, the 2017 World Championship Old Goat Smackdown, hosted by the Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta (TTOMA). The main event was flown using stock Blue Ridge Special models using a three-flight unlimited max format.
The contest was attended by a good group, and everyone seemed to enjoy the event. It was held on a sod farm with plenty of open space. Thanks to Karl Hube, Gary Baughman, and all of the others for a warm welcome and even an offer to fly one of the models.
That covers all I have space for this month, but check back next month as I have more to report. Meanwhile, get out and fly, and of course be safe and be courteous to your fellow modelers and your neighbors.
Associate Vice Presidents: Alabama: Rick Grim, (256) 502-5847; uavpilot@bellsouth.net. Florida: Chuck Forman, (352) 347-4745; timeout1932@hotmail.com; Andrew Griffith, (904) 993-4956; barracudahockey@aol.com; Keith Hall, (813) 928-3861; wing-man@verizon.net. Jose Melendez, (321) 412-3078; rcjets12@gmail.com. Georgia: Bill Barbee, (912) 660-2155; awbarbee@hotmail.com; Bob Dixon, (478) 960-5200; rldixon3@cox.net; Nick Ray, (865) 368-3820; lasray@gmail.com; Dave Wenzel, (912) 754-9619; davevfrguy@hotmail.com. Mississippi: Paul Verger, (228) 826-4892; cpaulverger@yahoo.com. Puerto Rico: Edwin Medina, (787) 525-7768; captmedina@gmail.com. South Carolina: Don Wise, (803) 534-8164; d7wise@cs.com. Tennessee: Scott Anderson, rcfoamy@hotmail.com. Dick Tonan, (615) 995-6291; dtonan@mac.com; Charles Anderson, (423) 892-3998; canderson9898@comcast.net. Safety Coordinator: Red Scholefield, Johns Island SC, (843) 494-5225; redsch03@gmail.com. RC Event Sanction Coordinator: Dick Tonan. FF Event Sanction Coordinator: Bob Thoren. CL Event Sanction Coordinator: Dave Wenzel. Webmaster: Glenn Bond, d5amaweb@gmail.com
