2020 GOLDBERG AWARD RECIPIENTS CHOSEN
FOUR PEOPLE have been selected as the 2020 recipients of an annual award for supporting model aviation, their clubs, and other modelers. The Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Award recipients are nominated by fellow modelers who want to recognize their efforts, which are often behind the scenes.
The 2020 recipients of the award are Paul Crowley, Nancy Friedmand, Charles “Chuck” Foreman, and Ronald Wegrzyn.
Paul was nominated for his contributions to the Free Flight (FF) community. He served on the FAI Team Selection Committee for 40 years. He is a member of the Detroit Balsa Bugs and has served as the club’s treasurer for several years. The FF competitor has helped run an Indoor FF contest in Michigan for 30 years.
Nancy is a member of the Casa Grande RC Flyers, a Gold Leader Club. She has served as the club’s secretary and treasurer, learned how to fly, and has encouraged others to become involved in the hobby. Nancy has worked with the club’s educational aviation program at area schools and 4-H clubs.
An AMA Leader Member, Chuck organized the Virginia League of Model Clubs in 1977. He served as communications director for the Nats from 1980 to 1993 and was later appointed to the Nats Communications Committee. He served as the AMA District IV vice president for 12 years and served as an associate vice president intermittently for a number of years. Chunk was the first chairman of the Building Committee that convinced AMA to build a headquarters in Reston, Virginia. He also served on and chaired the second AMA Headquarters Building Committee.
A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient, Ronald has been a member of the Suburban Aero Club of Chicago for more than 30 years. He has served in multiple positions in his club, including as president and vice president. Ronald has trained and mentored roughly 50 pilots, helps maintain his club’s flying site, and works hard to promote the hobby. He is a retired air traffic controller.
If you would like to nominate someone for the 2021 Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Award, nominations are due September 15, 2021. To nominate someone, visit www.modelaircraft.org/form/carl-goldberg-vital-people-award.
AMA Thanks Its Lifetime Supporters!
The Academy of Model Aeronautics recently welcomed Life Members William J. Hickey, Naperville IL; James A. Weiss III, Union City CA; Stephen M. Noble, Frisco TX; Timothy D. Smith, Williamstown MA; Robert H. Eggleston Jr., Aspen CO; Joseph E. Atwell Jr., Lexington CA; John S. Chapman, Madison AL; Brian W. Monsen, Cleveland MN; Ulises Flynn, Bluffdale UT; Andy Stubbs, Germantown TN; Erik R. Cherry, Vista CA; and Samuel W. Hubbard, Dallas TX.
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800) 435-9262.
—AMA Membership department
WELL-KNOWN PILOT, BUSINESS OWNER DIES
A MAN KNOWN for operating large RC jet events has died. Frank Tiano, age 75, from Lakeland, Florida, passed away January 4, 2021. He was known for running the popular jet and RC Scale meets, Florida Jets and the Top Gun Invitational. He was also the owner of Frank Tiano Enterprises.
Born November 9, 1944, in upstate New York, he first showed interest in model airplanes at the age of 2. He continued building and flying models until age 15 then his interest switched to professional drag racing, in which he participated from 1964 until 1968.
In 1972, he joined a modeling club in New York and bought his first RC kit and radio. He later became a prolific builder and started writing for Flying Models magazine.
He also had articles published in Radio Control Modeler, Model Airplane News, Model Aviation, and Scale RC Modeler.
In 1979, along with two of his friends, Bob Walker and Don Dombrowski, he formed a company called Sticky Group International and introduced a product called ZAP, a form of super glue for the modeling industry.
In 1989, Frank started an RC Scale competition that he hoped would bring worldwide attention to aeromodeling. That event was called the Top Gun Invitational. Because of the popularity of Top Gun, Frank was able to start another event, Florida Jets, and it became one of the largest, noncompetitive model jet gatherings in the world.
Frank was inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Vintage Radio Control Society Hall of Fame in 2010. He also served as an AMA associate vice president for District V.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sisters; two children, Lisa and Thea; and four grandchildren.
VIRTUAL AMA JR. CAMP
WE ARE CURRENTLY planning our second year of virtual AMA Jr. Camp, and we look forward to sharing the experience with as many students as we can!
While making this camp a virtual experience in 2020 was prompted by our hope to keep participants safe from COVID-19, we have chosen to take the opportunity to present this experience to far more students than could be accommodated on-site. AMA Jr. Camp 2021 will take place March 22-26.
AMA Jr. Camp is an ideal introduction to the world of aeromodeling and an excellent complement to our AMA Flight School resources, as well as the on-site camp program! As part of the program, students of all ages—from kindergarten through middle school—will be introduced to the basic principles of aerodynamics and engineering and how these subjects impact model aviation. Students will learn about the science behind how things fly, as well as build several working models that are easy to make and fly right in their homes!
Although participation is free and the activities can often be completed using ordinary household materials, we will also offer Flight Packs that include specialized materials and information to enhance the campers’ experience! Any questions can be directed to the AMA Education department at education@modelaircraft.org.
—Kyle Thede, AMA Education specialist
New Ruler on Sale Until March 31
AMA PLANS SERVICE houses all plans formerly sold through Model Builder magazine, Bill Northrop’s Plan Service, and the Scratch Builder’s Almanac. There are roughly 20,000 plans in the collection.
From Model Builder magazine comes the New Ruler by Henry “Hank” Struck. Spanning 72 inches, it has been called “One of the best Hank Struck gassies.”
You can order plans for the New Ruler, plans number 10820T, through plans.modelaircraft.org. Originally priced at $20, you can receive a 20% discount until March 31, 2021, by simply entering the code NEWRULER20 at checkout.
RC FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
THANKS TO the generous donation of a 1st U.S. R/C Flight School alumnus, the school will offer RC flight training scholarships to four aspiring young RC aviators this summer.
The scholarships include tuition, training manuals, a one-year AMA membership, a RealFlight simulator, and an Apprentice trainer to take home. Recipients will be chosen based on letters they submit that express how they might use their flight school experience to fuel an aviation career and encourage other youth to discover the excitement of model aviation, etc.
For more information, visit www.rcflightschool.com or call (715) 853-1003.
—Dave Scott
DESPITE BEING CLOSED to the public for much of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and accepting fewer collections during that period, the museum acquired a few artifacts. One of those was a significant collection of photographic images and other aeromodeling memorabilia originally belonging to Robert Henderson Munn (1926-2002).
The collection contains approximately 2,500 slides, photo albums, awards, papers, clothing, and more. We have only just begun thoroughly going through the collection because it covers roughly a half-century and includes documentation of Robert’s aeromodeling adventures around the world.
A copy of Robert’s “Recollections on Models and Miniatures” can be found in this collection (a portion of which was printed in the January/February 1992 issue of SAM Speaks). In it, he recalls his life in aeromodeling. He started in the 1930s by building solid models and reading full-scale aviation pulp fiction (such as the Bill Barnes publications). The first model he was able to successfully fly was a Comet Phantom Flash. He flew Free Flight at first, had a brief stint attempting Control Line, and then began flying RC in the 1950s.
The Munn family shared with us details of Robert’s life and his involvement with aeromodeling in biographical notes. He served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1953, worked in counterintelligence for several years, then received a bachelor’s degree in foreign service. He worked for the U.S. foreign service for more than 20 years while continuing to build and
fly. He joined clubs, attended competitions, and created many friendships along the way.
The family detailed his lifelong pursuits—traveling, photography, and model aviation—which are apparent in his collection. His photographs document his modeling at areas that span the globe, including Australia, South Africa, England, and the Dead Sea.
We included a few images from the collection with this article. You can find more images from the collection online in the Museum’s Digital Collections at https://modelaircraft.pastperfectonline.com. Use the phrase “Robert Henderson Munn Collection” in the keyword search. We will continue to add more in 2021.
Photographs published in two articles that he wrote for Model Aviation (“Fine-Tuning Radio Control Floatplanes,” in the June 1990 issue, and “Covering with Silk,” in the October 1993 edition) can also be found in this collection. You can read those articles in the Model Aviation Digital Library at https://library.modelaviation.com. If you want to see more of the National Model Aviation Museum’s holdings, check the Museum’s Digital Collections. We add more items every month.
Are you interested in donating your collection to the museum? Read about our donation process in the Donation Guide at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/donate/museum-donation-guide. Contact us for more details. We can also be reached at (765) 287-1256, ext. 511, or at museum@modelaircraft.org. If you are interested in donating model aircraft, forms and information on the acquisition committee review process can be found on the museum’s donation guide page.
