District VII
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
April showers bring May flowers and what do May flowers bring? Warmer days, growing grass, and outdoor flying for District VII.
Yes, members, we made it through the bitter cold and snow, and we are now looking forward to warmer weather, longer periods of daylight, and good times flying our models.
Soon, if not already, your winter build projects will make their maiden flights, old faithful will take to the sky, and perhaps some new adventures in modeling will take place. Now is a great time to not only share our passion for the hobby, but to also welcome new and old to model aviation.
As we get ready to take advantage of the coming warmer weather, let’s take a moment to look over a few key things.
First, our beloved models might not have had the flights we had hoped to make last season and have sat throughout the winter. Make sure to take the time to check those control surfaces. Give them a little tug to make sure the hinges are still secure and if you have any doubt, now is the time to pin and/or reglue them. It is not uncommon in the winter, with our airplanes being stored in the basement in the low humidity that winter brings, for the wood to dry and shrink slightly, affecting glue joints.
Do not forget to give those servos and batteries a good check. Believe it or not, an airplane that I was checking had a servo that had a shake to it. The model flew well the previous season, but for some reason over the winter, the servo developed a problem. I replaced it and the aircraft will be ready for another great season of flying.
For you RC pilots, give your receiver a look-over. Make sure there is no damage to the antenna(s), see that everything is secure, and above all, perform a range check.
Control Line fliers, do not forget to give your lines, attachments, and handles a good once-over too. Make sure that that there are no frayed cables and no kinks.
For you electric fliers, it is a good time to check those flight packs and connections. Make sure that there is no corrosion and that the connections are secure. While you’re at it, you might check out your charging setup too. No need to find a problem on the first day at the field!
Not forgetting you fuel burners (gasoline, nitro, diesel, etc.), give your engine a turnover by hand. Do you feel any roughness? Perhaps a bearing that has become rusty? Did you forget to use some after-run oil? Now’s a good time to check it before running it and having something bad happen. It is much easier to change out the bearings than to have it seize while running, potentially destroying the engine, or even worse, losing an aircraft.
This Vought F4U Corsair is on display at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Kalamazoo MI. Photo courtesy of AMA member Samuel Milligan.
This Bell P-39 Airacobra, nicknamed Whistlin’ Britches, is on display at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum. Milligan photo.
When we get back to the field, let’s have fun. Share the passion!
Randy Gibson
Vice President
rgibson@mmrca.org
503 Mall Ct. # 289, Lansing MI 48912
(317) 688-4346
www.amadistrict-vii.org
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Bruce Baier, Oshkosh WI; (920) 233-1127; buzsrr@gmail.com
Lee Frederickson, Ada MI; L1520@comcast.net
David George, Riverview MI; (734) 284-9017; indian city5129@yahoo.com
Bud Gorman, Knife River MN; (218) 834-5797; gorman@frontiernet.net
Bob Johnson, Fond du Lac WI; (920) 922-6705; bobj54935@yahoo.com
Mark Robotti, Lindstrom MN; (651) 257-6792; mgrobotti@frontier.com
Dell Shannon, Osceola IA (641) 342-4278; dell.t.shannon@gmail.com
Marc “Doc” Shelstrom, Lancaster WI; (608) 732-4077; shelstrm@uwplatt.edu
Len Todd, Baldwin MI; (907) 903-3569; lentodd@att.net
Peter G. Van Heusden, Bloomfield Hills MI; (248) 515-1071; petervh@malibutech.com
Kent Woods, Ames IA; (515) 232-8180; woods229@msn.com
EVENT SANCTION COORDINATORS
Michael J. Haller (RC), Fond du Lac WI; (920) 979-9452; mike.haller60@gmail.com
Marc Warwashana (CL), Whitmore Lake MI; (734) 449-7355; whellieman@gmail.com
AMA Headquarters (FF), (800) 435-9262; competition@modelaircraft.org
FREQUENCY COORDINATORS
Al Schwartz, Roseville MN; (651) 633-2286; alberts@comcast.net
Pete Waters, Northville MI; (248) 924-0223; petewaters@charter.net
