District XI
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Hi all. The weather is just starting to change as I write this. I hope that you have all been getting out and flying!
AMA Northwest Jamboree is now just around the corner—June 11-13 in Wenatchee, Washington, at the Red Apple Fliers field. It’s going to be a great time and I hope to see you all there! We are planning some new things for this event. Visit www.amanwjamboree.com for details and a schedule.
One of the new things at this year’s event will be an auction on Saturday evening to benefit the AMA Foundation, right after our District XI membership meeting. We are going to have three or four nice items for auction, and AMA Foundation Director Kelsie Walker is planning to attend and answer any of your questions about the foundation.
Please investigate what the foundation does at www.modelaircraft.org/foundation. I am a Torchbearer Donor because I support all that it does. Please think about becoming one also.
My build project, the Der Jager, has advanced a little. I got stuck because I needed to sand the lower wing to fit the fuselage and the weather was cold. I don’t sand in the house, so I had to delay it. I ordered and received my fiberglass parts from Fiberglass Specialties. The company does nice work and supports many older kits and plans, as it did for this 30-year-old kit that I’m building. I’m easily distracted and am putting together another airplane for flying from water.
I also picked up a new airplane to fly for fun: the E-flite Conscendo Evolution. This is one I can just carry with me and throw into the air if I have a few minutes and want to get a flight in.
This one handles the wind well and flies both fast and slow. It can be hand-launched and belly lands, so field requirements are minimal. I always like trying something new and different!
Associate Vice President Joe Miller sent in some good news and a valuable piece of advice. The Keizer Crosswinds club lost its field in 2019. The club was fortunate enough to find a new field in 2020. A farmer who grows trees for nurseries is allowing them to use a small piece of land behind his barn. The members are working hard to make this a fun place to fly.
This is the fate that awaits a lot of clubs. We are at the mercy of landowners who love us but eventually pass away or sell the land. There is never a guarantee that we will have a flying site. With the steady growth in Oregon, we are seeing flying sites turned into housing developments or being sold to investors who are afraid to allow anyone to use the land, or to family members who need it for their own use.
Always be looking for new sites and making contacts in the community. The more people you know, the better your chances are of finding a site when you need it. Be a good tenant at the site you have. A good reference goes a long way.
The Northwest Model Hobby Expo, traditionally held at the fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington, has been rescheduled for October 30-31, 2021. I plan to attend and I hope to see you all there.
That’s it for this month. Keep building and flying!
Phil Tallman
Vice President
AMADistrictXI@modelaircraft.org
28910 W. Hallett Rd., Medical Lake WA 99022; (509) 220-6513
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
David Agar, Battle Ground WA; (360) 721-1963; kamannhusky@aol.com
Rick Crow, Garrison MT; (406) 559-6662; rcrowrjr@gmail.com
Bryan Diffendaffer, Meridian ID; (208) 841-7358; bryandiff@cableone.net
Michael Ingram, Wenatchee WA; (509) 699-3034; firercer@cs.com
Joe Miller, Dallas OR; (503) 798-7241; dragonriders54@yahoo.com
Chris Rankin, Bend OR; (541) 330-5692; oregonraven@earthlink.net
Robert Stephens, Anchorage AK; (907) 440-0478; rfstephens@hotmail.com
Jay Strickland, Central Point OR; (541) 830-7976; strickdog@q.com
Tom Strom, McCleary WA; (360) 791-7729; flyboy23e@aol.com
FF/CL EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
Mike Hazel, P.O. Box 505, Lyons OR 97358; zaclspeed@aol.com
RC EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
Michael Ingram, Wenatchee WA 98802; (509) 699-3034; firercer@cs.com
