District II
New Jersey, New York, Europe
Eric Williams
Vice President
rcpilot@nycap.rr.com
4242 Amanda Ln., Schenectady NY 12303
(518) 356-2057
www.amadistrict-ii.org
www.facebook.com/DistrictIIAMA
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Dennis Andreas, Freeport NY; (516) 379-0135; danandreasdnhsd@juno.com
Frank Costello, Somerset NJ; teams3fpv@gmail.com
Chuck Davis, Sayville NY; (631) 589-7690; cjdavis60@verizon.net
Gary Fitch, Delevan NY; gmfitch@hotmail.com
Gene Gavin, Staten Island NY; (718) 967-0598; Gavin1957@aol.com
Frank Granelli, Rockaway NJ; (973) 625-4995; granelliff@aol.com
Bill Hauth, Hamburg NY; (716) 649-8582; toolmkr2000@msn.com
Tony Jensen, Binghamton NY; (607) 644-6873; tjravenpilot@gmail.com
Ron McGrath, North Chili, NY; ronmcgrath@rochester.rr.com
Anthony Rossi, Somerset NJ; (917) 320-2665; p510851@gmail.com
Leonard Max Smart, Morrisonville NY; (518) 563-6878; hotrodsbymax@charter.net
Alexander Szemerе, Kendall Park NJ; (732) 821-5641; drszemere@aol.com
Michael Wong, Mahwah NJ; kingmeow@verizon.net
Herb Ziegler, Baldwinsville NY; (315) 857-6266; herbz1957@yahoo.com
RC EVENT SANCTION COORDINATORS
Tony and Trish Jensen, 23 Clarendon Dr., Binghamton, NY 13901; (607) 644-6873; tjravenpilot@gmail.com
CL/FF EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
AMA Headquarters, Competitions Department; (800) 435-9262, Ext. 252; cpierce@modelaircraft.org
On September 11, 2021, I attended the 54th annual Rhinebeck Jamboree, held at the historic Rhinebeck Aerodrome and hosted by the Mid-Hudson RC Society. Joining me for the day were AMA District I Vice President Andy Argenio and District I Associate Vice President Steve Brehm.
Anyone who knows World War I-era aircraft knows about the Rhinebeck Aerodrome, established on a former 107-acre farm by Cole Palen. What many do not know is that Cole was not only a pioneering WW I aircraft restorer, but he was also a modeler.
With Cole’s complete backing and support, the first Old Rhinebeck Jamboree was held on September 23, 1967, with Dick Allen as the contest director. Cole even offered vintage aircraft instruments as prizes to winning contestants.
In the years that have followed since Cole endorsed the first Rhinebeck Jamboree, the event has maintained a strong following of WW I Scale enthusiasts, including many championship Scale pilots from the US and throughout the world. If anyone wants to see Scale modeling at its best,
it can be seen at the Rhinebeck Jamboree!
The Rhinebeck Aerodrome is no stranger to hard times. Fire destroyed the Aerodrome’s gift shop and model museum on August 20, 2015. Tragically, many wonderful Free Flight aircraft were lost. Also destroyed were several awards that AMA had given to Cole and others. While I arranged for new awards to be created, many precious models were sadly lost forever. The gift shop was replaced with a new, modern building that today serves air show fans.
As I wrote this, the 2022 date for the historic Rhinebeck Jamboree had yet to be announced. You can visit the Spring Fun-Fly for model aircraft at the Aerodrome on June 11-12, 2022. Complete information is available at www.mhrcs.com.
Remember, it’s not about what you fly, it’s about the friends you make!
