District V
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands
Welcome back everyone! I wanted to throw out my congratulations to the Palm Beach RC Association for being selected as the AMA Club of the Month for February 2022! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a couple of events there during my term and I was welcomed like one of the gang. Great job to everyone there!
We have a new AMA associate vice president (AVP) in the district. Tim DiPeri is a model helicopter pilot who is located in the Nashville, Tennessee, area, a team pilot, a guru of Kontronik ESCs, and an all-around, nice guy. Please welcome him if you see him.
I also want to take a moment to give a hearty welcome to all of the newly elected club officers in the district. If you’ve been reelected, welcome back! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I was a club officer for as long as I can remember before I ran to be your district vice president. Thank you for not running from office!
I no longer have to individually approve new contest directors or event managers, so if you’ve recently obtained that certification, thank you for stepping up and becoming more involved.
Next, congratulations go to the Moonport Modelers in Titusville, Florida, for attaining Silver Leader Club status. This accomplishment represents some hard work on the part of the club to check all of the boxes and get the paperwork straight. The Space Coast area has a long history in the development of the US space program, and that history includes many aeromodelers. If you’re in the area, the club welcomes visiting pilots. A visit to the Kennedy Space Center will make anyone proud of what we have accomplished. The Atlantis shuttle exhibit gave me chills.
Between weather and the usual quiet schedule in January, I didn’t get up to too much this month. I look forward to getting out and about as the event circuit starts to heat up, starting with a trip to the Imperial RC Club in Mulberry, Florida, for the Florida E-Jet Fest annual fly-in.
Because I have a little room this month and I’ve been asked this question several times lately, I’ll devote a little space to it.
“What else are you into besides model airplanes?” If you care about such things, I’m a lifelong hockey fan and grew up on the Philadelphia Flyers. I work as an off-ice official in the East Coast Hockey League and can be found at nearly every Jacksonville Icemen home game running the scoreboard or doing stats.
As a lifelong hockey fan, this has been a bucket list item for me for a long time. A private reception with plenty of time to enjoy the Stanley Cup came true.
I also have a two-door Jeep and love trail riding, beach days, and just getting out with the top down while cranking up some ’80s rock or country music. Oh yeah, I’m a Harry Potter nerd and the boss and I have annual passes to Universal Orlando and love roller coasters and simulator rides of all types.
All of that aside, most weekends I can be found at one of our local clubs (RC Club of Jacksonville and Gateway RC), flying or at events.
Get them started early! Ashlynn Chevalier, of Orange Park FL, worked with her dad building this kit-built Sig Kadet. She’s spent plenty of time at the field and on the simulator already. Her father, Corey, is an RC pilot, full-scale pilot, and an A&P mechanic, so aviation is in her blood.
Until next month, keep ’em flyin’!
Andrew Griffith
Vice President
barracudahockey@aol.com
12258 Bucks Harbor Dr. N.
Jacksonville FL 32225
(904) 993-4956
www.amadistrict-v.org
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Mickey Avery, AL; (334) 247-7123; district-V-AVP@email.com
Rick Grim, AL; (256) 656-0859; uavpilot@bellsouth.net
Joe Dolliver, FL; (239) 218-2677; Joe33914@gmail.com
Keith Hall, FL; (813) 928-3861; wingman@verizon.net
Jose Melendez, FL; (321) 412-3078; rcjets12@hotmail.com
Andre Smith, FL; (850) 980-3724; andredsmithsr@gmail.com
Bill Barbee, GA; (912) 660-2155; awbarbee@hotmail.com
Bob Dixon, GA; (478) 960-5200; rldixon3@cox.net
Nick Ray, GA; (865) 368-3820; lasray@gmail.com
Darrell Sprayberry, GA; (706) 280-5848; darrelluhb@optlink.us
Paul Verger, MS; (228) 826-4892; cpaulverger@yahoo.com
Edwin Medina, Puerto Rico; (787) 525-7768; captainmedina@gmail.com
Don Wise, SC; (803) 534-8164; d7wise@cs.com
Scott Anderson, TN; rcfoamy@hotmail.com
Tim DiPeri, TN; (615) 591-7399; caseco@comcast.net
Dick Tonan, TN; (615) 995-6291; dtonan@mac.com
SAFETY COORDINATOR: Red Scholefield, Johns Island SC; (843) 494-5225; redsch03@gmail.com
RC, CL, AND FF EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR: Dick Tonan, (615) 995-6291; dtonan@mac.com
WEBMASTER: Glenn Bond, d5amaweb@gmail.com
