District IX
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
The Missouri Slope Model Aero club took over the annual dome fly in Bismarck, North Dakota, in February. This indoor driving range has always been one of my favorite indoor flying sites, so I again made the trip this year. The dome has recently been renovated, and one of the upgrades is much better lighting, making my visit even more pleasant.
Many fliers and different types of airplanes are always typical at this event, and with all that space, everyone gets plenty of airtime.
A highlight for me was meeting second-grader Austin and his grandfather. Austin watched as some of the regulars wound up our AMA ALPHAs and made a mass launch of rubber-powered flight. I asked him if he’d like to try, and he nodded yes. We gave him his own ALPHA, helped him assemble it, and in short order he was making long flights of his own. You can see by the look on his face that he enjoyed the experience. For the next hour, grandfather and grandson enjoyed their new ALPHA and gave us a hardy thank-you as they packed it up to take it home. Thanks to Brandon Koch, Terry Wiles, Zack Heskin, and Troy Lapp for inspiring this eager, young pilot.
As many of you know, Hazel Sig-Hester celebrated her 100th birthday in March 2022. AMA asked its members to celebrate her through pictures and stories. I am a lifelong builder of Sig kits, and I had the privilege of attending quite a few of the annual Father’s Day Sig fun-flys in my early flying years. Hazel, Glen Sigafoose, and Maxey Hester treated us all like members of the family. Great memories.
Here are a couple of Sig airplanes of my own. The first is one I just finished refurbishing: a Sig Kommander from a swap meet. I converted it to electric, re-covered it, and applied my own vinyl graphics. It flies like all Sig airplanes do.
The second one is the Sig Kadet that got me started in RC in 1978. It was three-channel, controlled by a Kraft single-stick radio, and powered by an O.S. .35 engine with no muffler. It did not last long in my ham-fisted attempts to learn to fly RC, but paved the way for others.
Happy birthday, Hazel.
Jim Tiller
Vice President
jtiller@hotmail.com
Box 828, Custer SD 57730
(605) 390-3878
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Craig Bastian, Casper WY; (307)577-6463; craigb1961@msn.com
Tyler Brown, Lincoln NE; (402) 617-0444; tylerzx9@yahoo.com
Steve Graham, Denver CO; (303) 883-0205; steve.graham1@comcast.net
Brandon Koch, Mandan ND; (701) 471-9575; kochbrandon471@gmail.com
Rick McCaskill, Frederick CO; (303) 682-0440; rickm1947@aol.com
Zachary Roller, Rapid City SC; (605) 519-0815; zroller28@gmail.com
Arend Schuurman, Elkton SD; (605) 695-2122; arend.schuurman@gmail.com
Terry Wiles, Harrisburg SD; terryscustom@yahoo.com
EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
Troy Hamm, Gardner KS; (913) 744-5745; funflyr@juno.com
