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) 902-8207; dennisb6536@gmail.com
Frank Costello, Somerset NJ; teams3fpv@gmail.com
Chuck Davis, Sayville NY; (631) 589-7690; cjdavis60@verizon.net
Gary Fitch, Delevan NY; gmfitc@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 Szemere, 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
After hearing from many about the success of the event, I traveled to District III and the Dayton Wingmasters ModelRama in Dayton, Ohio, on April 29 and 30. Celebrating more than 20 years of this event, the Wingmasters have done a wonderful job of promoting and organizing the ModelRama.
Accompanying me to the Dayton event was Associate Vice President (AVP) Leonard Smart, District II’s safety coordinator. As is the case at events throughout the Northeast, both Leonard and I spoke with various AMA members from District II and beyond. Everything from the latest FAA matters to supporting other club events were among the topics of interest.
District III Vice President (VP) Mark Radcliff did a great job at his booth that included AMA brochures and a flight simulator for anyone to try. Other AMA AVPs and Leader Members attended the event as well.
ModelRama was at a new location from past years. Building such an event is not always easy; however, the Wingmasters members have worked hard and the effort seems to be paying dividends.
According to the Wingmasters’ website: “In this new configuration, we booked a
I am admiring a large RC boat.
Multicylinder engines.
One of the many commercial vendors.
record-breaking 350 tables and increased the show hours from one day to two.
“One of the main drivers for our growth was strong marketing. In 2021, we purchased a half-page ad in Model Aviation magazine. AMA clubs within a 200-mile radius of Dayton were contacted, we utilized social media, and most important, we stay in touch with past attendees, including sellers and patrons.”
Key to the Wingmasters’ success is communication and advertising, and lots of both. Not only did the Wingmasters produce a large amount of advertising, the club proved to be highly accessible and responsive to pre-event inquiries by attendees and others.
These qualities are essential for any successful club event—either flying or nonflying. Everyone should keep these things in mind for their future club efforts. Congratulations to the Wingmasters!
Remember, it’s not about what you fly, it’s about the friends you make!
