District VII
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Happy holidays to all of you in District VII. It is hard to believe that Christmas is around the corner. I am sure many of you, as I have, went from the heat of summer to the instantaneous cold that I call winter. One day, the temperatures were in the 70s and the next, we were in the 30s.
I must thank the district members; you really ramped up the events toward the end of the season and I am still trying to catch up with the reports. Great job, District VII! Way to share the passion.
With that, let me pass on the report of a fly-in held in Owatonna, Minnesota. Thanks to John Fischer for sending in pictures and details of the event. I’ll let John take it from here.
The Southern Minnesota Model Aircraft Club (SMMAC), located in Owatonna, hosted its 18th annual Northern Alliance Military Fly In. The event was held August 11-13, 2022, and was a tremendous success. A total of 88 pilots attended the event and the weather, although a little rainy and breezy on Friday, was fantastic.
The property at which SMMAC flies is owned by fellow modeler Tim Johnson. The event chairs, Chris Mayer and Calvin Branton, did a terrific job of making everyone feel comfortable and safe. Chris stated, “Our goal has always been to provide a laid-back atmosphere supported by ‘Minnesota Nice,’ coupled with one of the nicest Giant Scale flying sites in the upper Midwest.”
Their goal did not disappoint. Many enjoyed attending this Giant Scale event and meeting and making friends with pilots from throughout the Midwest. Flying included two gaggles: one was a Dawn Patrol with 11 World War I models and the second was a World War II gaggle that involved 16 warbirds. Wow! What an adrenaline rush!
I have included a few pictures from the field. Expert jet pilot Larry Sorenson flew his beautiful F-35 probably 20 times extremely well. The pit area was long and packed with gorgeous models, all reflecting the warbirds and classics theme.
This event is one of eight held in the upper Midwest, collectively known as the Warbirds & Classics Alliance. Visit www.warbirdsandclassics.com and place this event on your calendar next year. You will be glad you did!
Thank you, John, and you are right. The Alliance holds events throughout the district and the airplanes that show up are incredible.
More articles are to come, and thanks to all who have invited me to your events. I’m already looking forward to 2023.
I want to also take a moment to share of the loss of another dear friend, Andy Low. Many of you might know Andy from his business, ElectroDynamics, a supplier of RC components and batteries. Andy and I shared many years of laughter and fun times. From flying helicopters, to airplanes, to turbines, he always had a joke to share and the twinkle in his eye. I will miss the times we had at the flying field and the fun he used to poke at me.
I also would like to pass on a correction from my November 2022 column. I love going to events, as well as hearing from clubs. I can only write so much each month, but I have much to share and sometimes I have a squirrel moment (shiny things)! I made a mistake and wrote that the Wolverine Skyhawks were in Iowa. The club is, in fact, in Michigan, and my brain and fingers became disjointed. I apologize to Eric and the Wolverine Skyhawks for my error.
As we celebrate the holidays, it reminds me of a saying I heard: “Today is a gift, enjoy the time.” During the holidays and going into next year, spread happiness and joy. Many struggle during this time of year for a multitude of reasons. A smile can be very uplifting.
