District III
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Happy New Year District III! We saw a huge resurgence in event activity in 2022, thanks to the COVID pandemic subsiding. I participated in more than 20 events, and my associate vice presidents (AVPs) and several clubs sent reports about events in which they participated. I will begin the new year with two event reports from Central Pennsylvania AVP Jeff Black.
The Westminster Aerobats Flying Club held its fly-in on June 25, 2022, at the club’s field in Pillow, Pennsylvania. The event drew more than 20 pilots to enjoy a weekend of flying and fellowship. The club did a good job of making sure that the event ran smoothly and all felt welcome.
On July 23, 2022, the Blue and Gray Miniature Aircraft Squadron displayed models in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, at the antique car show “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” A lot of people stopped by to look at the airplanes and antique cars. It was a good event to showcase the hobby.
I received the following from District III member Don Shugard of Effort, Pennsylvania:
Camp Jaycee, in Effort, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to creating lifelong memories and making a difference in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities since 1975. On August 13, 2022, the camp invited the Beltzville Flying Machine Society and West End Wings to put on an RC flying demonstration for 150 campers.
Ron Keiper, Tim Bickford, Zack Houck, Marc Rimland, and I flew a variety of foam and UMX airplanes. Doug Altemose demonstrated his 6-foot-tall Great American Hero.
Kyle Snyder performed with three helicopters, including the crowd favorite, a Whiplash-G II.
The campers really got behind Doug’s Blue Streamer, cheering him to victory against Marc’s White Streamer and Don’s Green Streamer in a hotly contested Combat match. The afternoon culminated with an encore Combat rematch and thundering cheers from the campers as the Blue Streamer’s victory rolled around the field.
Thank you, Camp Jaycee, for letting us create a memory for your campers.
I received the following from Northern Ohio AVP Tony Husak.
The Cleveland National Airshow has been held on Labor Day weekend for more than 50 years, and model aviation demonstrations have been a part of it for 47 of those years, with Contest Director Bernie Oldenburgh and I as flightline boss. Four youngsters flew this year: twins Eddie and Ethan (11), Marcus (12) and Tim Hershberger (13), all of whom did an excellent job flying. Chris Justus flew his P-40, Hugh Polack flew his P-51, and Paul Soha and Daniel Tureac made some excellent helicopter flights. Steve Schwartz, Myron Clark, Robert Byler, Marc Stermer, and Ray Weimer also performed fantastic acrobatic demos.
Thank you to everyone who sent me information about how your clubs are promoting model aviation. Until next month, stay safe and fly safely.
