District II
New Jersey, New York, Europe
On February 11, 2023, I attended the 11th annual ATOMS RCers Swap Meet at the Hillsborough Municipal Complex in Hillsborough, New Jersey. The club has done a great job throughout the past decade in hosting the widely popular District II event.
As can be expected at most swap meets, there was a wide variety of items available at Hillsborough. Attendees could purchase anything needed to build an aircraft—everything from building materials to complete ready-to-fly aircraft were there.
Although buying and selling model aircraft is exciting, a key component of swap meets is the social aspect. Seeing so many faces at Hillsborough and at similar events is important because it maintains friendships and increases networking in our hobby.
It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of my great friend Horace Hagen. Horace was a 2010 inductee in the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and with good reason. Horace’s rotary-wing accomplishments in the early days of model aviation are legendary.
He served as chairman of the AMA Radio Control Helicopter Advisory Committee, chairman of AMA Radio Control Helicopter Contest Board, chairman of FAI/CIAM F3C Radio Control Helicopter Subcommittee, and chairman of F3C Team Selection Committee.
Horace’s vintage Scale RC Cobra helicopter is now part of the National Model Aviation Museum’s collection. Horace was also an outstanding modeler with varied interests who not only set new levels of accomplishment for RC helicopters, but did so in other areas as well.
He was instrumental in the continued use of Hangar 1 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey, as an indoor flying site. The very large airspace has been used by the East Coast Indoor Modelers (ECIM) club to host some of the most noted national indoor aero-modeling events.
Under Horace’s leadership, Hangar 1 and the ECIM, were recognized for long-standing contributions to model aviation. Model flying in Hangar 1 dates back to the 1920s!
As chairman of the National Model Aircraft Museum committee, it was my honor to work with Horace on the application and approval of both the club and the flying site being historically recognized by AMA. Thank you, Horace, for your many contributions and so many great memories.
Remember, it’s not about what you fly, it’s about the friends you make.
