District III
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
District III is blessed with exceptional members. I received the following from Fran Kolet, concerning a member who goes above and beyond to help others.
“We have attended the Wally’s Squadron RC event in Summersville, West Virginia, for the last 5 years. James ‘Buck’ Hamrick and his wife, Betty, along with the other club members, have been hosting this event for 31 years. They do not charge any fees for flying and the barbecue dinner on Saturday night is donation only. They support local youth group activities such as band, cheerleading, etc.
“In 2022, heavy rains caused flooding and the event was canceled. Many fliers and their families were enroute and came anyway. Usually there are more than 100 pilots; however, this year there were 25 or so, despite the flooded field. Normally prizes are given to the women, children, and the RC pilots during the event; however, because it was canceled, Buck and Betty donated the collected gifts to underprivileged children.
“As we were leaving Summersville, we saw Buck in a parking lot, loading several cases of pork butts into his truck. Buck said since they didn’t have the barbecue, they were donating them to local women’s shelters, senior centers, and people in need.
“Wally’s Squadron has promoted model aviation at its best. The club’s motto is Flying, Friendship & Fun. Wally’s Squadron is well known in the community, having won awards by the chamber of commerce and tourist bureau for promoting the Summersville area. I talked with several attendees, and we all agree that Buck and the club should be considered for the Carl Goldberg Vital People Award.”
Thank you, Fran, for nominating Buck for this prestigious award. Congratulations Buck, Betty, and Wally’s Squadron. To learn more about this award, visit www.modelaircraft.org/clubs/recognition-rewards.
I received the following from Ohio District III member Todd Powell:
The model aviation community unexpectedly lost an educator and modeler, Richard “Dick” Millard, in October 2022, at the age of 80. Dick began his love of model aviation at 8 years old, was a proud U.S. Army veteran, and flew RC airplanes throughout his life.
In the 1990s, he founded the Wright State Renegades RC Club at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio. Wright State University took notice of Dick and asked him to teach the senior engineering students to build and fly RC aircraft. Dick taught thousands to build and fly RC models.
When the university expanded its campus, the Renegades were forced to move, and Dick changed the name to Fairborn Flying Aces RC Club in Fairborn, Ohio. To honor Dick, the Fairborn Flying Aces RC Club will host a Memorial Fun Fly on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023, from 10 a.m. until dark. The landing fee is $10. There will be food for a donation and raffles of prizes, with all funds raised going to his family. If you are unable to attend but would like to donate to the family, send your donation through PayPal to FairbornFlyingAces@gmail.com and a note that it is for Dick’s family.
Until next month, stay safe and fly safely.
