District VII
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Hello, District VII members! I hope your flying season has been going well. Here, the temperatures have been mainly mild and the rain light. This is great for our opportunities to fly but not good for those within our district who farm. The number of events occurring this year are tremendous, and I have been fortunate to attend many, with more events to come.
One of the backbones of our hobby is the local hobby shop. On one of my recent trips throughout District VII, I had the opportunity to stop in a phenomenal hobby shop: Hobby Haven, in Urbandale, Iowa. The owner, Darin Wicker, and his staff are eager to help make sure that, whatever your specific area of modeling is, you are up, running, and having fun!
We have probably all heard of the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Add rockets and boats, and that best describes the store. I have not seen such a selection of trains since I was a child. If you are passing through the area, stop in to visit Hobby Haven.
I’ll have more on my visits throughout the area will be shared in another column, but right now, I would like to give the floor to John Hoover to tell us about John’s Jet Jam in Pontiac, Michigan:
Wow, 12 years! Time does fly. In the past decade, model jets have continued to improve, allowing fun right out of the box. In the beginning, the Phase 3 F-16 kit (now defunct) was in widespread use. This year, there were still a few scratch-built aircraft, mixed in with many ready-to-fly models at the event. We all had a good time!
There was a decent pilot turnout, with 30-plus aircraft on display and many spectators. The weather was spot-on, with the sky in nearly constant use. Partway through, we stopped the event and put the models out on display. We invited the spectators to come out to look closer and encouraged any questions that they might have had about our great hobby.
The pilots enjoyed the new Pontiac Miniature Aircraft Club’s Geotex runway. The event was a financial success for our club based on food and raffles. Although that was not the primary goal, it never hurts. We wanted to spread the word about our field and share information about our hobby.
I mentioned many times on the PA system about our beginners’ night, and I was happy to talk to a few people who were interested in returning and learning to fly. Three pilots’ choice awards were presented, with nice, laser-engraved tumblers as prizes that were sponsored by Wedgewood Management and Aspect Laser. The top three pilots, in order, were Justin Chizek, flying a Sukhoi Su-30; Steve Seltman; and Tim Toutant.
Great report, John, and judging from the pictures, everyone had a wonderful time. I hope I can attend next year.
I have run out of space again. More to come next month about other events I attended and a story of a display that will be shown in honor of a District VII pioneer of the hobby.
Stay tuned for more, but until then, keep flying and share the passion!
