District III

Edition: Model Aviation - 2023/12
Page Numbers: 113

District III

Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

I received the following from Buck Hamrick:

“Wally’s Squadron R/C Flyers of Summersville, West Virginia, held its 32nd Annual R/C Fly-In and Airshow on August 16-19, 2023. There were 121 registered pilots from nine states. The weather was excellent, and the field was in great shape and used by many different types of aircraft, from small electrics to Giant Scale, turbines, and everything in between.

“Old friends and new made their way up and down the flightline, checking out the multitude of airplanes and looking for a great deal on something new to fly. Many pilot door prizes that were donated by several RC companies were given away. There were drawings for the pilots and games for children.

“On Saturday, an all-female flightline drew a lot of attention and gifts were awarded for their participation. Hot dog and pork barbecue meals were served, raising more than $1,800 in donations for The Childrens Home Society of West Virginia. The week ended with the lighting of luminaries and fireworks on Saturday night.”

Thank you, Buck, for your report. I can attest to everything Buck stated because I attended and was impressed with the quality of the event, the facilities, and all of the pilots in attendance.

Ten years ago, the AMA Executive Council created National Model Aviation Day to encourage clubs to celebrate the hobby and share it with the public. It is always held the second Saturday in August, and this year, several District III clubs participated. Jack Hilbert, of the Cocalico Prop Busters in Denver, Pennsylvania, reported that the club combined its annual warbird weekend on August 12-13 with its recognition of National Model Aviation Day. More than 30 pilots participated in the event.

Also celebrating National Model Aviation Day was the Flying Wing Nutz of St. Marys, West Virginia, which hosted the third annual Carl Hopkins Youth Aviation Expo in Bridgeport, West Virginia, on August 11-12, 2023. More than 600 youth and adults experienced model aviation with Free Flight, Control Line (CL), RC simulators, buddy-boxing, and more. I encourage your club to consider participating next year in this celebration on August 10, 2024.

Model aircraft pilots and airplanes assembled on a field — The Cocalico Prop Busters celebrated National Model Aviation Day at the club’s annual event.

Luminaries forming the letters W S at night — A drone shot above Wally’s Squadron using luminaries to feature the club’s logo.

Man standing beside a yellow model airplane on a field — Tony Hallo, from Pennsylvania, flew his beautiful Aeronca Champ at the Wally’s Squadron event.

Until next month, stay safe and fly safely.