A HELPING HAND
By Jay Smith, Executive Editor | jays@modelaircraft.org
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS of working at AMA during the flying season is being able to stop out at events happening right in our own backyard. Nearly every weekend, and occasionally during the week, we have events covering all of the disciplines of aeromodeling.
One such event was the Flying Aces Club Outdoor Championships in September. While I was out visiting the event, catching up with friends, and admiring the beautiful model aircraft in attendance, I found out that Tom Hallman, a Model Aviation columnist, had lost his Gollywock in the corn to the west of the field.
After at least an hour’s search, the airplane had not been found. I called the office from the field and, shortly afterward, Matt Ruddick came out with a drone to help in the search. Two full batteries were flown to search for the model, but it wasn’t resting on the top of the 8-foot-tall corn and couldn’t be seen.
Although the airplane wasn’t found, a lot of appreciation and goodwill was created by the effort. Fortunately, the next morning, Tom found his model after searching again with a friend. It turned out that the model came to rest slightly south of where we were searching and slid, tail first, a few feet into the corn, making the blue and yellow airplane hard to see.
“I see this willingness to help fellow modelers day in and day out, not just at fun-flys but also during various competitions.”
The model was left to dry in the car for a day after becoming damp in the morning dew and was then given a quick inspection, put back into service, and won a mass launch!
I see this willingness to help fellow modelers day in and day out, not just at fun-flys but also during various competitions. In this issue, you will read about another event that took place at AMA, where the pilots and event volunteers helped the newest member of the magazine staff as she covered her first event, Air Power Over the IAC. Learn more starting on page 30.
