District I
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
On May 4, 2024, my wife, Anna, and I attended the Southbridge Airport Aviation Expo in Massachusetts. This was the second event this year to be hosted by Richard Little to benefit cystic fibrosis (CF). The wonderful thing about Rich coordinating these events and inviting us to entertain the crowds with RC flying is knowing that it helps to raise money for research to cure CF. We also get to introduce a large audience to AMA and the sport of aeromodeling.
The event’s contest director (CD) and District I associate vice president (AVP), Doug Thompson, did a superb job planning and directing AMA’s participation in this event. The AMA team fliers included Doug, AVP Jim Cyr, AVP John Yassemedis, Colin Gaudette, and Ray Johnson. All of them did an excellent job flying a variety of model aircraft to the cheers and applause of the attendees.
They landed their RC aircraft when a full-scale Fairchild PT-23 airplane and a state police helicopter were flying, if other aircraft arrived for refueling, or when they were ready to depart. My wife sold raffle tickets to help fund the district’s STEM initiatives, and I answered questions about AMA while helping youngsters and adults fly on the simulators.
The airport management was thrilled with the event and is looking forward to a bigger gathering in 2025.
A special thanks to Rich, the organizer of these events, who, after his daughter was diagnosed with CF in 2004, founded the nonprofit Fight4CF. Please consider donating to CF at www.fight4cf.com/donate. And thanks to everyone for another successful public event to bring awareness to Fight4CF, AMA, and the sport of aeromodeling.
We welcomed Collin Gaudette and his dad, Philip, from the Rudy Tomasik Flyers in Connecticut, as new team members.
