District VI
Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri
Larry Erbach reported the following:
My new role as the club president of the Chain-O-Lakes Eagles RC Flying Club in Crystal Lake, Illinois, began in January 2025. One of our members encouraged me to visit the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana. The goal: Learn what I could and strengthen our connection with AMA.
The Member and Club Services departments welcomed me and arranged meetings with the Education and AMA Foundation departments. I admitted that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I asked for an overview of their work and guidance on what our club should be thinking about in the future. I was amazed by the resources available.
That visit was more than a year ago. This week, I returned to the IAC with District VI’s vice president and the AMA Education Committee chairman. We shared our successes and challenges with the staff, who were eager to listen, learn, and offer new ideas. We left with fresh ideas for Know Before You Fly and UAS4STEM programs, new inspiration for expanding our sanctioned events, competitions, and fun-fly activities, and how to improve our communication. We also enjoyed a museum tour and gained appreciation for the work that is being done to preserve the history of model aviation.
Led by Mark Shelmadine, the workshop challenged participants with detailed foam board assembly and precise alignment. Young builders and family members looked on intently as techniques were demonstrated, and then they worked together to turn those lessons into completed aircraft. For many of the young participants, this was their first experience transforming flat foam board into a flyable aircraft.
While some builders test-flew their completed aircraft during the event, others left with a clear path to finish them at home with ongoing club mentorship. This impactful community effort was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Horizon Hobby and Flite Test. Special thanks goes to our dedicated volunteers!
