National Model Aviation Day 2016

Event coverage As seen in the November 2016 issue of Model Aviation.

Thunderstorms couldn’t dampen spirits at the National Model Aviation Day 2016 celebration held in Muncie, Indiana. Across the country, similar events went off without a hitch. On or around August 13, clubs held special events to commemorate and celebrate model aviation and to raise money for a good cause. At the time of this writing, more than $18,000 had been raised for Disabled American Veterans, the charity chosen this year by AMA to receive proceeds from the celebrations. More than $6,000 has been raised for various other nonprofits. According to Mandee Mikulski of the AMA Foundation, roughly a third of the 124 clubs that participated this year had turned in the money they raised by the time this was written.

Left: The rain couldn’t stop Issac Wentz (L) and Kaidin Nickel from having fun in the National Model Aviation Museum’s hands-on gallery.
Right: Four-year-old Kaleigh Brinkley, from Muncie, tries out the foam airplane that she built.

National Model Aviation Day would not be possible without sponsors such as this year’s platinum sponsors, Ready Made RC, Hobbico, Horizon Hobby, and HobbyKing. Many of the smaller gatherings also had local sponsors. At AMA Headquarters in Muncie, 350 people attended Aviation Adventure, the name of this year’s celebration. In addition to free tours of the National Model Aviation Museum, attendees enjoyed free youth airplane rides provided by the EAA Young Eagles program; free make-and-take kites, rockets, and airplanes; flying model aircraft through the use of a buddy box; free appetizers courtesy of Applebee’s; and the first-ever Community Takeoff Challenge. When the event kicked off at 9 a.m., a handful of families were already waiting to board the shuttle vans to head to Reese Airport for the youth airplane rides. Near the museum, many of the youngsters who built kites and foam airplanes didn’t hesitate to try them out while the weather was pleasant. Shortly after the celebration began, dark clouds collected over the International Aeromodeling Center, threatening to halt activities several times. It wasn’t until roughly noon that lightning, thunder, and heavy downpours ended the outdoor activities. The fun was moved indoors and the crowds followed. Make sure to watch nationalmodelaviationday.org for updates on the total raised and reports about other National Model Aviation Day celebrations.