Grand Opening

Grand Opening...

National Flying Site opens June 13 and 14, 1992

By Vince Mankowski

As seen in the October 1992 Issue of Model Aviation.

The Grand Opening of the first National Flying Site was scheduled for the 13th and 14th of June, 1992. But people began arriving as much as a week early, and already something special was in the air.

Aerial views of the Muncie, Indiana flying site, Carl Wheeley took the inset photo, with John Hunton piloting.
The larger photo is by Wayne Hunnicutt.

AMA Member John Kaiser, of New York, represented all AMA members as he cut the ribbon to officially open the first National Flying Site.
AMA officers are at left.

Probably as many as 500 people had arrived by late Thursday afternoon. Twenty-four hours later and a full day before the event, an estimated 2,000 people were on hand at times. We are told by the Muncie Visitors Bureau that between 6,000 and 8,000 people were onsite Saturday. That doesn't take into account the many who entered the site, stayed for a few hours, and then left!

Want to fly? Bring your plane from the pits and get in line in the ready area. there were almost 400 flights on Saturday alone.

AMA Sound Committee Chairman Howard Crispin led a Saturday-night symposium on the subject of model airplane sound.
Site was the new Frank V. Ehling museum facility.

On Sunday, traditionally a slower day, we saw between 3,000 and 5,000 people at various times during the day. While no official head count was taken during the Grand Opening, with its wide-open doors and invitation-to-all atmosphere, we can relate that 10,000 bumper stickers were handed out by Saturday night, and that all 7,500 program books disappeared very early. The bumper stickers and programs were handed, one each, to every car entering the site.

Joseph Reinhard's (Columbus, Ohio) Control Line Stunt model.
In the  background, Dan Teiziaff helps Charlie Bauer ready his ducted-fan CL Scale F-86 for a flight.

There was something electric in the air, an undeniable and powerful energy. An emotion: pride. The key surely is found in the fact that this was not a state park, nor a city landfill, nor an unused portion of an Air Force base—nor even a few acres of land  that a handful of guys had managed to lease for flying airplanes because it was unsuitable for farming or development. This was finally, a grass-roots reality, our site.

Our site. Made possible entirely by the membership of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, its design and construction overseen by and managed for the modelers, the Muncie site—all 1,000-plus acres—belongs to the AMA membership (goose bumps).

Eric Dern's Lockheed Constellation in the TWA livery dominates this view of the pit areas.

Pilot Don Lowe lifting of Erc Dern's beautiful TWA Constellation.

AMA member and visitors entered the property and drove past the 24,000-sq.-ft. building erected to house our new museum, the Frank V. Ehling Complex. Ours (goose bumps). We drove down a brand-new 8,000-ft.-long, winding two-lane asphalt road. Ours—ours—ours! Looking across the broad expanse of a thousand acres (goose bumps) from this winding boulevard, our pulses raced with the fulfillment of lifelong dreams. Things we hadn't dared to dream about just a few short years ago were now a reality.

Ten minutes later, we're still driving—it's a big place. Three main parking lots with an 1,800 car capacity; the circus tent filled with industry and model exhibits; the impound pavilion, concessions, and crowds all come into view. Ours—ecstasy!

Ron Goodrich built this 68-lb, 14-ft.-span model of a WW II B-24J, Four Quadra 42s power the model.

Bounding out of the car and scurrying to unload, we fight off the impulse to pinch ourselves. Are we dreaming? Have we gone to heaven? No. It's real. It's here. It's ours. The spine chills. It's hard to make up our minds: get something cold to drink; see some old friends; meet some new ones. (Give me the blasted pin!)

We catch our breath and look around. Control Line models, Free Flight models, youngsters learning how to fly. Big birds, little birds, Scale planes, showstoppers. There's even a darned trade show—how about that? A big swap shop! How in heaven's name does it get any better than this.

Tom Jackson, of Dayton Ohio, poses with his Ultimate Bipe.

Wayne Hunnicutt, of Big Bend, Wisconsin, shows off his modified yellow Telemaster 40.

The long-awaited Grand Opening of the first National Flying site took place, and took a place in history. It was open doors, free admission, even a free lunch for AMA members and their families. Someone said, "We'd be rich if we had a buck for every car that came on site." Heck, a bunch of us would be rich if we had a nickel for every photograph taken!

The Civil Air Patrol parked the cars, George Steiner came in from California to handle the impound, AMA Technical Director Bob Underwood ran the flight lines with a crackerjack crew—volunteers like Jay Nealy, Joe Vislay, and many others. Two AMA Staffers Bob Vojslavek handling registration and Director of Marketing Geoff Styles up in the tower—joined the three AMA staffers onsite in Muncie (Phil Sullivan, Judy Czajkowski, and Cliff McKee) to help organize things.

Mike Pratt gives young Amanda Hines a taste of model airplane flying. She was one of many youngsters who took part in a Control Line training program hosted by Sig Manufacturing. Amanda hails from Eaton, Indiana.

Guests and AMA members were offered a sneak preview of the new AMA museum. Thousands took time off from flying to step into the museum, see the plans, inspect the layout, and ask one of the year's most repeated questions, "When will the museum be open?" The answer: "Late next spring or early next summer."

Almost without exception, people bid farewell with, "See you next year!"

See you next year? Yep. The member have spoken. And event like this is too good to run only once and put to bed. It's not just an idea, but a great idea, to set aside a weekend each year to gather at the site and inspect, admire, and use the latest addition, improvement, or development. Next year? Maybe the event will center around the opening of the Frank V. Ehling Complex.

No other act or actions by the AMA or it's membership has generated so much mail, precipitated so many telephone calls, been written about in so many club newsletters, or been more frequently on modelers' lips than the Grand Opening of the National Flying Site. You cam from Washington State, Oregon, California; from Florida, Alabama, and Texas: from New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the great Midwest. Did someone say, "Build it, and they will come?" We did! Yesss! Congratulations, AMA Members!

Bob Champine (Newport News, Virginia) with his WACO Vortex RC Sailplane, a Frank Weston design.

Robert Sims, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the proud owner of these Concept 60 Helicopters.

Bubba Spivey wrings out his Lanier Stinger.

AMA member and visitors alike loved the Expo area at the Grand Opening. Exhibitors enjoyed brisk sales in this Toledo-like atmosphere.

Karl Womad of Battle Creek, Michigan and his Royal Bearcat powered by an O.S. .91 on the ready area.

AMA provided a barbecue for the members and their families. An estimated 4,500 people munched their way through the delicious repast.

Larry Dairympie, of Belleville, Michiagan, flew this beautiful Balsa USA J-3 Cub. Engine is an O.S. 3.20 Pegasus four-cylinder, four-cycle.

Carl Berry (inside the blue module) flies a Robinhood 99 via TV Telemetry. He watches a TV monitor and operates the RC Transmitter; R.L. Howard stands outside with a second transmitter and acts as a safety backup pilot. He stays in voice contact with Carl.

Early Saturday morning crowds, as seen looking from the AMA tower (Trojan horse) towards the east side of the main runway.

Flight line director Bob Underwood gathering all the kids while Ed Henry and Eric Dern readied the candy bombers. After the "bomb drop," youngsters scurry for the munchable munitions. Better than a piñata!

Rolly Rhein (Indianapolis, IN) with his all-foam Lancer Special.

From kids to senior citizens, everyone got into the act during the Grand Opening flying activities.