Hello, District VII. So much is going on throughout the district. Clubs host air shows, community events, and are overall having fun flying and camaraderie. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with many of you throughout the district. Visiting you all is so impressive. I have learned much and have had the opportunity to share your ideas with others.
I again had the chance to attend the Iowa City Aerohawks’ air show in Iowa City, Iowa. It has been a few years since I last attended this incredible show, and I can say it has even become better. Rich DeVepo was again the leader and emcee of this event. The local crowds arrived early in anticipation of a great show and they were not disappointed. The Bugs Bunny introduction and the candy drop engaged the youth, and the adults were taken on a journey of model aviation.
I congratulate the Iowa Aerohawks because I know how much effort goes into this. Those of you who have met me in the district know how I love food and, again, the concession stand did not disappoint. A sad note though; it was announced that this would be the club’s last air show after 30 years because of the loss of its flying site. The Aerohawks are aggressively working toward obtaining a new flying site and hopefully will also bring back the show.
Clubs in District VII: If your club is interested in hosting air shows or in tips for improving them, I suggest reaching out to the Aerohawks.
Next up was EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This show offers fantastic opportunities, but not what you might think. Surrounding the Oshkosh area are many model clubs that I enjoy visiting, from Green Bay to Fond du Lac. Poor weather and bad timing made me miss out on seeing a few of you, but, as always, with the members of District VII who I did have the opportunity to visit, I enjoyed sharing aviation stories, seeing new technology being used, and just chatting with you all.
Many of you also had the opportunity to meet another representative of the members of the district, Associate Vice President (AVP) Kathy Taylor. Let me let Kathy jump in here:
We had the opportunity to visit one of the local RC clubs and attend the Winnebago RC Flyers Fun Fly. The Winnebago club made us feel like part of the group. They have a beautiful field, wonderful members, and, of course, lots of awesome airplanes to watch in the sky. Wisconsin certainly isn’t lacking in RC clubs, and we have many more on our list to visit in the future.
Visiting AirVenture, we spent most of our time at KidVenture, where our first stop was watching the UAS4STEM competition. It was amazing to watch middle and high school students tackle the challenges of flying uncrewed aircraft while solving real-world mission scenarios. From there, we went to the RC and Control Line (CL) flying site. If you attended EAA this year, you already know how windy it was the first few days, but that didn’t stop me from trying my hand at CL. It was my first experience, and I have a whole new appreciation for those pilots. What a fun experience! A special thank you to John from the Circle Masters Flying Club for making it so memorable.
As one of the newest AVPs in District VII, I’m looking forward to getting to know more members throughout the district and sharing my love of aviation and the RC hobby with all of you.
Thank you,Kathy. There is so much more to write about, but space and time are limited. To those who I missed on my visit through the area, I am sorry, but let’s keep in touch and I will hopefully see you before the season ends. Keep your eye on upcoming columns because there was so much happening this year thanks to the efforts of the clubs and members of District VII.
As always, keep the passion going. Until next month.
