Written by JR (2009); Transcribed by JS (08/2009)
I am a 63 year-old, retired U.S. Army officer and retired hobby shop proprietor, currently serving as AMA District VIII Vice President. I have served or am serving on the following: Nomination Committee, SIG Committee, Executive Directory Evaluation Committee, Education Committee, and the Safety Committee. I currently chair the Safety Committee and the Leader Member Development Committee.
Bachelor’s Degree
1968: Mathematics, Oklahoma Panhandle State University Master’s Degree: 1992: Human Resource Management, Troy State University Military Experience:
May 1968-July 1994: 26 years service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Retired as a Colonel
Commanded soldiers at all levels from Second Lieutenant to Colonel 1970-1971: Lead a Mobile Advisory Team in Vietnam, advising the Vietnamese military 1977: Wrote POI and taught the first two classes for soldiers flying Radio Control Miniature Aerial Targets (RCMAT) in Germany
Retired as Commander of the Readiness Group at Fort Dix, New Jersey, advising all Reserve and National Guard units in the state of New Jersey Military Education: 1968: Officer Basic Course (ADA) 1968: Nuclear, Biological, Chemical School 1970: Infantry Officer’s Vietnam Orientation 1974: Officer Advanced Course 1985: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College 1992: U.S. Air Force War College Model Aviation Experience:
My parents were both modelers when I was born. In fact, my mother’s water broke at the flying field while holding a Control Line airplane for dad.
Dad taught me to fly Control Line at age three. He began flying Radio Control in 1952 and I began flying Radio Control in 1957.
Dad and I entered in the 1956 National Championships at Dallas Naval Air Station. He entered in Radio Control and I entered in Tow Line Glider. Neither of us made an official flight. Dad began his involvement in the AMA around 1936, but I joined in 1956 to attend the Nats. I flew in my first real contest in 1972 and could not get enough of the competition from then until my son, Gary, and I flew in Pattern at the 1994 Nats in Lubbock, Texas. I flew in air shows in Germany while assigned there, and have flown in at least 25 air shows in total. I began teaching my son (who is now 36) how to fly a Radio Control glider before his third birthday. He and I both became Contest Directors while members of the El Paso Radio Control Club in the late 1980s. My wife, Linda, is also an AMA member.
I have held several club officer positions in clubs in Florida, Germany and Texas. I have been a Contest Director for numerous contests, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, over the years and have flown in two National Championships in Radio Control Pattern.
I served as Associate Vice President in District VIII for Dr. Sandy Frank. I replaced George Aldrich after his passing in the summer of 2001 and served as the District Safety Coordinator for the remainder of the incumbent Vice President’s term due to the illness of the previous coordinator.
I owned and operated Second Chance Hobbies for 12.5 years in the San Antonio, Texas area. I have documented proof that I have trained over 120 students (through solo flight) to fly Radio Control, although in reality, I have trained more than that, as I have been teaching people to fly since the 1960s and do not have an accurate count of students prior to 1996. Teaching included numerous classes on building techniques and safety to clubs over the years. I routinely represented clubs, my hobby shop, and the AMA at demonstrations and fly-ins around San Antonio.
I am currently planning the ninth annual J.H. Rice Memorial Fly-In in Kingsbury, Texas in honor of my late father. Each event has grown in attendance and popularity. Last year, we had 140 registered pilots and over $3500 in prizes.
I also fly Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) for the Army with Griffon Aerospace Industries. Missions have been flown in Texas, Arizona, Washington State, and Israel. Our mission, for the most part, is training soldiers in air defense.
I do not have a degree in aeronautical engineering, but have designed and flown numerous airplanes and have kitted four airplanes through the hobby shop. My strength in the hobby is safety and safety concerns.
Current modeling interests are 50cc aircraft and electrics, particularly indoor, and flying with my son and two grandsons (who are 13 and 15.) Both have soloed as pilots and are AMA members.
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