It’s hard to imagine another Joe Nall is in the books. The event we think about all year, plan for months ahead of time, impossibly try to describe to others, has come and gone for 2015. All we can say is WOW, what a show it was! With 1,780 registered pilots present over the 8 day event, Triple Tree broke an all time attendance record again. Will next year top 2,000? You’ll have to show up and see!
Friday was the pinnacle of the event with many in attendance for the famous noon-time awards ceremony and over the top flight demonstrations by the hobbies finest. This year’s ceremony kicked off with the AMA recognizing the Tri-County RC Flyers club from Savannah, GA for raising more than $10,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. A well deserved plaque was awarded to the club for this valiant effort.
Tri-County Flyers receive Wounded Warriors recognition from the AMA
Afterwards, a surprise announcement was made that 80-year-old lifetime modeller Bob Shaw, has donated $250,000 for the construction of a youth oriented learning center at Triple Tree. The center will be a state of the art facility where youth can learn about aviation and hopefully develop their own life-long passion for the sport.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of two trophies. Every year a pilot is awarded the Bob Smith award for his/her camaraderie and skill on the flight line. This year’s recipient was David Payne. Lastly, a trophy named after Mr. Joe Nall himself was awarded to highly deserving Mark Davidson for his countless hours of hard work behind the scenes assuring Joe Nall Week is spectacular. Congratulations to both; job well done guys!
Looking back on the week, Joe Nall is more than a fly in. It’s a family reunion consisting of many clubs and enthusiasts from across the nation and even the globe. For those who spend many lonely hours in the workshop gluing, sanding, covering, etc, it’s the one week of the year they can surround themselves with like-minded individuals talking the talk, enjoying fellowship with others in this great sport.
Summarizing the essence of Joe Nall Week is difficult to do with words, so here are a few shots from the greatest RC event on earth.
Happy flying and see you in 2016!
