2018 Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Awards

2018 Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Awards As seen in "AMA Air" in the March 2019 issue of Model Aviation Six people have been named as the 2018 recipients of an annual award that was designed to recognize AMA members who go above and beyond to support model aviation, their clubs, and other aeromodelers. The Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Award recipients are nominated by fellow modelers who want to recognize their efforts, which are often behind the scenes. In 1983, Carl and Beth Goldberg asked the AMA to help create an award to recognize these volunteers. The 2018 recipients of this honor are John Hakala, Rege Hall, Jack Iafret, Lori and Terry Wiles, and Gogian Yee. John Hakala, a club officer of the Romeo Skyhawks, was nominated for the award because of his many years of helping his club and his dedication and commitment to aeromodeling. According to his nomination, he has an active role in each of his club’s events, uses his photography skills and equipment to provide flight photos of club events for Model Aviation and Park Pilot magazines, and is always willing to lend a hand to a fellow pilot. Rege Hall is a member of the Blacksheep R/C Modelers and was nominated by Mandee Mikulski, an AMA employee. According to his nomination, Rege has been the lead person for his club’s annual National Model Aviation Day event, which has raised the most money of all of the clubs that participate in the celebration. He has also helped with AMA Warrior Day, held at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, by finding volunteers for the event and setting up the air show. Longtime member of the Greater Detroit Soaring and Hiking Society, Jack Iafret was an officer for the League of Silent Flight (LSF), an AMA Special Interest Group. He has served as the president of his club and is currently its contest coordinator and webmaster. Jack has also mentored fellow club members. With the LSF, he had a hand in the establishment of the AMA RC Soaring Nats and has helped determine rules for the Nats Altitude Limited Electric Soaring (ALES) contest. Husband and wife, Lori and Terry Wiles, own a small hobby business. They have donated prizes from their company to clubs and events across the country and are members of three aeromodeling clubs. Lori takes photos of club events and shares them with club members, while her husband helps pilots set up their radios, tune their motors, and gives advice. Terry also has published dozens of modeling instructional videos online. Gogian Yee has been in the model aviation hobby for several years. He often helps pilots at his club’s field fix their aircraft, test and tune them, charge batteries, and offers them spare parts. He also helps with general maintenance at the Santa Fe Dam Radio Control Modelers club field and has helped promote the hobby at local schools. If you would like to nominate someone for the 2019 Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Award, nominations are due September 15, 2019. For more information, click here.