This past Saturday (as advertised here on Hornets Events page!), Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites LLC and Mojave Transportation Museum combined efforts to hold a Job Fair "at the coolest job on earth (and space)" plus "Plane Crazy Days" at Mojave Airport, Mojave, CA. Hornets Mike Meek, Jim Priete and Mick Burton drove down that morning after the SVSM meeting to experience it fully. They ran into Hornet Alumnus Professor David Newman (aka head of Muroc Models) while cooling off in front of an F-86F. Thus cornered, he gave up the information that the Antelope Valley Group (IPMS-Lancaster) were meeting that afternoon 15 miles away in Rosamond at the Library. The three intrepid R-9 Modelers went on to meet and share in the fun with our R-8 brothers, who were delighted to get the latest flyers of Tricity Eight and Kickoff 2013 "Go The Distance". They serve a great meal to all who show up at their meetings too by the way. Here's Mick Burton's meager shots of this awesome fun weekend day. It's Modelling Down Under, as you will http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad35/smilodon49/Hornets%20Party%20at%20Antelope%20Valley%20April%20in%20Mojave/

23 present by midmeeting, 21 members/2 guests, Freeminutes by Mick Burton. TOO much happening all at once this meeting to properly record it, my apologies.  One item was review of SVSM Kickoff 2012 “Viva La Revolucion”, which happens was Contest Director’d by Hornet VP  Mick Burton. Thusly he wasn’t able to grow a third arm and head to keep up, you see. Several Hornets were recipients of trophies from show. One was Randy Ray, with a 1^st place in Artillery for his recently finished M101A, seen underway at meetings this year. Congrats! Thanks went out to the Fremont Hornets from Contest Director Burton, for much appreciated supply of kits for the Make’nTake at Kickoff. noting he didn’t get thanks signage out at show (my bad!). Also some very nice raffle prizes were donated, plus TC-7 Hornets Con Director Woody Yeung had arranged a last minute donation by Iwata Air for the Kickoff, coordinated with Hornet Mike Woolson. Very busy gents these Hornets. Speaking of busy, Hornet Prez Chris Bucholtz formally announced launching a HUGE project (actually several, ongoing, which will be berthed in one place in Alameda). Focusing on ONE which will result in  a September 22 weekend show aboard USS Hornet. We Hornets are invited along with all Region 9 clubs, to participate in this, also in setting out project plans for “club exhibits for the year” aboard this same venue. There was a LOT Chris tried to cover in here, but he and Burton will be sure to point any /all to an upcoming website for 9-22-12 Exhibition soon as possible for more details. Many of the plans are just beginning to take a real form, so will need some room to breathe before word of them is more fleshed out. Stay Tuned.

Finally before Model Talk underway, Burton reviewed upcoming Region 9 & 8 contests. He made a case for why we all should make efforts to attend (beyond fact the more the merrier!) then gave notice of two NEW awards coming for TriCity Eight in October. The “Chambers Award” for the 100^th anniversary of NAVAL SHIPBOARD aviation, and “SB 1759 Award” For “Best American Fighter Aircraft”. More details soon, note both will be added to next publication of Tricity Eight Flyer on Web. Meeting Pics link: http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad35/smilodon49/Hornets%20Meeting%20April%202012%20by%20Mick%20Burton/

I''ve only had the pleasure of knowing fellow Hornet Mr Dave Anderson a short while so far, but he has proven to be a prolific contributor to us and the SVSM too. He agreed to share these pictures of his with me, since he now knows that as Contest Director, the Kickoff Classic was more a fun administrative project than any model show for me. Enjoy his great shooting of the day: http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad35/smilodon49/Dave%20A%20Kickoff%20Classic%20Collection%202012/ Thanks a lot Dave, glad you enjoyed the event too! -mick burton

SVSM Kickoff 3/24/12 is now being dissected, discussed and stats compiled. Best news of all for me is now I have more (cough) free time to work on things with my team for the TriCity Eight coming in October 2012. Kickoff is a very fun gig even if for me financially as well as body/soul exhausting. Since there are others who shot the pics of the details, let me share with you all my own shots which are mainly of the back story and mid process views. As a great new feature, the MVTF with Tamiya Model Co's help, exhibited a WW2 Sdkfz 222 armored car. Check it all out via my photo site link. http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad35/smilodon49/SVSM%20KOC%202012%20The%20Directors%20Cut%20by%20Mick%20Burton/

Freeminutes taken by Mick Burton. 20 present by 930 pm, meeting called to some semblance of order at 843 pm by Prez Chris Bucholtz. After call for any immediate news, he asked of Hornets Treasurer Mick Burton a summary report on how the SVSM Kickoff Classic 2012 was shaping up, now 15 days away. Seeing as how Burton's the SVSM 2012 Contest Director, this didn't prove too daunting a task. One highlight of the report was the notice given that thanks to the generosity of the Fremont Hornets, the "Make N Take" supply portion of the SVSM event would be very well endowed. This was not entirely a planned situation, as Burton pointed out. Due to fact that the Hornets TriCity 7 show didn't have anyone to staff and conduct that event's M & T, there was a lot of items he was now storing. No cost to the club for this, as sponsor funded (minimal expense anyways). As he did last Kickoff, Burton's already prepared several public thank you flyers for recognition of the ENTIRE Hornets club for this generosity. Last year, Hornet Mark McDonald, Burton and several others sponsored this supply chain for the SVSM event which was noted and recognized how well it turned out. A call for some Hornets to consider "holding court" to promote club at the Kickoff was given with some positive feedback. However, no current commitment to man a table that Burton will sponsor was made. Eric McClure did volunteer to sponsor production of substantial number of flyers Burton has created. Ones that provide info on both Hornets, SVSM clubs for potential members, so Eric will get a PDF doc before Monday 3/12 to use as master for this. Chris Bucholtz volunteered to provide all flyers asked for by Al at Hobbies Unlimited in time to promote the Kickoff. Request relayed to us by Louis Orselli who again came through with a dynamite package of Hornet meeting raffle prizes from samesaid hobby shop. After another heartfelt reminder that the more of those who show up to participate as entrants, judges, "ambassadors of the hobby" and such, the bigger success the show will be. Plus that goodwill feeds back to provide support to other events like say, the fall TriCity Eight being hosted by Fremont Hornets. Then we went to the calendar of events upcoming through May. Meeting Photos Link here:

http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad35/smilodon49/Hornets%20Meeting%20March%202012%20by%20Mick%20Burton/ More notes below (click Read More button on right to get Model Talk portion)