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- Category: Archive 2013
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- FF in Africa
- Fab Feb Photos from Malcolm
- Peter Speaks
- and the rest of the story
Free Flight aeromodeling, even in Africa…
The Faculty of Medicine at the Ben-Gurion University runs a volunteering project at the "Haruv" Absorption
Center located near the Faculty in Beer Sheba (20 minutes away from the 1999 free flght world champs field).
The "Haruv" Absorption Center houses groups of new Ethiopian immigrants for a transition and adjustment
period prior to commencement of their new life in Israel. The center activities include teaching the language,
job skills training and integration in their new community.
In the Center there is a group of young lovely and full-of-life children who enjoy the volunteer work run by the
faculty students; the kids consider the volunteers as their "big brothers” who help them in language skills, new
topics learning, sports activities and handcrafts.
After visiting the center, I thought that maybe a different activity than the usual can "break" the children’s
routine and expose them to the curious new sport of Free Flight aeromodeling!
I asked for the support of the Tel Aviv Free Flight Club that was delighted to donate the materials and tools for
this initiative, and off we went...
At the Absorption Center, a group of 12 kids of elementary school age group welcomed me with curiosity and
enthusiasm. Together we built kits of a small catapult gliders.
The children showed an impressive b1uilding capabilities as well as outstanding decorative skills.
After completing the models assembly, we went to a nearby field for their first “Solo Flight”. The children were
surprised to see how high their small airplane models could reach.
The activity was hailed as a success, and has since created an annual tradition where I come to a center for the
same activity with a new group of kids.
This year, my classmate, Shlomi Bolkovstein, who manages the University Volunteering Project, was awarded
a Jewish Agency grant to fly to the city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia as part of a small delegation
participating in a preparatory program for immigration candidates prior to their departure to Israel. The
program, aimed at the thousands of Jews still living in Ethiopia, includes the study of the Hebrew language,
exposure to the Israeli culture as well as psycho-social preparation for the move to a modern country like
Israel.
Shlomi, an Israeli Air Force veteran, was so impressed by the success of the Free Flight Model plane activity at
the Center in Beer Sheba, asked me to help him organize a similar activity for children he would meet during
his mission in Ethipia.
I prepared a small compact package with 20 kits of small catapult gliders for Shlomi’s trip to Ethiopia. In
addition I provided him with some tips on how to assemble and fly these planes.
In Ethiopia, Shlomi gathered a group of children from the immigration program and gave them a short
presentation on the principles of flight followed by the assemble the model kits by the kids; immediately
thereafter, they all went out to the field for the final fun flying of their assembled planes.
Ittai's original article included a number of pictures that were were not able to publish here but will look at doing so in the future.
It is rewarding for us to see how can our hobby and sport, that gives us personal satisfaction, reach out to
communities in remote corners of the world bringing them joy and happiness.
Shlomi and the "Haruv" Absorption Center in Beer Sheba have acknowledged the contribution of the Tel Aviv
Free Flight Club Aviv to the success of this activity and we all hope for a continued cooperation in the future.
Ittai Shichman
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Fab Feb Photos
Hi Roger
I am now back from the USA and have a selection of Fab Feb photos for you.
There are 194 in the set.
If anyone wants a high resolution copy, please ask them to contact me at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Flick photo link is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/motor-racing-photography/sets/72157632909385591
/
Regards
Malcolm Campbell
Greetings from Peter Allnutt
Just a brief note to say a very big 'Thank you' to all you nice, thoughtful people out there who sent me 80th birthday greetings.
I am lucky to know you all.
My best wishes to everyone.
Peter's birthday update
The idea was to get Peter, with the help of Wes Funk, his local flying friend, out of his house.
This plan failed because Peter was determined to stay by the telephone, waiting for calls from his family. Luckily for us, when we arrived in Taft, we found his car not in front of the house.
Peter happened to be for his monthly medical checkup. ( Btw they told him that he had overweight. hahaha). So we got the chance to put some 'happy birthday banners' on his windows. As I had the key of his front door, which he gave me some years ago, we could get inside and wait for his arrival.
On the inside we found a cupboard full of birthday cards, which you all sent him.
When he came home he was quite surprised that there found banners on the house and the front door unlocked. We had a piece of birthday cake and a bottle of champagne ( which I had stolen before on his competition).
Peter told us this was an unforgettable birthday for him and I want to thank you all who made this happen.
some photo's at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hdqz7pabfct9vnq/YshFVO06NE
Cenny & Anneke Breeman
............
Roger Morrell