I’m Mike Lee and I am a long time AMA Member having joined in 1977 as a member of the COBRAS club of Council Bluffs, IA. My career in flying started in grade school with free-flight models, (yes, I’m the kid who tossed paper planes across the classroom!), and by age 9, graduated to control-line models. I flew my first successful R/C model at age 14 using a 12-channel Controlaire reed system. By 1978, I was flying pattern birds, attending the 1979 Nats in Lincoln, NE., and went on to become a Masters class/FAI pilot by 1984.

In 1980, I also began writing for the first of several notable publications, Model Airplane News. In 1985, I began writing the pattern column for MAN, and since then, my writings have appeared in almost every major hobby publication in the U.S. over the past 30 years. I am an AMA Leader Member as well a Contest Director, and am the president of the Inland Soaring Society R/C club in Riverside, CA. My main area of interest is in sailplanes, with plenty of involvement with electrics, gas, nitro and just about anything else that flies.

I will be responsible for the Inland Empire area of Southern California, with particular interest in locating and securing flying sites. Despite the current economic situation, modelers continue to thrive and grow in numbers. This is no doubt due to the explosion in ready-to-fly models and R/C systems. And although the threat of a radio frequency shoot down is now very rare, due to the use of 2.4 GHz radio systems, it is important that our activities are channeled in a direction that does not promote wreckless and irresponsible flight operations that may hinder our honest efforts to secure new flying sites. Subscribing to the principles and policies of the AMA is right direction to follow, being that the AMA is a recognized national organization, the only one of its’ kind. I hope to help bring this recognition to bear for the benefit of our flying community.

I currently reside in Redlands, CA., with my wife, Kathy and son, Skyler. I am a contributing editor for Fly RC Magazine and am heavily involved in both Thermal Duration as well as F3J class sailplane competition. With experience in almost every discipline of flying models, I have a good understanding of what our needs are as modelers and hope to make a contribution to the modeling community as an AVP.