AMA History Project Biographies, club and company histories

Academy of Model Aeronautics · National Model Aviation Museum

The people, clubs and companies that built model aviation, in their own words.

Search 1,062 biographies of modelers, designers and contest fliers, plus the histories of 62 clubs and 26 companies, preserved by the AMA History Project.

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Histories: 1,150
Pages: 4,653
Earliest birth: 1850

People under F

1–24 of 30 entries ·

1 page Autobiography

Charles L. (Chuck) Facemire

Autobiography

I started flying Control Line models in 1972 while stationed at Karlsruhe, Germany. I became fascinated with the airplanes. My two sons and I flew Control Line for about two years. We moved to Radio Control in 1974. My first radio was a 40-channel MRC that we flew in three Sig Kadets as well as several other airplanes. While in Germany, I started…
36 pages

Joe and Victor Stanzel - Stanzel Family

Biography

Dedication To the memory of Victor and Joseph Stanzel, founders and co-owners of Victor Stanzel Company, who pursued their dream to design, build, and fly model airplanes; and to their mother, Agnes, who encouraged them. Acknowledgement As author of the Victor and Joseph Stanzel biography, I am grateful to them for offering me the opportunity to…
36 pages

Joe and Victor Stanzel - Stanzel Family

Biography

Dedication To the memory of Victor and Joseph Stanzel, founders and co-owners of Victor Stanzel Company, who pursued their dream to design, build, and fly model airplanes; and to their mother, Agnes, who encouraged them. Acknowledgement As author of the Victor and Joseph Stanzel biography, I am grateful to them for offering me the opportunity to…
3 pages

Francis J. (Frank) Fanelli

Biography

Started building plastic scale models in the 1950s. Built his first balsa model in 1974, a Guillow’s Piper Cherokee. Became Associate Editor at Flying Models in November 1982. Became Editor in 1996, and retired from that role in 2014. Per a letter from Eric Boehm included in Frank’s Model Aviation Hall of Fame application, dated February 20, 2014…
1 page

Anthony A. (Tony) Faranda

1924–

I started building dime kits from Woolworths and candy stores in 1933. By 1936, I was a gas modeler, and in 1938, I entered my first big contest. I joined the NAA (later the AMA) at the field. I grew up on Staten Island, New York, a great place for model airplanes. The only interruption in my modeling came with World War II, where my other hobby…
1 page

Daniel W. Fee

Biography

Daniel W. Fee, Oceanside, California, has been awarded a scholarship of $6,000 to assist with his studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he plans a major in physics. He attained a 3.86 GPA and ranked sixth in a graduating class of 293 students. On his SAT tests, Daniel scored 600 verbal and 630 math. During high school…
1 page

Kenneth (Ken) W Feland

1934–

I first became aware of Radio Control flying and the AMA in 1967 after I had moved to Houston, Texas. Before that, I was flying Control Line airplanes on vacant lots and baseball fields. I had not belonged to a club or joined the AMA. A neighbor in Houston was flying Radio Control with a club from a dirt strip on a hilltop near our neighborhood. I…
5 pages

Charles (Chuck) Felton

Biography · AMA 35529

Biography of Charles (Chuck) Felton AMA# 35529 Chuck Felton with his cardboard Emeraude control line model. (Photo source: Chuck Felton) My name is Chuck Felton and for most of my life I have been enjoying the wonderful hobby of building and flying control line model aircraft. I started building and flying balsa control line model kits in 1950…
2 pages

Mark Ferry

Biography

The 3-D-Flying Pastor “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” sums up Pastor Mark Ferry’s approach to RC. He received a lot of help when he started in aeromodeling and wants to help others in return. To accomplish this, Mark has a blog called “The 3-D Flying Pastor,” where he corresponds with modelers from around the world.…
3 pages

Burnis R. Fields Jr.

Biography · AMA 5049

Career: Started building Free Flight models at age seven, later got into Control Line and then Radio Control An original member of the Jacksonville (Florida) Model Airplane Club and the Flying Rebels of Jacksonville Served in the Navy; worked on airplanes and flew models in competition Developed programs within modeling organizations to assist…
1 page

Dorothy Fields

Biography

In 1948, Dorothy married Burnis Fields and thus started her and Burnie on their road to aviation happiness – both model and full-size aviation. That first year, Burnie taught Dorothy how to build and fly Free Flight, then advanced to Control Line models. Finally, after many years, she learned to build and fly Radio Control models. She and Burnie…
2 pages

Robert (Bob) Fiorenze

Biography

Bob Fiorenze of Maitland, Florida, has been involved in aeromodeling since 1958. He is perhaps best known as the first to fly a turbine-powered model aircraft (JPX Turbine) in the United States. Bob was appointed to AMA’s original Turbine Safety Committee along with former AMA president Don Lowe. Bob has held his FAA A&P Mechanics Rating since…
1 page

William H Fletcher

Biography

William H. Fletcher, Contest Board member of District II, resides at 86-36 55th Ave, Elmhurst 73, New York. He has served as a member of the Contest Board several times and was District II Vice President in 1953. He has been interested in model building since 1936, first becoming an AMA member in 1941. His present interests are varied among…
1 page

Mike Flinsch

Biography

Profile of a Life Member Mike Flinsch This month we want you to meet Mike Flinsch, AMA Life Member number L-10. If you meet Mike in the business world, it’s Dr. Flinsch. He has a PhD in astronomy, is administrative director for a New Jersey astronomical observatory, develops telescopes for manufacture, is active in related organizations: New York…
5 pages

Larry Fogel

1928–2007 · AMA 45448

Career: Was a founding member of the Torrey Pines Gulls Radio Controlled Soaring Society (TPG) in the late 1960s. Served as club President on two separate occasions, and held numerous other board positions. Was a founding member of the Torrey Pines Scale Soaring Society (TPSSS) in the 1980s Larry founded the Torrey Pines Soaring Council (TPSC) in…
2 pages

Robert (Bob) Forbes

Biography

Robert “Bob” Forbes Bob Forbes found a way to combine the two loves of his life: his library job and model airplanes. This resulted in children and young adults learning how to fly model aircraft, and later becoming AMA members. He began his model aircraft career in the 1950s as a member and then-president of Canadian model aircraft club, the Park…
3 pages

Charles (Chuck) Foreman

1932–2021 · AMA 681

Published in MA (1980, 2007, 2021); Formatted by JS (07/2007); Updated by JS (01/2022) The following biography was in the January 2007 issue of Model Aviation magazine. Chuck Foreman was inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006. Charles “Chuck” Foreman Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Chuck Foreman began his modeling career in 1947 at…
2 pages

Joseph W. Foster

1926–2004 · AMA 1818

Career: Successful in local contests around Springfield, Ohio 1945 – 1946: Served in the U.S. Air Force 1949: Invited to become a member of the Oakland (California) Cloud Dusters 1949 – 1953: Was on two Wakefield teams, becoming the world champion in 1953 1952: Grand National Champion at the Nats 1957-1975: Successfully flew Radio Control formula…
23 pages Autobiography

Duke Fox

1920–1991 · AMA 54587

Career: Started modeling at eight years of age While in the service worked with Capt. Stolzenberger developing Army’s Troop Glider Worked on the Nike missile project In 1949 went into the model engine manufacturing business Was a major model engine manufacturer for 42 years of his life; the company still produces FOX engines to this day under the…
2 pages

Murry Frank

1923– · AMA 5633

Career: Competed in Control Line and Free Flight events at the Nationals from 1960 to 1964 Volunteered at the Nationals for almost 40 years Has served as club president and helped organize several modeling clubs in his area From 1970 to 1978 served as AMA District VIII vice president and on various AMA committees Was an AMA contest coordinator…
4 pages

Mark Freeland

Biography

There are precious few modelers who successfully and simultaneously participate in RC, CL, and FF. Mark Freeland is one of those individuals designing, demonstrating, teaching and manufacturing a wide variety of multi-disciplinary aircraft and accessories through his company, Retro RC. More than just business, Mark actively reaches out to the…
1 page

Kevin A. Freeman

Biography

Kevin A. Freeman of Hickman, Kentucky, received $4,500 from the Grant Scholarship fund. In his first year at the University of Illinois at Carbondale, he is enrolled in the honors program and studying computer science. Kevin has been involved in Radio Control flying for three years. He began with trainers, such as the Craft-Air Piece-O-Cake…
1 page

John L. Freundenthal

Biography

John L. Freundenthal, Portland, Tennessee, will use his $2,250 AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship to help with his attendance at Pensacola Christian College (in Florida). He plans a major in mechanical engineering. He graduated from Portland High School with a cumulative, weighted GPA average of 4.830. Ranked first in his graduating class of…
3 pages Autobiography

Ervin E. Frierson

1930– · AMA 7761

Information submitted by EEF (03/2003); Written & Edited by SS (03/2003), Reformatted by JS (08/2009) Career: Helped organize the Texas Chiefs model airplane club in 1953 and remains a member today (2003); has held every club office Started competing in local contests in 1954 Competed in the 1960 and 1964 Nationals Competed in FAI competition in…