Written & Submitted by FWM (03/2001, updated 07/2015); Transcribed & Edited by SS (01/2003), Reformatted by JS (10/2009); Updated by JS (07/2015,
Career
- Started building wooden models at the age of eight.
- Won numerous Control Line and Radio Control contest throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
- Organized the Tampa Trim Tabs (Free Flight and Radio Control) Flying Club in 1956; today it has been renamed TRAC.
- Organized Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) Chapter 88 for the Bay City Flyers Radio Control club in 1988; assisted by two others.
- Constructed a replica of the Good brothers’ Guff, which Walt Good donated to the museum in 1989.
- Contest director for the Florida Winter Fly SAM Radio Control contest from 1992 to 1996.
- Charter member and officer of the Florida Float Flyers seaplane club in 1995.
- Built an exact scale model of the Benoist flying boat for the Saint Petersburg aviation museum in 1993.
- Restored Elmer Wasman’s White Mystery model and donated it to the National Model Aviation Museum.
- Has won the grand championship or high point of many SAM Radio Control contest in the U.S. and Canada.
- Has directed and coordinated the SAM Radio Control Champs several times.
- AMA associate vice president for District V.
Honors
- 2001: Society of Antique Modelers Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2015: AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee
Born: July 30, 1929 in Tampa, Florida Eagle Scout: 1945 High school graduate: 1947
Joined the Army National Guard in 1948 as a private and retired as a major in 1969 (Artillery, Infantry, Airborne Green Beret).
Retired from GTE as Florida project manager in 1985 after 38 years of service. Won numerous Control Line Scale and Radio Control (Radio Control also called escapement) contests during the 1950s and 1960s.
Placed fourth in the British American Marathon (foot race) from Tampa to Saint Petersburg, Florida, in 1984.
Developed American Indian flint work exhibits for two Florida museums in 1963.
During the period of 1968 to 1991, as a volunteer, led the development of hiking trails throughout the state of Florida. For this service, he was honored at the Florida State Capitol twice by two Florida governors. Again, in 1988, he was honored at the White House for his service to Florida by President Ronald Reagan.
Organized the Tampa Trim Tabs (Free Flight and Radio Control) Flying Club in 1956, today it has been renamed TRAC.
Organized Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) Chapter 88 for Bay City Flyers Radio Control club in 1988.
Served as contest director for the famous Florida Winter Fly SAM Radio Control contest in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Charter member and officer of the Florida Float Flyers seaplane club in 1995. Successfully sponsored Elmer Wasman for the SAM Hall of Fame in 1996.
Successfully sponsored Hal “Pappy” DeBolt for the SAM Hall of Fame in 1997. Built an exact scale model of the Benoist flying boat (the world’s first commercial airliner) for the Saint Petersburg aviation museum in 1993.
Fred is an avid gardener and in 2000, his native plant yard was rated number one in the state of Florida by the Florida Native Plant Society. His yard also won the year 2000 water conservation award for Hillsborough County.
Fred was elected to the Hillsborough High School Hall of Fame in February 2001. He salvaged the remains of Elmer Wasman’s White Mystery model, which flew in the world’s first RC contest at the Nationals held in Detroit, Michigan, in 1937. This model was restored by Fred and is now on display in the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. The plans for this model and its smaller version, the White Peril, are now approved by SAM. Plans for both were donated to SAM and are now available for the SAM plane service. Fred has won the grand championship or high point of many SAM Radio Control contests throughout the United States and Canada during the period 1988 through 2000, including the following:
- Canadian Nationals (MAAC), Radio Control Old-Timer high point in 1997 and again in 1999
- Ignition Grand Championship at the 1998 SAM Championships
- Ignition and Glow Grand Championships at the 1999 SAM Championships
- Glow Grand Championship at the 2000 SAM Championships
During the 1994 SAM Champs, he served as Assistant Radio Control Contest Director. He served as SAM Radio Control rules coordinator from 1995 to 1996.
He was the Radio Control contest director of the 1996 SAM Champs.
Fred served again as the Radio Control contest director for the 2002 SAM Champs. Retired Army nuclear weapons artillery officer and Special Forces Green Beret. Retired Project Manager for GTE Florida (which became Verizon) Member of the Florida Trail Association for 37 years, he let the development of hiking trails throughout Florida for 23 years. For this activity, he was recognized by two Florida governors and at the White House by President Reagan as a national finalist in the Take Pride in America program.
Member of the Suncoast chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS). In 2000, his yard was the first place winner of the FNPS Landscape Award.
In 2000, he was awarded the Hillsborough County Conservation Award.
In 2001, he was inducted into the Hillsborough High School Hall of Fame. (signed) Fred W. Mulholland Written March 2001; Updated April 2003 and July 2015
(Right) Fred with his Lanzo Bomber, a 96" wingspan model built for SAM competition in RC Assist.
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