Two distinguished members of the Jackson County chapter of the Academy of Model Aeronomics, Chuck Westfall and Scott Donat, have helped write themselves into the record books by participating in the ‘Wings Across America’ (WAA-08) project last Tuesday.

The venture of one man, Frank Geisler of Gloucester, VA, a model airplane enthusiast, is to set a new standard in model aviation by flying a single RC model airplane across 48 consecutive states.
Geisler began the ‘Wings Across America’ mission on Memorial Day, powering the first flight of the model plane in the state of Virginia. Geisler called upon fellow aeronomics aficionados across the U.S. to help participate in setting this record.

Two gentlemen who answered the call were Jackson County’s own Westfall and Donat, both of whom have been involved in model aeronomics for almost 30 years.

The plane travels across the country in a custom-built wooden case to ensure its safety and then is flown for at least two minutes at their location.

Members who have participated have also left their mark on history, signing their name, date, state in which it was flown, and pilot number on the lid. So far, Westfall and Donat were pilots 84 and 85 to volunteer in the project.

The model airplane has traveled through 14 states thus far, and has flown 3,500 miles. Its next destination will be Beckley, WV before its moves on to North and South Carolina. The WAA-’08 airplane is a Stevens AeroModel SQuiRT and is scheduled to pass through the hands of at least 260 pilots.

There is a call for pilots in 12 separate states to volunteer and help complete the quest set out by Geisler. You can log on to the website www.deserteaglesrcclub.com to find out more information on how to participate and track the plane’s progress.