Let’s talk about Take off And Grow (TAG) Grants. For 2026, I had the privilege of approving the funding for six TAG Grants for clubs in District IX. That is a record number for us. District IX clubs that received TAG Grants for this year are the Pikes Peak RC Club, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Valley RC Flyers, Fargo, North Dakota; Rapid City Propbusters, Rapid City, South Dakota; Casper Airmodelers, Casper, Wyoming; Bismark Aircraft Modelers, Bismark, North Dakota; and the Aberdeen Area Modelaires, Aberdeen, South Dakota.
The good news? All of this money, as the TAG Grant guidelines require, will go to events that encourage young people and their families to explore model aviation. The clubs that receive TAG Grants can use these funds to buy trainers, radios, or equipment to train young fliers. The funds can go for food or advertising to get the local youth to the field, or to raffle prizes or gifts for the young people who attend. Each club’s grant application that I read had its own specific list for how the money would be allocated. This is one of the best ways for AMA to spend its money: helping local clubs find and attract youth members in their community. This is why I was so happy that we reached a record number.
This should be a wakeup call for your club next fall when the TAG Grant applications are due. Talk to your members about applying for a grant next year. The application process is pretty simple, but if you need ideas or help, contact your associate vice president (AVP). Let’s see if we can get 10 TAG Grants next year—or more. For information about TAG Grants, visit modelaircraft.grantplatform.com/page/ZWjBVrLa.
This report from South Dakota AVP Arend Schuurman is about his annual pilgrimage to the popular Sodbusters Auction in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Sioux Falls Sodbusters held its 42nd annual auction in April. As you can imagine, with that history, this event is always well attended.
This year, because of the rising costs of renting the previous venue, the auction was moved to Southern Hills Methodist Church in Sioux Falls. There were more than 200 items in the auction lineup.
If you wanted to buy a large B-17, there was one that passed the auction table. If you were looking for one of the fastest EDF jets, there were several in the lineup. From great values to white elephants, there was something to bid on, whether you wanted glow-fueled airplanes, gassers, or electric.
To make my point, a RTF Bob Laine Long John, a Great Planes Easy Sport, and a Sig Fazer made it home with me. Can you ever have too many airplanes?
At the other end of the country, South Dakota AVP Terry Wiles was at Wings Over America in Andersonville, Georgia. The following are his words.
In April, I was the contest director for the 2026 Extreme Flight Wings Over America at Hodges Field in Andersonville. We had jets, 3D, International Miniature Aerobatic Club training, general flying, night flying, and much, much more. In the mix was a 67-inch 3D airplane competition and an entertaining "foamie Olympics" competition. More than 80 pilots, including a good number of young pilots, enjoyed the Georgia sky this year.
