The AMA  Hall Of Fame  citation for Bill netzeband. Inducted in 1998

Bill Netzeband awarded a seat in the PAMPA Hall of fame in 2000

An e-mail from bill after reading the citation

Subject: Re: kotrc-AMA hall a frame and like that

Pete

Now you've gone and made yourself a chore. I just went to the AMA history pages and started reading my bio. Man, that's long, but really interesting. The problem is, the data in those pages ends well before the actual induction into the HOF in 1998. De Hill conned me with his "interview", because it was a list of the questions used in the HOF application forms around 1991. He submitted it in maybe 92 or 93, and it went fallow for three cycles of voting. Charlie Mackey remade the application. , and by 1998 my time came, as one of 13 nominees, out of a field of over 100 applications. That's when they established the "PIONEER" Program, and we had a BIG "DO" on Muncie.

I retired from TESTOR in 1996, Feb 29th. I was sort of back in the hobby, attracted by the Vintage Stunt Championships. I made the first one in '89, missed three and have made the rest of them since No. 5. I did some writing for Stunt News, designed a few more airplanes, and generally kept up with the activity, EXCEPT for finding out that my maturing reflexes were lagging behind the needs to wiggle a handle at a speeding Stunt ship, while being observed by a judging team, who aren't impressed by my tattered halo.

I figured that if I belonged to two RC clubs in order to achieve companionship, I might as well join the active CL clubs, like the KOTRC, and the newly renovated Valley Circle Burners. These memberships are mainly ceremonial, now that I don't get to the meetings, and have curtailed travel to local contests. I must refer to the KOTRC records to see when I first PAID any Dues.

Best Regards WildBill

Bill Netzeband in England!!

From a 1949 Aeromodeller in their "American Newsletter" the article featured a picture of Wild Bill.

This was a LONG time ago. It makes Bill the First Knight to have his picture in the Aeromodeller, beating Kirn by seven years! Notice, however, that he was then a member of the "MSM Hammer Throwers".

A Personal Note From Bill

Interesting about my photo. I'm guessing it was take at the 49 NATS in Olathe (I know I was there, folks told me about it). The subject plane performed well during my first official flight, but during the landing a wheel pant soaked up a Kansas boulder, flipped over, and did major damage. I now think I NEVER repaired it, and that's the only photo I have of it. Didn't even have a name yet! By the way, the "Hammer Throwers " were out School of Mines club. I suspect Parnell Schoenky took the photo, because I have a crinkled 5x7 photo in my files.

Very interesting that Bill Winter used it as a greeting card, but I NEVER got one.