A little late, perhaps....At the VSC one year, I was pointing out to Dee Rice the difference between a Firecat and a Ringmaster. (That Firecat was dolled up exactly like a "74 Fighter", clear monocote and perfect decals, but, that's another tale).
Dee didn't realize the difference, hadn't heard of Matt Kania, I think. I was trying to drum up support to get the late Mr. Kania in the AMA Hall of Fame, which I knew nothing of. Later evening found us in Riley's hotel room with Dee and a gentleman with a beautiful Quicker/Torp 35 he had built, happily getting Riley to autograph it.
All enjoying a cool one, we heard Riley, already an HOF member, exclaim he thought Mr. Kania was surely an AMA HOF member. He said he would contact other HOFs to help the late Matt Kania get voted in. Dee contacted the Kania family, who had sent AMA a recommendation on a yellow paper done in lead pencil...to no avail.
Whereupon Dee prepared an in-depth resume of Matt Kania's contributions in control line planes; all was presented to AMA, Matt Kania was duly voted into the Hall of Fame, where he was properly honored.
That's what Riley was like.
addendum: Then, Dee thought, "The Brotherhood of the Ring" might be a good idea.
Then, John Cralley figured a World-Wide Ringmaster "Fly-a-Thon" might be interesting, but, those are other tales.......too
dg