AMA, the glue that bonds modelers together
View From HQ
by Dave Mathewson, AMA Executive Director
Years ago, Sandy Frank, AMA’s District VIII vice president, always ended his column in Model Aviation by writing, “AMA, the glue that bonds modelers together.”
The weather across much of the country this year hasn’t been what one might consider kind to model aviation enthusiasts. Many clubs have reported significant field damage and loss of club property because of flooding. In some cases, fields have become unusable and the cost and time needed to rebuild these facilities will be considerable.
One of the hardest-hit parts of the country has been Texas. Torrential rains, flooding, and devastating winds have impacted several AMA chartered clubs in that state, leaving many AMA members with no place to fly—that is until other AMA clubs in Texas stepped up to help.
It was nice to hear of clubs, whose fields fared better than others, opening their doors to members from other clubs left without a flying site. “Come fly with us,” was the theme of the day and that goes to the heart of what AMA and AMA membership is all about. Members reaching out to help members is common and it’s always nice to see new examples of kindness and generosity.
AMA is appreciative of its clubs that take this approach to helping others, and look at them as examples that we hope all clubs will emulate.
I’d like to take a second to share a story not quite as upbeat.
I received an email from a member in upstate New York sharing a story about how a member of his club was traveling throughout the state and stopped to visit another AMA chartered club. He had hoped to visit for a few hours, get in a flight or two, and maybe make a few new friends along the way. Unfortunately, this member was told that although he was an AMA member, he couldn’t fly at this field.
Members reaching out to help members is common and it’s always nice to see new examples of kindness and generosity.
I realize that sometimes there are legitimate reasons for clubs to have a policy such as this. Sometimes it’s the result of the property owner setting stipulations as to who can fly on the property. Or maybe it’s a situation where the field is on some sort of municipal property where a permit is required. In these circumstances, it’s understandable to have to limit access to the site.
It’s disappointing, however, to have to read about incidents like this. AMA knows that most of our clubs are open and welcoming. We know this because we frequently hear good stories from members about how they were welcomed at other fields when traveling.
The great thing is, when we hear stories like this they are often accompanied by examples of how both the visiting member and club had a great day, a good experience, and ended the visit with making a new friend or two. Model aviation is as much about friendships and camaraderie as it is about the flying.
The summer flying season seems to be passing by at lightning speed. It seems as though, for many of us, it was just a short time ago that we were anxiously waiting for the last trace of snow to melt. For those of you who live in the warmer climates, Webster defines snow as “soft, white pieces of frozen water that fall to the ground from the sky in cold weather.”
By the time this issue of Model Aviation reaches you, Labor Day will be behind us and many of us will be planning our winter flying activities. Electric motors and evolving battery technology have resulted in many of our members taking to indoor flying facilities during the winter months. There are a number of major indoor events held across the country during the winter (see AMA’s Sanctioned Event Calendar for an event near you).
We are seeing more and more clubs seeking indoor venues for club activities during these months. Many of these indoor sites require the user to provide liability protection for the building owner.
Just a reminder, as we do with outdoors facilities, AMA can help provide this protection if needed. For more information, call the AMA Safety and Member Benefits department at (765) 287-1256.
See you next time …
