Busy season at AMA
View from HQ by Dave Mathewson, AMA Executive Director
Clubs contact AMA Headquarters every day looking for information and guidance on how they can create a program that will allow them to engage in aeromodeling and educational outreach in their communities. Many clubs recognize the value in becoming locally involved. The major advantage, of course, is that if your club is visible in its efforts to provide something of value to the community, the community will be there to support the club when that time comes—and at some point it will.
We often hear from a club that is on the verge of losing a flying site. Our first response is always, “Tell us about your involvement in your community.” If the club reports that it is not involved, or that it has been thinking about getting involved, then it’s almost always too late.
Parents like it when someone does good things for their children. We’ve seen club after club that conduct community outreach programs. Clubs that are active in their communities have received support from friends and neighbors when it was needed and it was the result of the club being active in its community.
If your club is thinking about developing a community outreach program, or is considering enhancing what it’s already doing, a good source of information can be found on the AMA Education website at www.amaflightschool.org. There you will find information and ideas about a number of programs from simple one-day model builds to more complex, multiweek programs.
Give it some thought and if you think you’d like to create a program for your club, visit our Flight School website or call the Education department at AMA Headquarters. The staff would be happy to help.
If your summer plans include a trip to the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, think about visiting the museum. You’ll enjoy the visit.
It’s a busy time at AMA Headquarters. We’re in the middle of membership renewal season. I can report that renewal numbers are looking strong to date, and we expect to continue the membership growth trend that has been established throughout the past several years.
AMA’s Safety and Member Benefits department is in the throes of club charter renewals. Each year, from the middle of January though the end of March, we renew charters for nearly 2,400 AMA clubs. As with our membership numbers, our club charter renewal numbers look good. The numbers bode well for the future of model aviation and AMA.
AMA recently introduced Ground Control, an electronic newsletter for AMA chartered club officers, contest directors, and Leader Members. The bimonthly publication offers information that officers will find beneficial in helping to run and manage a club. If you are a club officer and haven’t received an issue, contact AMA’s Safety and Member Benefits department and we’ll make sure you’re on the distribution list.
There’s been much going on with the FAA and Congress. The 2016 FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4441, the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act) passed through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is being considered by the full House of Representatives. At the same time, a similar bill has been introduced and is working its way through the Senate.
Both bills contain a revised version of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. AMA is pleased with the revisions to the amendment that includes provisions for educational activities and a more clearly defined definition of a community-based organization. There’s a long way to go before the bill becomes law, and there might be some challenges ahead, but we believe this is a step in the right direction.
The National Model Aviation Museum added several new artifacts in 2015. Control Line Speed modeler Jim Wade devoted two years to breaking the 100 mph barrier in the ½A Proto Speed category. He finally succeeded, flying at 101.48 mph with the Eagle I on December 1, 1974.
That was the first time the 100-mph threshold had been broken in any ½A Proto Speed age division and Jim set a national record. Seven years later, flying the Eagle III, Jim set a world record in F2A with a speed of 178.72 km/hr. Both models are now in the museum’s collection.
If your summer plans include a trip to the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, think about visiting the museum. You’ll enjoy the visit.
See you next time …
