Nats and flying sites
Flying Site Assistance by Tony Stillman, Flying Site Coordinator
Hi again! Before I get too involved here, I wanted to put in a plug for the 2016 National Aeromodeling Championships, or Nats. This year marks the 90th running of this event! AMA Headquarters is making a new push for the Nats. We have a new logo, new enthusiasm, and several new and exciting events added to this year’s calendar.
New for 2016 is a RC Pylon Warbird Racing event as part of the RC Pylon portion of the Nats. Also scheduled is the MultiGP FPV Drone Racing National Championships, for those who like to go fast with multirotors. Another new event this year is F3N, which is basically freestyle 3-D RC Helicopter. This style of flying is popular throughout the country, so we expect a good turnout here as well.
Along with the new events, there are several Team Trials running as part of the FAI events, such as F3A (RC Aerobatics). These contests determine our US teams that will compete in 2017 at the international championships held in several countries. With more than 100 events at this year’s Nats, there is something for you!
To enter the 2017 Nats, visit: www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats.aspx. For information on how you can try out to be on a US team, contact Colleen Pierce or me at the AMA Headquarters’ Competitions department at (800) 435-9262, or by email at: competition@modelaircraft.org.
I am currently working with many clubs on flying site issues. Often, a club has been flying at a site for several years, and through no fault of its own, the site becomes unavailable. The club members are forced to start looking for a new flying site. In most cases, this is a new endeavor for the club officers, generally ones who were not in place when the site was acquired several years before.
If your club is in this position, reach out to me. As the Flying Site Assistance Coordinator, I work with clubs every day. I have resources that I can share with you to help in your search.
There are also resources available on AMA’s website. From the main page at www.modelaircraft.org, click on “Members & Clubs” and select “Club Services” from the drop-down box. This will take you to the Flying Site Assistance page where you can find several resources.
You can select either “Keeping a Flying Site,” or “Getting a Flying Site” to get to either topic. Note that there are also videos on the bottom of these pages that provide guidance in working with landfills or EPA Superfund sites.
Remember, I have plenty of other support items available for you and your club. You can always call or send me an email. I am here to help!
Until next time …
