More AMA history
View From HQ by Dave Mathewson, AMA Executive Director
In my last column, I relayed some of AMA’s early history. This month, I’d like to continue the history theme and discuss AMA’s more recent years.
In its early years, AMA Headquarters was located in at least eight places before it was determined a permanent location was needed. The organization finally found a home when it moved from an office building at 815 15th St. in Washington, D.C. (on the same floor as the NAA’s offices) to Reston, Virginia. Land was purchased on December 10, 1982, and a building was designed and built on that location, 20 miles west of Washington, D.C., at 1810 Samuel Morse Dr.
On June 27, 1982, the ground was broken and construction began on the Reston property. In September 1983, the new building opened with a grand opening celebration held September 24-25, 1983.
As the years progressed, the AMA Executive Council (EC) had a vision for an aeromodeling campus that would include an administration building, a home for the National Model Aviation Museum, and accommodate the world’s premier flying facility. On June 21, 1990, then-AMA President Don Lowe signed the official paperwork purchasing property in Muncie, Indiana. Approximately a year later, on May 7, 1991, a groundbreaking ceremony was held, signaling the beginning of construction.
On June 13-14, 1992, the Grand Opening for AMA’s new home was held. Although visitors began arriving as much as a week in advance, the actual ribbon-cutting celebration occurred on Saturday, June 13, with Frank O’Bannon, then Indiana’s lieutenant governor, in attendance. An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people were on-site Saturday with another 3,000 to 5,000 on Sunday.
AMA has come a long way in its first 80 years. It has played an integral role in the development and advancement of model aviation.
Visitors included John Kaiser who, as winner of the Grand Opening raffle, received a one-week free stay in the AMA guesthouse and represented the AMA members in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to attending the celebratory events, members had a chance to fly all week and enjoy their new facility.
The year 1996 was the first year that the Outdoor National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) was held completely in Muncie, Indiana. (The Indoor Nats was held in a facility in Johnsonville, Tennessee.) Competitions were held from July 7 through August 3.
Previously, the Nats was held in various cities throughout the US—quite an undertaking for an organization of AMA’s size. Additionally, finding a facility large enough to accommodate the Nats was becoming a large obstacle to overcome.
When the Muncie site, named the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC), was completed in early 1996, the Outdoor Nats could be held annually in one location, with all of AMA’s Headquarters staff on hand to support the activities of the competing modelers. Every year since, the Outdoor Nats have been held at the IAC.
Everything becomes history at one point, even the future, and this is where the AMA’s National Model Aviation Museum has played an important role in the organization. Since its move from Reston, members of the museum staff have been actively engaged in developing a master plan for the museum’s future and preserving the history of model aviation.
In 2009, the AMA’s EC and Headquarters staff worked on the development of a Strategic Long Range Plan (SLRP)—a roadmap for the AMA for future years. During the July 2010 Museum Steering Committee meeting, the importance of including the museum in the SLRP, updating the museum’s mission statement, and the need for a master plan were discussed.
In October 2010, the Museum Steering Committee met and updated the museum’s mission statement and defined strategies and actions similar to those already in the SLRP. These were presented to the AMA Executive Council at its November 2010 meeting, where they were approved by consensus, thus setting a course for the museum’s future.
Today the National Model Aviation Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, housing more than 10,000 artifacts.
AMA has come a long way in its first 80 years. It has played an integral role in the development and advancement of model aviation. The organization’s future continues to look bright as we move into our next 80 years.
See you next time ...
