I SURE HOPE THAT 2021 IS
BETTER THAN 2020!
By Tony Stillman, Safety director | tonys@modelaircraft.org
I am writing this in November, but by the time you read this, we will be moving into the new year! I sure hope that 2021 is far better than 2020! I am looking forward to attending some flying events.
First off, let me remind everyone who flies competition events to check out the latest rule books. They can be found on the AMA website under the heading “Events.” When the blue box opens, look for “Competition Regulations” in the right-hand column. Because we postponed the voting on these rule books until fall of 2021, I have updated the cover to show that these regulations are valid until December 31, 2021; however, it is a good idea to print a current copy to have with you. We are still accepting rules proposals until April 2021.
Although no one knows what 2021 will bring, I hope your club is moving forward with plans to host events next year. Many events are already being scheduled, so it is a good idea to get your event sanction requests in for the dates that you want soon!
The AMA Safety Committee has been working on several safety-related items. Throughout the coming months, expect to see updates to several areas in AMA’s Safety Program. The goal is to simplify and improve our programs to help you better enjoy your hobby.
If you have ideas that you would like to share with the AMA Safety Committee, please feel free to email me at safety@modelaircraft.org.
This is a good time to conduct a safety review with your club. I recommend that each club president set aside some time during the regular monthly club meeting to go over the AMA Safety Guide and applicable documents.
It would be good for the club’s safety coordinator to go through the guide with the members. There are many documents that are listed in the guide, such as See and Avoid and the Advanced Technology documents. This review might even be something that you want to schedule two or three sessions to cover so that you can go over all of the documents. If you are having virtual club meetings, it is easy for the presenter to share his or her computer screen so that everyone can see what is presented and how to find it on the AMA website.
One of the most important parts of this presentation is to answer questions that will come up. Most answers can be found in the guide, but if you cannot find a solution, please reach out to me. I am happy to help you with any questions for which you might not be able to find answers.
Flying site operation should be something the club membership discusses and votes on. These field rules would typically be posted at the club flying site for all to see—especially new members and visitors who might not be familiar with typical club operations.
If you have had issues or questions arise throughout the year, now is the time to bring them up. AMA’s Suggested Flying Site Specifications (document 706) can help clubs determine the best layout for their sites and how far apart to space different items at a flying site in order to create the best safety scenario. There are many outstanding flying sites out there, so why not do what you can to make yours great as well!
I hope you are making good progress on your latest model airplane project! In Indiana, our flying is pretty much limited to indoors now, so we get a lot of building done. I know that I have quite a list to complete before spring and flying season arrive, so time to get to it!
