Safety/Technical Director’s Corner
UPCOMING EVENTS
By Tony Stillman, Safety/Technical Director | tonys@modelaircraft.org
As I write this column, I am working from home. Looking outside, I see some snow still lingering from a recent storm that brought us approximately 6 inches of the white stuff. It’s not an inviting scenario for outdoor model flying!
It’s mid-February in the upper Midwest, and we are well into the building season. I hope you are close to completing your models for this flying season. I am trying to get a new, 100-inch F8F Bearcat completed for test flights when the snow goes away!
After two years of COVID-19 and its associated restrictions, we are currently seeing a drop in cases in Indiana. We at AMA are hopeful that 2022 will be a year in which we can move back to a typical flying season. I hesitate to use the word “normal” these days, but we have seen a good number of event sanction applications come through at AMA Headquarters. Let’s all plan to attend some gatherings to help support clubs as they work to provide events for us to enjoy.
I plan to attend the Southeastern Modelers Show in Perry, Georgia, on March 4-5, and hope I get to see many of you there. This year, Lee Ray, AMA’s social media guru, will also be attending! He plans to interview people during the event, so look for some cool stuff on AMA Air, probably on the show to air on April 15!
As you might be aware, our modeling friends in Canada have seen some changes because of new laws that the Canadian counterpart to the FAA has mandated. I want to focus on Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) members who have a turbine-powered aircraft and come into the US to fly. If they bring their MAAC turbine waiver with them, and they have joined AMA, they will be able to fly it in the US. If they want to go through the AMA process to obtain a turbine waiver, that is okay as well.
I want to make it clear that as long as these pilots have a valid AMA membership and can show proof of having an AMA or MAAC turbine waiver, they are in compliance.
I also want to make everyone aware that the AMA is scheduled to host the RC Pylon World Championships on July 7-14, 2022, at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana. As I write this, things are moving forward and it appears that the event will take place.
The US is typically selected to host a world championship event every three or four years; however, specific events, such as RC Pylon Racing, might take decades before again being held in the US. I suggest that if you have not seen a world championship, make an effort this year to come to Muncie and watch for yourself. RC Pylon Racing is a high-energy event, with models reaching speeds of 200 mph as they go around the course. With the additional flavor of competitors from around the world, this becomes a must-see event!
Along with the RC Pylon Racing World Championships, the IAC will host the Nats and several other significant aeromodeling events in 2022. That is the main reason that the IAC exists! Hosting major events requires a large flying site—the IAC has more than 1,100 acres—and support staff to enable the events.
We would love to see you come to Muncie and partake in some of the scheduled events this year. You can find a listing of these competitions on the AMA website under the Events tab on the IAC calendar. This site is regularly updated, so check it out.
I’m looking forward to a great year!
