THE AMA NATIONAL
FUN FLY RECAP
By Randy Cameron, AMA Executive Vice President | flyrc@modelaircraft.org
It has been an exciting summer! We just finished The AMA National Fun Fly at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. It was a very good event and we had 96 registered pilots.
We increased the number of flight stations at the main flightline at Site 3, which helped pilots get in all of the flying they wanted, with little wait time. Additionally, we used Site 1 as a 3D flightline, and Site 4 has new grass that is coming along very well for those who wanted to fly from a grass runway.
There were many of the same faces, and some new ones as well. Nearly everyone got a 2023 shirt and other swag in their pilot bags. The swap meet was busy on Friday and Saturday, with many vendors and some great deals. Our event sponsors provided some great prizes as well. There were several airplanes, engines, batteries, hardware, and hats given away.
I want to thank all of our sponsors, which included AMA District VI, AJ Aircraft, BadAss Power Systems, Ball State University, Balsa USA, CalAire, Du-Bro, Flying Tiger RC, Hitec RCD, Horizon Hobby, Hank’s Hobby Hangar, the Toledo R/C Swap Meet & Expo, Innovative Designs, Mile High RC, Muncie/Delaware County Visitors Bureau, Papa Johns, Rabid Models, Retro RC, RTL Fasteners, SMC Superior Matching Concepts, Valley View RC, and Warbird Pilots.
I’d also like to thank Erin Dobbs for the work she did to make the event possible and for obtaining sponsors, District Vice Presidents Gary Himes, Phil Tallman, and Mark Radcliff for of all their help, as well as Jim Tiller for running the flightline.
Thank you to AMA Foundation staff members Stephen Haston, Austin Perlee, and Rachelle Haughn and her children assisted with running the raffle. They did a great job. And thank you to Rusty Kennedy, the AMA Foundation chairman, as well.
Of course, thanks to my wife, Fina, who helped manage the registration, along with Joyce Hager. Also thanks to Terry Frazer for selling the donation from Ralph Warner, with proceeds going to the AMA Foundation. Staff that worked hard to make the event happen from behind the scenes were Ben Flesher, Zane Pauley, Mark Benson, and others. Thank you all. Most importantly, I would like to thank you, the members, who attended. Without you, the event couldn’t have happened.
The annual AMA Membership Meeting, presented by AMA President Rich Hanson, went well, with pizza following. Great information was provided by the head of AMA’s Government Affairs team, Tyler Dobbs, along with a good question-and-answer session. Additionally, AMA Fellow awards were presented to Joyce Hager and Terry Frazer.
