AMA AND GROUPER
By Kenny Cassidy, AMA Acquisition and Member Benefits Manager | kennethc@modelaircraft.org
BY TEAMING UP with Grouper (www.hellogrouper.com), AMA is taking a proactive approach toward promoting the health and wellness of its members. Grouper is a program dedicated to promoting active engagement in hobbies and interests for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plan holders. By covering membership costs, Grouper encourages individuals to stay involved in their favorite activities, fostering a sense of community and enhancing social fitness.
Following are the top three questions that members have asked since this partnership was launched on November 29, 2023.
1. Why did AMA partner with Grouper?
The partnership with Grouper allows eligible enrollees to receive a complementary yearly membership for staying active and engaged in their passion for flying. Grouper is allowed to do this through partnerships and the belief in the power of socialization and engagement.
2. How do I get my membership dues covered?
If you maintain both an eligible health plan and an active AMA membership, Grouper will reimburse your dues annually. This ensures that as long as you keep your AMA membership current and log your activities, you’ll continue to enjoy this benefit.
After enrolling, Grouper will contact you within three to five business days to let you know if you are eligible. During this time, Grouper will check your health plan for eligibility and confirm that you are a current member of AMA. After Grouper verifies this information, it will request some additional information via email and send you a check covering the cost of membership within 45 days.
3. How do I know if I’m eligible?
During the online registration process with Grouper, you’ll be prompted to provide your health plan information and AMA number to cross-reference activity.
This information is solely used for eligibility verification with the health plan. After this information is reviewed, whether you’re eligible or not, you’ll receive an email notification within three to five business days.
AMA recognizes the importance of supporting its members beyond simply flying model aircraft. By partnering with Grouper, AMA is offering an additional avenue for enthusiasts to engage in activities that promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Visit www.modelaircraft.org/membership/benefits/exclusive-offers to see if you are eligible to participate today!
DISASTER RELIEF GRANT INCREASES
By Rachelle Haughn, AMA Foundation Donor & Programs Specialist | rachelleh@modelaircraft.org
AMA CHARTERED CLUBS affected by natural disasters will have some extra help this year to recover. In October 2023, the AMA Executive Council voted to increase the amount awarded to a club, per disaster, from $500 to $1,000. Clubs can apply for these grant funds if they are affected by tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, or similar catastrophic events.
Beginning January 1, 2024, clubs can receive up to $1,000 per disaster to help get their fields back open to members and the public.
To learn more about this grant and others that the AMA Foundation offers, visit https://amafoundation.modelaircraft.org/grants.
SOARING INTO THE SKIES: FF POSTAL CONTEST TAKES FLIGHT
By Kyle Jaracz, AMA Education Director | kylej@modelaircraft.org
GET READY to take your model aviation skills to new heights with the upcoming Free Flight (FF) Postal Contest scheduled from April 26 to May 5, 2024. Hosted by Sky Battle, this exciting event promises a nostalgic journey into the world of slip-together balsa models, recalling the Golden Age of aviation.
To participate, enthusiasts can visit the official event website at www.skybattle.org to find detailed information and register for this thrilling competition. Whether you’re a seasoned flier or a newcomer to the hobby, this contest caters to all age groups, from youth (17 and younger) to adults (18 and older).
This spring’s competition focuses on a classic model that will captivate both the young and the young at heart. Participants can utilize any slip-together balsa, rubber-powered propeller model featuring wheels. Model options for the contest are broad with popular choices, with Guillow’s Strato Streak and Guillow’s Jetstream leading the pack. These iconic model aircraft are affordable and easily accessible at local hobby, craft, or toy stores.
For those eyeing the Guillow’s Jetstream, AMA’s online store offers a convenient purchasing option by visiting www.modelaircraft.org/shopama. If the Guillow’s Strato Streak is your preferred choice, you can order it online from www.pitsco.com, with the added benefit of attractive quantity discounts for orders of 30 or more, which is ideal for organizing group events or competitions.
Before taking flight, participants are advised to familiarize themselves with the event rules, which includes categories for stock and modified classes. This ensures a fair and competitive experience for all involved.
Don’t miss this chance to showcase your model aviation prowess and relive the charm of classic balsa models. Mark your calendars for April 26 through May 5, 2024, and join us in the sky for a FF contest that promises excitement, camaraderie, and a celebration of aviation history. For more information, visit www.skybattle.org.
Model Builder Plans
AMA PLANS SERVICE now houses all plans formerly sold through Model Builder magazine, Bill Northrup’s Plan Service, and the Scratch Builder’s Almanac. There are more than 18,000 plans in the collection.
Woodie’s Pusher, a semiscale RC sportster, was designed and drawn by Chris Moes and traced by Phil Bernhardt. Getting its name from the builder of its prototype, Harris L. Woods, Woodie’s Pusher has a wingspan of roughly 46 inches, a length of approximately 32 inches, and is powered by a three-channel radio.
Order plans for Woodie’s Pusher, plans number 8741, for $10 by visiting https://plans.modelaircraft.org or call the AMA Plans Service at (800) 435-9262, ext. 507.
AS WE HEAD INTO SPRING, modelers might have the upcoming Nats already on their minds, ramping up their preparation for the summer’s competition. We thought now would be a good time to mention two details about the Nats. The first topic is one that we are frequently asked at the National Model Aviation Museum and the second is something that we need in the museum.
This is a shared adventure this month: one question that we’ll answer with one request that we hope you can answer!
Nats Is the Nationals
We are often asked what the word Nats means. We might have mentioned this briefly in this column before, but we are asked about it frequently and thought we would devote a section of an article to it.
What do the letters NATS stand for? Some advertisements, articles, and logo designs for the Nats display the word in all caps (NATS); however, so far, from our ongoing research into all things Nats, we have found that Nats is just a simple, shortened version of the word Nationals.
Not a recent change, the shrinking of the competition’s long title started early in national championship history. It seems that the word Nationals started being used to describe the competition in print by the mid-1930s. In the September 1936 issue of Model Airplane News, the Nats article was titled “The 1936 ‘Nationals’: Highlights and Complete Results of the Annual International Model Airplane Competition.” Also, in the September issue of Flying Aces that same year, an article by Philip Zecchitella referred to the competition as The Nationals. And perhaps outside of our research, the competition could have been referred to as the Nationals even further back.
The word Nats started to pop up a little in print by the mid-1940s, perhaps even earlier. For instance, a headquarters report headline in the May 1946 issue of Model Aviation reads, “August Date for Nats Meets General Approval,” and in the November 1949 issue of Air Trails, the article about the competition was titled, “The ’49 Nats.”
There is always room for more research on this topic, and the archives have many magazines and newsletters, artifacts, and archival material covering the Nats that we have yet to go through. We might also find instances of both of these words being used colloquially even earlier by Nats participants and organizers.
The long title used for the Nats has seen changes throughout the years (sometimes varying among advertising material in the same year). Some titles that we’ve seen include “National Championship Model Airplane Meet” (on a 1935 Nats ribbon,
2006.01.441); “National Model Airplane Meet” (on the cover of a 1948 Nats brochure,
ch ure, A2017.20.128); “National Model Airplane Championship” (on the front of a 1964 Nats envelope,
a 1964 Nats envelope, A2017.20.223a); “AMA National Model Airplane Championships and Convention” (on a 1984 Nats bumper sticker,
1984 Nats bumper sticker, 2007.13.238); and the currently used “National Aeromodeling Championships” (on a 2004 Nats bumper sticker, 2005.02.89). Gee, it sure does make using the word Nats seem so much easier, right?
Would you be interested in us taking a deeper dive into the history of Nats titles? Let us know if that’s something you’d like to read about—email us at museum@modelaircraft.org or call (800) 435-9262, ext. 511!
2008 Nats Memorabilia Needed
Can you believe that we do not have official Nats memorabilia from 2008 in our collection, such as T-shirts, stickers, or lapel pins? We can’t either! We usually add examples of official Nats memorabilia to the collection during or soon after the Nats, but for some reason, we skipped collecting those items that year. Perhaps all of the items ran out before we could get to them.
We have had these particular items on our museum wish list page for quite a while, but we have yet to receive any. If you have these items and would like to donate them to the museum, we’d like to hear from you! (Fortunately, we do have three copies of the 2008 program guide for the Outdoor Nats competition, pictured in this article, stored in our archives.)
Are there any aeromodeling questions that you’ve been pondering and would like answered? Is there a topic that you’ve been dying to read about? Let us know and maybe it will appear in a future column.
