AMA ACHIEVEMENTS
By Chad Budreau, AMA Executive Director | chadb@modelaircraft.org
World Championships
As I wrote this, 27 countries were arriving at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) to compete in the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) F2 World Championships for Control Line (CL) Speed, Aerobatics, Team Racing, and Combat.
I was out on-site during the opening ceremonies, meeting competitors from Italy, Canada, France, Australia, and more. Thank you to AMA members, such as Bill Lee and the countless volunteers who were provided by our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), including the North American Speed Society, the Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association, the National Control Line Racing Association, the National Free Flight Society, and the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association.
Be sure to catch up on world championships highlights on our social media and in AMA This Week, on AMA Air, and in Model Aviation.
2023 Annual Report
For the past five years, AMA has produced an annual report. This is an important exercise to provide members, staff, and leadership with an overview of AMA’s performance and operations. I encourage all of you to read the 2023 Annual Report. Highlights include awarding more than six figures in funding to members and clubs, launching a new military discount and AED programs, initiating programs to reimburse member dues through health insurance programs, and numerous education and advocacy wins.
A recurring theme in 2023 was a commitment to invest in competition. AMA celebrated 100 years of Nats competition and grew attendance by 11%. SIGs and contest directors helped AMA revise the Nats Manual and AMA Bluebook to better support and fund competitions. The AMA Safety Committee developed new safety programming, including a large model helicopter program, which was approved by the Executive Council (EC).
AMA staff and EC members attended the FAI General Conference hosted by the National Aeronautic Association. During the conference, AMA also attended award ceremonies for members have who won the title of FAI World Champion three times or more.
Read the 2023 Annual Report, as well as previous years’ reports, at www.modelaircraft.org/annual-report.
IAC Improvements
In 2021, I worked closely with our accounting team and the EC to develop a five-year depreciation and replacement
reserve strategy. We developed a plan to fund long-overdue capital improvement projects through gains earned in our reserves without using member dues to fund operations.
After consulting with four asphalt firms, AMA selected Grady Brothers Asphalt to mill, restore, and replace the Site 1 and Site 6 flying sites. Work began on July 20 and was completed on August 5, just in time for the RC Aerobatics Nats and the F2 CL World Championships.
The next time you visit the IAC, be sure to enjoy the new runway and CL circles. AMA is in the process of securing bids for Site 3 runway improvements for the EC to review for 2025.
