AMA Today

January 2011

AMA had a banner year in 2010

It's been a very productive year for the Academy. In 2010 we accomplished much, not the least of which was another year of an estimated 28 million hours of fun and flight by our 144,000 members. I thank you for giving me the privilege of serving you and our 2,400 clubs for another term as president. It's not all fun and games, though. The FAA issue must be strongly addressed, flying sites need to be sourced and protected, and new members need to be recruited and retained. In the meantime, review our many accomplishments that follow. I'm sure you'll want to stay active with the world's best aeromodeling organization. Happy New Year - it's AMA's 75^th! See you on the flying field . . .

Dave Mathewson

AMA YEAR IN REVIEW

Flying site assistance ramps up

Tony Stillman, former District V VP, became the AMA's national Flying Site Assistance Coordinator in 2010. Tony represented AMA at the National League of Cities meeting, and at the National Recreation and Park Association congress. Click here to see an impressive record of his service this past year. Past coordinator Joe Beshar was recently honored with the Howard McEntee Award from the Vintage R/C Society. Click here to learn more about Joe and his service.

Advocacy amps up in 2010

With the FAA poised to issue potentially restrictive regulations in 2011 the AMA advocacy team has been fierce in defending your flying privileges. The AMA's new Government Relations website section will be up soon. FAA representatives will be at AMA EXPO 2011 to answer member questions at 2:00 PM this Saturday. AMA was also active with the League of Cities and the National Recreation and Park Association this past year.

Astronaut Hall of Famer Gibson named AMA Ambassador

Five-time space shuttle commander and pilot Robert "Hoot" Gibson signed on as AMA's national spokesperson in March. A longtime modeler, click here to learn more about this accomplished naval aviator who has flown more than 111 types of aircraft and maintains a love of modeling.

Competition and events - fast, furious and fun!

The International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, the world's largest such facility, was a happening place all season. The 84^th annual Nats attracted 1128 competitors, mechanics and volunteers in July and August. Go here to see the standings. The IAC was also busy this past summer with the World Championships in electric F5B gliders and electric F5D pylon. There were 77 competitors from 16 countries. The first AMA-sponsored National Electric Fly-In attracted almost 100 pilots to the IAC in July. The Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) provided spectacular flying, wowing all in attendance. For more info about this contest, go to XFC Results. The International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree and its 960 pilots at the IAC's August event also provided thrills. Nationwide, AMA sanctioned 2,245 local events throughout our 11 districts.

Being built to celebrate AMA's 75th, this aircraft will be shown in-progress at AMA EXPO 2011

Check out all the members who have taken advantage of the
Sign 3 Fly Free program

Electronic communications means cheaper, better, faster

The all-member e-newsletter AMA Today debuted this year as a monthly offering. It is a first for AMA and is quickly becoming a favorite publication. Go here to see the past year's issues. In AMA Today a "Quick Poll" allows you to provide feedback on a number of key topics. Also featured in AMA Today is a monthly video from the growing AMA TV site on YouTube. More than 3,000 fans of aeromodeling are now "friends" on AMA's Facebook page. AMATwitter, too, made its debut. Possibly the crowning achievement has been the redesign of http://www.modelaircraft.org/; your website is now better looking and better organized. In the print world, AMA's Model Aviation distinguished itself further by winning an Award of Excellence from the Indiana Society of Association Executives.

Strategic planning in full force on three fronts

The AMA Executive Council put long hours in developing a long-range strategic plan for the organization. Go here to find out where we're going and how we're getting there. In addition, Division I VP Andy Argenio launched a 65-person strategic force with several committees focused on key subject areas. If you'd like to weigh in, connect with Andy at imaasanction(at)aol.com . The Museum Steering Committee, guiding the programs of the National Model Aviation Museum, has embarked upon developing a new Master Plan for the facility. Chairing that effort is District IV VP Bliss Teague. Connect with Bliss at bat2(at)embarqmail.com.

AMA EXPO kicks it up a notch

The 2010 AMA EXPO in Ontario CA not only had record attendance, but it offered, for the first time, an array of aviation luminaries as guest speakers. The 2011 EXPO, January 7-9, is also in Ontario and will again feature a crack lineup of aviation and aerospace presenters. Go www.amaexpo.com to learn more and register to attend!

Youth programs given a big boost

Getting the next generation of aeromodelers into the fold was given strong emphasis in 2010. AMA is now partnering with EAA on joint youth memberships. Check it out here. At EXPO 2011 AMA will sign a memorandum of agreement with the Civil Air Patrol's Cadet program for yet another collaboration to help America's youth get the model aviation bug. The AMA Education Department recently launched a Model Aviation School Club program (MASC), to connect clubs with community schools. Go here to learn more. The world's largest children's museum, in Indianapolis, NASA and AMA signed an agreement to create an interactive aviation exhibit. Learn more at http://www.childrensmuseum.org/pressrelease/press_2010_05_17.htm. AMA and NASA also teamed up to collaborate on a program to incorporate NASA Remote Sensing resources as a classroom aid to teach Earth Science; visit http://www.modelaircraft.org/insider/10_11/pres.htm. The Academy participated in the New Jersey Science & Engineering Festival in October by displaying aircraft, providing make and take, flying demonstrations and education roundtables.


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