AMA News
Academy of Model Aeronautics 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
View from HQ
See page 192
A TALE OF TWO CITIES? Well, more
like a city-and-a-half. Here in the greater
Phoenix metropolitan area, otherwise known
as The Valley, flying sites are at a premium
largely because of the risk-management
people in the many neighboring
municipalities.
Until they sit down with people who are
knowledgeable about our sport, they harbor
misconceptions ranging from uncontrolled
projectiles screaming wildly above their
heads to large “model” airplanes being
towed behind automobiles. Their reluctance
is understandable!
Approximately 18 months ago I was
approached by a parks and recreation
superintendent for a local city. He was
aware of some helicopter flying being
conducted on a piece of city property, and
wondered if it was an appropriate activity at
that location.
We met at the site—a large retention
basin surrounded on three sides by highdensity
residential developments—and
determined that small electric aircraft would
be the best option. The city representative is
a modeler and a solid proponent of the
concept.
That was 18 months ago, and although
there has been no official designation of that
site as an RC venue within the city, one can
find 20 or more electric modelers flying
there every Saturday and Sunday morning.
They had tacit approval for the time being.
Fast-forward to February of this year. A
man named Bob White, Parks and
Recreation Superintendent for the City of
Mesa, Arizona, called to set up a meeting to
discuss RC aviation in general. He said the
local Risk Manager was not enthusiastic
about model aviation, but he wanted to get a
realistic perspective.
A local helicopter modeler had contacted
Bob relative to a potential flying site in a
retention basin. For various reasons, we had
to reschedule our meeting until finally the
Cactus League baseball season started. That
took all of Bob’s attention, and we had to
postpone our discussion until April.
During my attempts to set up a meeting
with Bob, AMA member Jeremy Turner,
who lives in Mesa, Arizona, contacted me.
Jeremy was the prime mover in the effort to
obtain use of the retention basin and was
anxious to hear the results of our meeting.
While he was disappointed in our lack of
progress, he was not deterred.
Bob White’s initial call to me was the
result of Jeremy’s efforts to attain use of the
retention basin. Jeremy’s club, the
Superstition Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association (SRCHA), was given informal
use of the basin until one morning; the fliers
found a “No flying of any model airplanes
without a permit” sign posted at the field.
Jeremy is a calm and reasonable AMA
member—just like the rest of us—but
tenacity is his middle name! He asked for a
face-to-face meeting with the Mesa Parks
and Recreation people, but again, scheduling
Flying Site Assistance
Wes De Cou
Coordinator,
Western Region
Districts VII-XI
Voice: (480) 460-9466
Cell: (480) 296 9515
Fax: (480) 460-9434
202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Phoenix AZ 85045
E-mail: [email protected]
Joe Beshar, Coordinator,
Eastern Region, Districts I-VI
198 Merritt Dr., Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281; Fax: (201) 261-0223
E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Continued on page 158
Note: District I Vice President Don
Krafft was not in attendance
The following were approved by
acclamation:
• To accept the Minutes of the April 24,
2004 Executive Council meeting as
amended. (Amendments: in MOTION III
add the words “except while landing”
following the words “touch the ground.”
In the EVP report the first bulleted item,
delete the words “and there were none in
2003.”)
• To accept the report of the Nominations
Committee.
Names placed on the ballot for 2004
are:
President
Dave Brown
Dave Mathewson
Bill Oberdieck
District I Vice President
Don Krafft
Andy Argenio
District V Vice President
Tony Stillman
Judi Dunlap
Manny Sousa
District IX Vice President
Mark Smith
• To accept the report of the Scholarship
Committee.
Motion I: Moved and seconded that a
unanimous decision of the Executive
Council approved the appointment of Judi
Dunlap as interim District V Vice
President.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion II: Moved and seconded to allow
the Executive Director the discretion to
extend the definition and scope of a mall
show as she sees fit.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion III: Moved and seconded that
beginning in 2005 increase the allocation
for scholarship amounts to 30¢ per open
paid member.
Motion passed unanimously.
Executive Council Meeting Highlights
The motions below are part of the unofficial minutes of the meeting. Minutes from a
given meeting are not official until they are approved at the next quarterly Council
meeting. Questions or comments on the motions should be addressed to your District
Vice President.
Motions made at the July 2, 2004,
Executive Council Meeting in Muncie, Indiana.
October 2004 157
04oct.qxd 7/26/04 9:10 am Page 157
158
THIS REPORT summarizes payments made by the medical policy on behalf of the Academy of Model Aeronautics to members for
injuries sustained as a result of model-related accidents. In most cases, these amounts were in addition to payments made by our
members’ primary health insurance policies.
There is no duplication of health insurance payments under the AMA program. The AMA columns below reflect payments that are a
combination of claims where involved members have: (1) no health insurance, (2) no policy coverage, (3) deductibles not met under
primary coverage, (4) noncovered portions of amounts approved by the primary carrier (usually 20% of an approved amount), and (5)
individual policy limits are exceeded.
The figures shown below are for all closed and open claims. Open claims are included since some amount of payment has been made
with possible additional payments pending. During the four-year period listed, there were 283 medical claims filed.
Medical payments made under the AMA program have increased throughout the years. This is directly affected by escalating medical
costs and changes in employee group health plans. Increased employee costs are seen as a result of higher deductibles and shifts toward
80/20 plans. Also impacting the number of claims is the overall growth of the Academy of Model Aeronautics and member awareness of
AMA benefits provided through articles published in Model Aviation.
The Special Services Department assists members by working with them in the preparation of properly documented claims, in an
effort to expedite payments ultimately made by our insurance carrier. AMA is pleased to have been able to provide this valuable service
for more than 20 years. We welcome your inquires.
FOUR YEAR LOSS SUMMARY
Year Total Claims Primary Payment AMA’s Insurance Highest Single Claim
(Employers) Company Payment Paid by AMA
2000 66 $59,054.34 $40,863.14 $12,717.12
2001 75 $21,554.07 $58,298.21 $18,955.19
2002 73 $16,777.81 $69,217.17 $18,964.32
2003 69 $78,745.03 $32,443.98 $11,454.73
___ ___ __________ __________
Total 283 $509,518.19 $250,658.68
** Average Payments $1,800.42 $885.72
AMA Medical Claim History
conflicts thwarted those efforts. Jeremy
asked for a copy of the permit for park use,
and somehow that request got bogged down.
He asked for support from his local city
councilwoman, Janie Thom, and for advice
from an attorney through his employer’s
Employee Assistance Program. Smart!
He called the city again and asked for a
copy of the park use permit so that an
attorney could review it.
Mesa City Council member Janie Thom
(L), Wes De Cou, and a happy band of
SRCHA members including Steve Lowe,
Dave Parcels, Tim Edwards, Jeremy
“Tenacity” Turner, Matt Lowe, Jeff Dennis,
Robert Turchick, Rob Ryan, and Cliff
Morris show off their great helicopter site.
Photo courtesy of Ken Rosen.
As if by magic, a meeting was scheduled
with the City of Mesa, and we were able to
describe what model aviation in general, and
model helicopters specifically, was all
about. Bob White had asked all of the key
players on the city staff to attend the
meeting. I attended on behalf of the AMA,
and Jeremy represented the interests of
SRCHA. When all was said and done, the
Risk Manager had a few questions on siteowner
liability coverage, which we took
care of the following day. By the following
weekend, permit in hand, SRCHA was
happily flying on its new site!
Word travels fast through the hot, dry
air of the desert. Within a week of the
permit approval for SRCHA, the Parks and
Recreation superintendent from the city at
the top of this article called to get
information about how the process flowed,
and to set up meetings we hope will lead to
the official designation of the electric site
in that city.
The lessons we learned here are that
tenacity is a must if we are going to get the
attention of overburdened local city
officials. That help can come from
expected sources, such as city council
representatives, and unexpected sources
such as an Employee Assistance Program.
Most important is the process you use to
educate a park manager or a risk manager
to change a “No!” to a “Yes!”
Flying Site Assistance
continued from page 157
THE HEARTBEAT OF MODEL
AVIATION: Recognizing the critical
nature of the need for preserving and
finding flying sites, congratulations to
the AMA members who have taken the
initiative to register to join in
addressing this most important
objective. They are the heartbeat of
model aviation.
These people comprise a network of
volunteers who serve as AMA’s eyes
and ears, by being aware of activities
in their area that could negatively
impact existing flying sites.
They recognize locations that have
the potential for future flying sites, and
they advise the clubs and members in
their area.
We invite and welcome all AMA
members to get on board and join the
team. Please contact one of the Flying
Site Assistance Coordinators for
registration details.
04oct.qxd 7/26/04 9:10 am Page 158
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 157,158
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 157,158
AMA News
Academy of Model Aeronautics 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
View from HQ
See page 192
A TALE OF TWO CITIES? Well, more
like a city-and-a-half. Here in the greater
Phoenix metropolitan area, otherwise known
as The Valley, flying sites are at a premium
largely because of the risk-management
people in the many neighboring
municipalities.
Until they sit down with people who are
knowledgeable about our sport, they harbor
misconceptions ranging from uncontrolled
projectiles screaming wildly above their
heads to large “model” airplanes being
towed behind automobiles. Their reluctance
is understandable!
Approximately 18 months ago I was
approached by a parks and recreation
superintendent for a local city. He was
aware of some helicopter flying being
conducted on a piece of city property, and
wondered if it was an appropriate activity at
that location.
We met at the site—a large retention
basin surrounded on three sides by highdensity
residential developments—and
determined that small electric aircraft would
be the best option. The city representative is
a modeler and a solid proponent of the
concept.
That was 18 months ago, and although
there has been no official designation of that
site as an RC venue within the city, one can
find 20 or more electric modelers flying
there every Saturday and Sunday morning.
They had tacit approval for the time being.
Fast-forward to February of this year. A
man named Bob White, Parks and
Recreation Superintendent for the City of
Mesa, Arizona, called to set up a meeting to
discuss RC aviation in general. He said the
local Risk Manager was not enthusiastic
about model aviation, but he wanted to get a
realistic perspective.
A local helicopter modeler had contacted
Bob relative to a potential flying site in a
retention basin. For various reasons, we had
to reschedule our meeting until finally the
Cactus League baseball season started. That
took all of Bob’s attention, and we had to
postpone our discussion until April.
During my attempts to set up a meeting
with Bob, AMA member Jeremy Turner,
who lives in Mesa, Arizona, contacted me.
Jeremy was the prime mover in the effort to
obtain use of the retention basin and was
anxious to hear the results of our meeting.
While he was disappointed in our lack of
progress, he was not deterred.
Bob White’s initial call to me was the
result of Jeremy’s efforts to attain use of the
retention basin. Jeremy’s club, the
Superstition Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association (SRCHA), was given informal
use of the basin until one morning; the fliers
found a “No flying of any model airplanes
without a permit” sign posted at the field.
Jeremy is a calm and reasonable AMA
member—just like the rest of us—but
tenacity is his middle name! He asked for a
face-to-face meeting with the Mesa Parks
and Recreation people, but again, scheduling
Flying Site Assistance
Wes De Cou
Coordinator,
Western Region
Districts VII-XI
Voice: (480) 460-9466
Cell: (480) 296 9515
Fax: (480) 460-9434
202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Phoenix AZ 85045
E-mail: [email protected]
Joe Beshar, Coordinator,
Eastern Region, Districts I-VI
198 Merritt Dr., Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281; Fax: (201) 261-0223
E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Continued on page 158
Note: District I Vice President Don
Krafft was not in attendance
The following were approved by
acclamation:
• To accept the Minutes of the April 24,
2004 Executive Council meeting as
amended. (Amendments: in MOTION III
add the words “except while landing”
following the words “touch the ground.”
In the EVP report the first bulleted item,
delete the words “and there were none in
2003.”)
• To accept the report of the Nominations
Committee.
Names placed on the ballot for 2004
are:
President
Dave Brown
Dave Mathewson
Bill Oberdieck
District I Vice President
Don Krafft
Andy Argenio
District V Vice President
Tony Stillman
Judi Dunlap
Manny Sousa
District IX Vice President
Mark Smith
• To accept the report of the Scholarship
Committee.
Motion I: Moved and seconded that a
unanimous decision of the Executive
Council approved the appointment of Judi
Dunlap as interim District V Vice
President.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion II: Moved and seconded to allow
the Executive Director the discretion to
extend the definition and scope of a mall
show as she sees fit.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion III: Moved and seconded that
beginning in 2005 increase the allocation
for scholarship amounts to 30¢ per open
paid member.
Motion passed unanimously.
Executive Council Meeting Highlights
The motions below are part of the unofficial minutes of the meeting. Minutes from a
given meeting are not official until they are approved at the next quarterly Council
meeting. Questions or comments on the motions should be addressed to your District
Vice President.
Motions made at the July 2, 2004,
Executive Council Meeting in Muncie, Indiana.
October 2004 157
04oct.qxd 7/26/04 9:10 am Page 157
158
THIS REPORT summarizes payments made by the medical policy on behalf of the Academy of Model Aeronautics to members for
injuries sustained as a result of model-related accidents. In most cases, these amounts were in addition to payments made by our
members’ primary health insurance policies.
There is no duplication of health insurance payments under the AMA program. The AMA columns below reflect payments that are a
combination of claims where involved members have: (1) no health insurance, (2) no policy coverage, (3) deductibles not met under
primary coverage, (4) noncovered portions of amounts approved by the primary carrier (usually 20% of an approved amount), and (5)
individual policy limits are exceeded.
The figures shown below are for all closed and open claims. Open claims are included since some amount of payment has been made
with possible additional payments pending. During the four-year period listed, there were 283 medical claims filed.
Medical payments made under the AMA program have increased throughout the years. This is directly affected by escalating medical
costs and changes in employee group health plans. Increased employee costs are seen as a result of higher deductibles and shifts toward
80/20 plans. Also impacting the number of claims is the overall growth of the Academy of Model Aeronautics and member awareness of
AMA benefits provided through articles published in Model Aviation.
The Special Services Department assists members by working with them in the preparation of properly documented claims, in an
effort to expedite payments ultimately made by our insurance carrier. AMA is pleased to have been able to provide this valuable service
for more than 20 years. We welcome your inquires.
FOUR YEAR LOSS SUMMARY
Year Total Claims Primary Payment AMA’s Insurance Highest Single Claim
(Employers) Company Payment Paid by AMA
2000 66 $59,054.34 $40,863.14 $12,717.12
2001 75 $21,554.07 $58,298.21 $18,955.19
2002 73 $16,777.81 $69,217.17 $18,964.32
2003 69 $78,745.03 $32,443.98 $11,454.73
___ ___ __________ __________
Total 283 $509,518.19 $250,658.68
** Average Payments $1,800.42 $885.72
AMA Medical Claim History
conflicts thwarted those efforts. Jeremy
asked for a copy of the permit for park use,
and somehow that request got bogged down.
He asked for support from his local city
councilwoman, Janie Thom, and for advice
from an attorney through his employer’s
Employee Assistance Program. Smart!
He called the city again and asked for a
copy of the park use permit so that an
attorney could review it.
Mesa City Council member Janie Thom
(L), Wes De Cou, and a happy band of
SRCHA members including Steve Lowe,
Dave Parcels, Tim Edwards, Jeremy
“Tenacity” Turner, Matt Lowe, Jeff Dennis,
Robert Turchick, Rob Ryan, and Cliff
Morris show off their great helicopter site.
Photo courtesy of Ken Rosen.
As if by magic, a meeting was scheduled
with the City of Mesa, and we were able to
describe what model aviation in general, and
model helicopters specifically, was all
about. Bob White had asked all of the key
players on the city staff to attend the
meeting. I attended on behalf of the AMA,
and Jeremy represented the interests of
SRCHA. When all was said and done, the
Risk Manager had a few questions on siteowner
liability coverage, which we took
care of the following day. By the following
weekend, permit in hand, SRCHA was
happily flying on its new site!
Word travels fast through the hot, dry
air of the desert. Within a week of the
permit approval for SRCHA, the Parks and
Recreation superintendent from the city at
the top of this article called to get
information about how the process flowed,
and to set up meetings we hope will lead to
the official designation of the electric site
in that city.
The lessons we learned here are that
tenacity is a must if we are going to get the
attention of overburdened local city
officials. That help can come from
expected sources, such as city council
representatives, and unexpected sources
such as an Employee Assistance Program.
Most important is the process you use to
educate a park manager or a risk manager
to change a “No!” to a “Yes!”
Flying Site Assistance
continued from page 157
THE HEARTBEAT OF MODEL
AVIATION: Recognizing the critical
nature of the need for preserving and
finding flying sites, congratulations to
the AMA members who have taken the
initiative to register to join in
addressing this most important
objective. They are the heartbeat of
model aviation.
These people comprise a network of
volunteers who serve as AMA’s eyes
and ears, by being aware of activities
in their area that could negatively
impact existing flying sites.
They recognize locations that have
the potential for future flying sites, and
they advise the clubs and members in
their area.
We invite and welcome all AMA
members to get on board and join the
team. Please contact one of the Flying
Site Assistance Coordinators for
registration details.
04oct.qxd 7/26/04 9:10 am Page 158