get a vacation from this column this
month! MA Associate Editor Michael
Ramsey has some very interesting and
important insights on how AMA can better
communicate with its members and how
together we can enhance our knowledge base.
He has taken the initiative to write down his
thoughts, and I wanted him to have this
opportunity to share them with you.
You read; I’m going flying!
So I was up late one night working on a
project that had to get done because the next
day was supposed to have great flying
weather. The airplane was pretty much ready
to go with only a few pieces of equipment left
to install, and I thought I’d better loosely
assemble the airplane and figure out where
the balance point was going to fall. Does
anyone out there dread this part?
This was one of those times when there
was a problem and the answers weren’t
coming to me quickly, so I jumped into the
cockpit of my home computer and started
flying around to some Web forums that might
have reports about the same model.
Wow! Before I knew it I found a number
of options from people just like me that I
could apply directly to my project. It wasn’t
long before I was back on track and had the
equipment location solved. The model flew
the next day, not just to my delight, but also
to that of other members of my club who
were curious about that airplane.
In my own little community I was able to
share what I had learned by reaching out to a
broader community online. What I found odd
about the whole quest for information was
that none of the online resources had
anything directly to do with AMA, which is a
resource I’ve always looked upon as the
foremost authority when it came to anything
about model airplanes.
I’m not alone in thinking this, am I? Why
is it that if someone is looking for a current
modeling subject online, he or she has to go
somewhere other than AMA to
communicate?
AMA, after all, with its branches of SIGs
and 80 years of experience, should be a
leader in bringing these strengths together as
one collective resource. I think that is an
important responsibility owed to the
membership.
One of the most popular RC Web sites
recently announced that its membership count
was well above the number of annual AMA
members in good standing. Maybe that
statistic didn’t necessarily compare apples to
apples; however, it did make the point clear
to me that a community had developed
outside AMA that is effectively
communicating about every aeromodeling
interest. It’s a resource that responded to my
hobby needs, when I needed it, and like
AMA these Web sites are mostly about the
betterment of aeromodeling.
Aeromodeling Editor Bob Hunt
I
One of the principles that AMA was
founded on was to reinforce, support, and
benefit the aeromodeling community by
creating an association that would bring like
minds together under one banner. The
Academy’s well-documented history is a
tribute to everything that collective mind has
achieved.
Aeromodeling wouldn’t be where it is
today without those AMA initiatives. Now
there is another initiative I think is imperative
for the Academy to take.
I want all AMA members talking at the
same place. I want to be a member of that
collective mind and under that resource. What
I’d like to see AMA do is find a way for me
to talk to the membership about any topic
regarding aeromodeling, and do it online so
my needs as an active modeler can be met.
Is it too late for AMA to have its own
online community? Given all the well-done
modeling Web sites already available to the
modeler, what options are available?
It’s just like when I used to ask mom for a
new toy and was asked who would pay for it!
My mother was a little nicer and gave me the
“wait until your birthday” speech. For next
year’s birthday I want a Web site that lets me
talk to all AMA members.
Not only would having this allow me to
communicate with any member of the
Academy, but I’d be a more productive
member. Every now and then an idea would
come along, and I could share it with the
members and get input from them. Likewise,
AMA would be able to thrive from being in
the thick of what’s happening in the modeling
community—not three months later when it
reaches print in a magazine.
The potential service to the membership
Modeling Spoken Here
Published by The Academy of Model Aeronautics
Rob Kurek
Director of Publications
Editorial offices: (765) 287-1256, extension
224 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays); Fax: (765)
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Contributing Editors
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President
Doug Holland
Executive Vice President
Staff
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Executive Director Jim Cherry
Model Aviation is an official publication of The Academy
of Model Aeronautics, Inc., an associate member of the
National Aeronautic Association (NAA). NAA is the official
U.S. representative of the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for sport
aviation, and represents the U.S. at FAI meetings. NAA
delegated to the AMA supervision of FAI-related
aeromodeling activities such as record attempts,
competition sanctions, and selection of U.S. teams for
World Championships. (ISSN 0744-5059, USPS 087-930
Publications Agreement No. 40688541) is owned
exclusively by The Academy of Model Aeronautics, Inc., a
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Account Executive Angela Martin
Administrative Assistant Yolanda Jones
Aeromodeling Editor Bob Hunt
Associate Editor Michael Ramsey
Director of Design/Production Carla Kunz
Executive Editor Elizabeth Helms
Graphic Designer Sarah Shaw
Managing Editor Shelia Ames Webb
Production Associate Jennifer Orebaugh
Stan Alexander
Darwin Barrie
Bill Boss
Kurt Bozarth
Paul Bradley
Sal Calvagna
Mark Fadely
Dave Garwood
Dave Gee
Greg Gimlick
Jim Graham
P.T. Granderson
Eric Henderson
Jim Hiller
James Holland
Louis Joyner
John Kagan
Mike Keville
Rich Lopez
Dave Mark
D.B. Mathews
Dennis Norman
Richard L. Perry
Dave Robelen
Greg Rose
Red Scholefield
Gene Smith
Joe Wagner
Technical Editor Bob Aberle
I want all AMA members
talking at the same place.
6 MODEL AVIATION
Modeling Spoken Here continued on page 160
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Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/06
Page Numbers: 6