Do you want to introduce model
aviation to your friends and neighbors
and receive recognition and benefits
in return? If the answer is “yes,”
you’ll want to know more about
AMA’s new program called Takeoff
and Grow, or TAG.
Designed to encourage the
Academy’s members and clubs to
promote modeling as a positive
recreational activity to those in their
communities, TAG is the first of
several new programs AMA will
implement in the next year.
Intended primarily to indoctrinate
and welcome the general public to our
hobby, TAG provides an intensive
one-day introduction to model
aviation with the intent of drawing
new people into our hobby.
Clubs selected to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day will be provided
with a complete program syllabus to
use as a guide. It will include ideas for
prepromoting and advertising the event
and an outline of activities that are to
take place the day of the event.
Clubs will be encouraged to
preregister attendees to help them
better prepare. Each participant will be
entered into AMA’s newly revised
Introductory Pilot Program (IPP). Even
though there is no cost to the
nonmember, by becoming an IPP
student he or she will be covered under
AMA’s liability protection as long as
the individual is working under the
supervision of an AMA Introductory
Pilot (IP) Instructor.
The day of the event each attendee
will be provided with brief “classroom
instruction” to help familiarize him or
her with model aviation and to give an
idea of what to expect. Then each
participant will be placed on a
computer flight simulator, where an
experienced RC pilot will help him or
her acclimate to the basics of flight
and how it works.
Completing the modeling
experience, each attendee will be given
the opportunity to fly a trainer on a
buddy box under the guidance of an
AMA IP Instructor. Multiple flights
will be encouraged, time permitting.
If your club is selected to host a
TAG Model Aviation Day, AMA will
provide flight simulators and complete
RTF models to use during the
program. At the end of the event, these
items are your club’s to keep as
AMA’s way of saying “Thanks for
helping out.”
Through TAG, individual Academy
members can take advantage of
AMA’s Ambassador Program. If a
current member signs up three new
Open- or Senior Citizen-class
TAG—AMA Has It! members, he or she will earn next
year’s membership as another way of
AMA’s saying “Thanks.”
The rewards are more than just the
things I’ve listed. Hosting a TAG
Model Aviation Day is a great way to
reach out to your community to give
it a taste of a family-oriented
recreational activity that all of us
enjoy so much. In addition, you’ll be
creating positive relationships with
your neighbors that can often help
when the time comes to keep or
acquire new flying sites.
As with all new AMA programs
that are being developed, the
Academy wants to provide the tools
local clubs need to ensure the
popularity of the hobby. It will
require the cooperation of many to
make it a success. Achieving that
success will make our already
wonderful hobby even better.
AMA has a limited number of
openings for clubs to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day in 2007. If your
club would like to partner with AMA
to promote model aviation and open
the door to growing the membership,
contact AMA at (765) 287-1256,
extension 251. An application
package will be sent to you promptly.
Or you can visit www.modelair
craft.org/tag to download a complete
syllabus and application.
Model aviation is a great hobby.
Let’s tell others about it!
For AMA members who
participate in disciplines other than
radio control, the Academy is in the
process of developing similar
programs for you. More details will
be available shortly. MA
—Dave Mathewson
District II Vice President
Let your voice be heard at the Annual Open Membership
Meeting at AMA Convention 2007, which will be held January
12-14 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.
The Membership Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 13
at 9 a.m.
AMA Executive Council members and staff will be on hand
to take your questions and discuss important issues. If you are
planning to attend the Convention, don’t miss this opportunity
to share your concerns and ideas.
For more information about the AMA Convention, go to
www.modelaircraft.org/amaconvention.org. Look for frequent
updates to the site about the show and the Membership
Meeting. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Be Heard By AMA at the Annual Membership Meeting!
Scouting a Big Hit With AMA
The Boy Scouts
of America has long
been known for
harnessing the youth
of the nation and
cultivating traditions
that are generally
recognized as
wholesome and
educational. If a poll
were taken, chances
are that many AMA
members have been
at one time or are still involved in scouting. Those people would
probably agree that scouting and the Academy have much in common
regarding community activity and the stimulation of that growth
through healthy and challenging
programs.
Aeromodeling has been partially
incorporated into the scouting merit
certification program. However,
AMA Marketing Director Tom
Schwyn believed that more about
model aircraft should be included.
Aviation has historically
sparked curiosity and wonder in
youth, and encouragement of that
interest has led accomplished
individuals into careers in the
aviation industry. To convince
the scouting association of how
popular aeromodeling would be in the scouting
program, Indiana state council representatives and AMA worked
together to coordinate an event that would include aeromodeling
activities, proving that they were fun, accessible to all age groups,
educational, and popular.
The weekend of October 13-15, AMA and the Crossroads of
America Council hosted the fall Boy Scout
Camporee called Mission: Radio
Control, which had more than
2,500 participants. The Scouts
organized the campout at the
International Aeromodeling
Center while AMA hosted most
of the activities. The National
Model Aviation Museum was open
for visitors and was free to attend.
Events included amazing
hands-on activities for the scouts.
They participated in model building,
flying RC models with buddy boxes,
flying aircraft on simulators, driving
RC cars, and
controlling RC boats.
Make-and-take
programs involved
building rubberband-
powered balsa
models, great-flying
kites, and FPG-9
hand-launched
gliders from ordinary
foam plates. The
1,000-acre AMA
property was booming with activity
including model-rocket
demonstrations, displays featuring all
types of Army vehicles, and exciting
stunt-kite demonstrations and
training.
The EAA (Experimental Aircraft
Association) Young Eagles
program provided the Scouts with
flights in full-scale aircraft at
nearby Reese Airport. AMA had
multiple RC air shows throughout
the day October 14, including
LED night-flying synchronized
with the live rock-and-roll band.
The National Guard made a dramatic presence by
flying a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter that landed on the site.
Reports from all over have been coming in about how successful
the program was. Troop leaders, Scouts, and parents made it a point to
write in and remark about the fun they had and asked when the event
will be held again.
The Camporee took an enormous effort on the
part of the Scouts and the AMA
staff. Hundreds of volunteers
enjoyed the satisfaction of
cultivating aeromodeling’s
future, and a number of them
remarked about how friendly and
polite the Scouts were.
Few AMA events have ever
been able to bring thousands to
one site to learn about model
airplanes with such enthusiasm.
This program’s growth potential is
enormous for AMA and scouting.
Meetings are already in the works to
further develop the program and, it is
hoped, encourage it to spread on a national level. MA
—Michael Ramsey
MA Associate Editor
In the Air
A North Carolina
Club’s Good Deeds
The Fly-for-Tots program was originally
started in the mid-1990s as a drive to collect
toys for underprivileged children in local
foster homes. Each year the effort has
managed to donate a large number of toys
and a check for roughly $500.
Although the toys were much needed, it
became clear that this charity could better
meet the specific needs of families and
children with the cash that was donated.
Every year we would get a little more than
the year before, and we always looked
forward to the day we would deliver our
donation, and the event continually grew.
The Raleigh Durham Radio Control
(RDRC) club’s enthusiasm toward holding
events and their willingness to offer their
hands to get things done added a great deal to
the success of the event. In 2004 we made a
larger effort to pass out event flyers to local
businesses and hobby shops and at fly-ins we
attended across the state.
A couple simple things such as lowvolume
music played through the speakers
and noon demonstration flights turned out to
be real crowd pleasers. Our efforts paid off as
the donation grew to $1,500.
What did we do to make it even bigger?
The January 2005 event included help from
major hobby distributors. Raffle tickets were
printed, listing the larger prizes so advanced
ticket sales could be made at other flying
events, places of work, etc.
We also set up the event like a public air
show and made it a two-day event. This
was a great opportunity to expose
aeromodeling to the public and increase our
chances of reaching our goal. That year we
exceeded our goal by raising $5,000.
When the 2006 flying season started, we
knew modelers would spread the word to
each other. We also knew we needed to
reach the public in a bigger way.
A club member was able to convince the
area’s largest mall to allow us to hold a
static model display two weeks before the
event. Another helpful tool was the
Internet. Sites such as RC Universe and
Flying Giants offer flying-event-schedule
forums free of charge. We used these to
invite modelers from all locations.
This heavy online activity attracted the
attention of model distributors and hobby
shops, and it encouraged Horizon Hobby,
Hobbico, and Hobby Lobby to send
demonstration pilots and great prizes.
It was inspiring to have modelers and
the public offer their gratitude to our club
members for all their efforts. They also told
us what a great time they were having and
that they appreciated what we were doing.
Even our charity recipient—“Smiles for
Little Faces”—was there to enjoy the
event.
In the weeks following the 2006 event
we received many E-mails and telephone
calls from modelers, the public, and
sponsors letting us know what a great time
they had and how they look forward to
participating in next year’s event. This
experience has been moving for many of us
in RDRC, and we highly recommend that
any club that is considering holding such
an event move forward with it.
The most important tools your club will
need are willingness and cooperation of its
members. When you hand that check to
your selected charity and see the
appreciation in the representatives’ eyes
and then hear later how your club’s efforts
made the difference in a child or a family,
you’ll be inspired for life.
RDRC thanks all those who helped us
reach our goal for the 2006 Fly-for-Tots
fly-in; we raised $10,000! MA
—Larry Lewis
District IV
AMA Museum Director Participates in State Conference
Michael Smith, the director of AMA’s National Model
Aviation Museum, and representatives from three other
Muncie, Indiana-area museums (Minnetrista Cultural Center,
the Muncie Children’s Museum, and the Ball State Art
Museum) presented a session at the Association of Indiana
Museum’s (AIM) Annual Conference on October 16.
The session entitled “Many Hands, Light Work? Real
World Collaboration Examples” examined an “Educators’
Open House” these institutions held in June this year.
In years past all these museums had open houses in an
attempt to inform educators about their institutions’
educational benefits, but turnout had historically been very
low. This year the museums decided to try a different
approach in the hopes of attracting a larger and more diverse
audience.
A single Educators’ Open House was held at the Ball State
Art Museum, and each museum presented a booth
highlighting its educational activities. The event went well
overall; however, as with anything, some items were not
addressed or did not go as planned. The AIM session
addressed the positives and negatives of the event, providing
attendees with the opportunity to better prepare for
collaborative activities. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 9, 10, 11
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 9, 10, 11
Do you want to introduce model
aviation to your friends and neighbors
and receive recognition and benefits
in return? If the answer is “yes,”
you’ll want to know more about
AMA’s new program called Takeoff
and Grow, or TAG.
Designed to encourage the
Academy’s members and clubs to
promote modeling as a positive
recreational activity to those in their
communities, TAG is the first of
several new programs AMA will
implement in the next year.
Intended primarily to indoctrinate
and welcome the general public to our
hobby, TAG provides an intensive
one-day introduction to model
aviation with the intent of drawing
new people into our hobby.
Clubs selected to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day will be provided
with a complete program syllabus to
use as a guide. It will include ideas for
prepromoting and advertising the event
and an outline of activities that are to
take place the day of the event.
Clubs will be encouraged to
preregister attendees to help them
better prepare. Each participant will be
entered into AMA’s newly revised
Introductory Pilot Program (IPP). Even
though there is no cost to the
nonmember, by becoming an IPP
student he or she will be covered under
AMA’s liability protection as long as
the individual is working under the
supervision of an AMA Introductory
Pilot (IP) Instructor.
The day of the event each attendee
will be provided with brief “classroom
instruction” to help familiarize him or
her with model aviation and to give an
idea of what to expect. Then each
participant will be placed on a
computer flight simulator, where an
experienced RC pilot will help him or
her acclimate to the basics of flight
and how it works.
Completing the modeling
experience, each attendee will be given
the opportunity to fly a trainer on a
buddy box under the guidance of an
AMA IP Instructor. Multiple flights
will be encouraged, time permitting.
If your club is selected to host a
TAG Model Aviation Day, AMA will
provide flight simulators and complete
RTF models to use during the
program. At the end of the event, these
items are your club’s to keep as
AMA’s way of saying “Thanks for
helping out.”
Through TAG, individual Academy
members can take advantage of
AMA’s Ambassador Program. If a
current member signs up three new
Open- or Senior Citizen-class
TAG—AMA Has It! members, he or she will earn next
year’s membership as another way of
AMA’s saying “Thanks.”
The rewards are more than just the
things I’ve listed. Hosting a TAG
Model Aviation Day is a great way to
reach out to your community to give
it a taste of a family-oriented
recreational activity that all of us
enjoy so much. In addition, you’ll be
creating positive relationships with
your neighbors that can often help
when the time comes to keep or
acquire new flying sites.
As with all new AMA programs
that are being developed, the
Academy wants to provide the tools
local clubs need to ensure the
popularity of the hobby. It will
require the cooperation of many to
make it a success. Achieving that
success will make our already
wonderful hobby even better.
AMA has a limited number of
openings for clubs to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day in 2007. If your
club would like to partner with AMA
to promote model aviation and open
the door to growing the membership,
contact AMA at (765) 287-1256,
extension 251. An application
package will be sent to you promptly.
Or you can visit www.modelair
craft.org/tag to download a complete
syllabus and application.
Model aviation is a great hobby.
Let’s tell others about it!
For AMA members who
participate in disciplines other than
radio control, the Academy is in the
process of developing similar
programs for you. More details will
be available shortly. MA
—Dave Mathewson
District II Vice President
Let your voice be heard at the Annual Open Membership
Meeting at AMA Convention 2007, which will be held January
12-14 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.
The Membership Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 13
at 9 a.m.
AMA Executive Council members and staff will be on hand
to take your questions and discuss important issues. If you are
planning to attend the Convention, don’t miss this opportunity
to share your concerns and ideas.
For more information about the AMA Convention, go to
www.modelaircraft.org/amaconvention.org. Look for frequent
updates to the site about the show and the Membership
Meeting. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Be Heard By AMA at the Annual Membership Meeting!
Scouting a Big Hit With AMA
The Boy Scouts
of America has long
been known for
harnessing the youth
of the nation and
cultivating traditions
that are generally
recognized as
wholesome and
educational. If a poll
were taken, chances
are that many AMA
members have been
at one time or are still involved in scouting. Those people would
probably agree that scouting and the Academy have much in common
regarding community activity and the stimulation of that growth
through healthy and challenging
programs.
Aeromodeling has been partially
incorporated into the scouting merit
certification program. However,
AMA Marketing Director Tom
Schwyn believed that more about
model aircraft should be included.
Aviation has historically
sparked curiosity and wonder in
youth, and encouragement of that
interest has led accomplished
individuals into careers in the
aviation industry. To convince
the scouting association of how
popular aeromodeling would be in the scouting
program, Indiana state council representatives and AMA worked
together to coordinate an event that would include aeromodeling
activities, proving that they were fun, accessible to all age groups,
educational, and popular.
The weekend of October 13-15, AMA and the Crossroads of
America Council hosted the fall Boy Scout
Camporee called Mission: Radio
Control, which had more than
2,500 participants. The Scouts
organized the campout at the
International Aeromodeling
Center while AMA hosted most
of the activities. The National
Model Aviation Museum was open
for visitors and was free to attend.
Events included amazing
hands-on activities for the scouts.
They participated in model building,
flying RC models with buddy boxes,
flying aircraft on simulators, driving
RC cars, and
controlling RC boats.
Make-and-take
programs involved
building rubberband-
powered balsa
models, great-flying
kites, and FPG-9
hand-launched
gliders from ordinary
foam plates. The
1,000-acre AMA
property was booming with activity
including model-rocket
demonstrations, displays featuring all
types of Army vehicles, and exciting
stunt-kite demonstrations and
training.
The EAA (Experimental Aircraft
Association) Young Eagles
program provided the Scouts with
flights in full-scale aircraft at
nearby Reese Airport. AMA had
multiple RC air shows throughout
the day October 14, including
LED night-flying synchronized
with the live rock-and-roll band.
The National Guard made a dramatic presence by
flying a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter that landed on the site.
Reports from all over have been coming in about how successful
the program was. Troop leaders, Scouts, and parents made it a point to
write in and remark about the fun they had and asked when the event
will be held again.
The Camporee took an enormous effort on the
part of the Scouts and the AMA
staff. Hundreds of volunteers
enjoyed the satisfaction of
cultivating aeromodeling’s
future, and a number of them
remarked about how friendly and
polite the Scouts were.
Few AMA events have ever
been able to bring thousands to
one site to learn about model
airplanes with such enthusiasm.
This program’s growth potential is
enormous for AMA and scouting.
Meetings are already in the works to
further develop the program and, it is
hoped, encourage it to spread on a national level. MA
—Michael Ramsey
MA Associate Editor
In the Air
A North Carolina
Club’s Good Deeds
The Fly-for-Tots program was originally
started in the mid-1990s as a drive to collect
toys for underprivileged children in local
foster homes. Each year the effort has
managed to donate a large number of toys
and a check for roughly $500.
Although the toys were much needed, it
became clear that this charity could better
meet the specific needs of families and
children with the cash that was donated.
Every year we would get a little more than
the year before, and we always looked
forward to the day we would deliver our
donation, and the event continually grew.
The Raleigh Durham Radio Control
(RDRC) club’s enthusiasm toward holding
events and their willingness to offer their
hands to get things done added a great deal to
the success of the event. In 2004 we made a
larger effort to pass out event flyers to local
businesses and hobby shops and at fly-ins we
attended across the state.
A couple simple things such as lowvolume
music played through the speakers
and noon demonstration flights turned out to
be real crowd pleasers. Our efforts paid off as
the donation grew to $1,500.
What did we do to make it even bigger?
The January 2005 event included help from
major hobby distributors. Raffle tickets were
printed, listing the larger prizes so advanced
ticket sales could be made at other flying
events, places of work, etc.
We also set up the event like a public air
show and made it a two-day event. This
was a great opportunity to expose
aeromodeling to the public and increase our
chances of reaching our goal. That year we
exceeded our goal by raising $5,000.
When the 2006 flying season started, we
knew modelers would spread the word to
each other. We also knew we needed to
reach the public in a bigger way.
A club member was able to convince the
area’s largest mall to allow us to hold a
static model display two weeks before the
event. Another helpful tool was the
Internet. Sites such as RC Universe and
Flying Giants offer flying-event-schedule
forums free of charge. We used these to
invite modelers from all locations.
This heavy online activity attracted the
attention of model distributors and hobby
shops, and it encouraged Horizon Hobby,
Hobbico, and Hobby Lobby to send
demonstration pilots and great prizes.
It was inspiring to have modelers and
the public offer their gratitude to our club
members for all their efforts. They also told
us what a great time they were having and
that they appreciated what we were doing.
Even our charity recipient—“Smiles for
Little Faces”—was there to enjoy the
event.
In the weeks following the 2006 event
we received many E-mails and telephone
calls from modelers, the public, and
sponsors letting us know what a great time
they had and how they look forward to
participating in next year’s event. This
experience has been moving for many of us
in RDRC, and we highly recommend that
any club that is considering holding such
an event move forward with it.
The most important tools your club will
need are willingness and cooperation of its
members. When you hand that check to
your selected charity and see the
appreciation in the representatives’ eyes
and then hear later how your club’s efforts
made the difference in a child or a family,
you’ll be inspired for life.
RDRC thanks all those who helped us
reach our goal for the 2006 Fly-for-Tots
fly-in; we raised $10,000! MA
—Larry Lewis
District IV
AMA Museum Director Participates in State Conference
Michael Smith, the director of AMA’s National Model
Aviation Museum, and representatives from three other
Muncie, Indiana-area museums (Minnetrista Cultural Center,
the Muncie Children’s Museum, and the Ball State Art
Museum) presented a session at the Association of Indiana
Museum’s (AIM) Annual Conference on October 16.
The session entitled “Many Hands, Light Work? Real
World Collaboration Examples” examined an “Educators’
Open House” these institutions held in June this year.
In years past all these museums had open houses in an
attempt to inform educators about their institutions’
educational benefits, but turnout had historically been very
low. This year the museums decided to try a different
approach in the hopes of attracting a larger and more diverse
audience.
A single Educators’ Open House was held at the Ball State
Art Museum, and each museum presented a booth
highlighting its educational activities. The event went well
overall; however, as with anything, some items were not
addressed or did not go as planned. The AIM session
addressed the positives and negatives of the event, providing
attendees with the opportunity to better prepare for
collaborative activities. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 9, 10, 11
Do you want to introduce model
aviation to your friends and neighbors
and receive recognition and benefits
in return? If the answer is “yes,”
you’ll want to know more about
AMA’s new program called Takeoff
and Grow, or TAG.
Designed to encourage the
Academy’s members and clubs to
promote modeling as a positive
recreational activity to those in their
communities, TAG is the first of
several new programs AMA will
implement in the next year.
Intended primarily to indoctrinate
and welcome the general public to our
hobby, TAG provides an intensive
one-day introduction to model
aviation with the intent of drawing
new people into our hobby.
Clubs selected to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day will be provided
with a complete program syllabus to
use as a guide. It will include ideas for
prepromoting and advertising the event
and an outline of activities that are to
take place the day of the event.
Clubs will be encouraged to
preregister attendees to help them
better prepare. Each participant will be
entered into AMA’s newly revised
Introductory Pilot Program (IPP). Even
though there is no cost to the
nonmember, by becoming an IPP
student he or she will be covered under
AMA’s liability protection as long as
the individual is working under the
supervision of an AMA Introductory
Pilot (IP) Instructor.
The day of the event each attendee
will be provided with brief “classroom
instruction” to help familiarize him or
her with model aviation and to give an
idea of what to expect. Then each
participant will be placed on a
computer flight simulator, where an
experienced RC pilot will help him or
her acclimate to the basics of flight
and how it works.
Completing the modeling
experience, each attendee will be given
the opportunity to fly a trainer on a
buddy box under the guidance of an
AMA IP Instructor. Multiple flights
will be encouraged, time permitting.
If your club is selected to host a
TAG Model Aviation Day, AMA will
provide flight simulators and complete
RTF models to use during the
program. At the end of the event, these
items are your club’s to keep as
AMA’s way of saying “Thanks for
helping out.”
Through TAG, individual Academy
members can take advantage of
AMA’s Ambassador Program. If a
current member signs up three new
Open- or Senior Citizen-class
TAG—AMA Has It! members, he or she will earn next
year’s membership as another way of
AMA’s saying “Thanks.”
The rewards are more than just the
things I’ve listed. Hosting a TAG
Model Aviation Day is a great way to
reach out to your community to give
it a taste of a family-oriented
recreational activity that all of us
enjoy so much. In addition, you’ll be
creating positive relationships with
your neighbors that can often help
when the time comes to keep or
acquire new flying sites.
As with all new AMA programs
that are being developed, the
Academy wants to provide the tools
local clubs need to ensure the
popularity of the hobby. It will
require the cooperation of many to
make it a success. Achieving that
success will make our already
wonderful hobby even better.
AMA has a limited number of
openings for clubs to host a TAG
Model Aviation Day in 2007. If your
club would like to partner with AMA
to promote model aviation and open
the door to growing the membership,
contact AMA at (765) 287-1256,
extension 251. An application
package will be sent to you promptly.
Or you can visit www.modelair
craft.org/tag to download a complete
syllabus and application.
Model aviation is a great hobby.
Let’s tell others about it!
For AMA members who
participate in disciplines other than
radio control, the Academy is in the
process of developing similar
programs for you. More details will
be available shortly. MA
—Dave Mathewson
District II Vice President
Let your voice be heard at the Annual Open Membership
Meeting at AMA Convention 2007, which will be held January
12-14 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.
The Membership Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 13
at 9 a.m.
AMA Executive Council members and staff will be on hand
to take your questions and discuss important issues. If you are
planning to attend the Convention, don’t miss this opportunity
to share your concerns and ideas.
For more information about the AMA Convention, go to
www.modelaircraft.org/amaconvention.org. Look for frequent
updates to the site about the show and the Membership
Meeting. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Be Heard By AMA at the Annual Membership Meeting!
Scouting a Big Hit With AMA
The Boy Scouts
of America has long
been known for
harnessing the youth
of the nation and
cultivating traditions
that are generally
recognized as
wholesome and
educational. If a poll
were taken, chances
are that many AMA
members have been
at one time or are still involved in scouting. Those people would
probably agree that scouting and the Academy have much in common
regarding community activity and the stimulation of that growth
through healthy and challenging
programs.
Aeromodeling has been partially
incorporated into the scouting merit
certification program. However,
AMA Marketing Director Tom
Schwyn believed that more about
model aircraft should be included.
Aviation has historically
sparked curiosity and wonder in
youth, and encouragement of that
interest has led accomplished
individuals into careers in the
aviation industry. To convince
the scouting association of how
popular aeromodeling would be in the scouting
program, Indiana state council representatives and AMA worked
together to coordinate an event that would include aeromodeling
activities, proving that they were fun, accessible to all age groups,
educational, and popular.
The weekend of October 13-15, AMA and the Crossroads of
America Council hosted the fall Boy Scout
Camporee called Mission: Radio
Control, which had more than
2,500 participants. The Scouts
organized the campout at the
International Aeromodeling
Center while AMA hosted most
of the activities. The National
Model Aviation Museum was open
for visitors and was free to attend.
Events included amazing
hands-on activities for the scouts.
They participated in model building,
flying RC models with buddy boxes,
flying aircraft on simulators, driving
RC cars, and
controlling RC boats.
Make-and-take
programs involved
building rubberband-
powered balsa
models, great-flying
kites, and FPG-9
hand-launched
gliders from ordinary
foam plates. The
1,000-acre AMA
property was booming with activity
including model-rocket
demonstrations, displays featuring all
types of Army vehicles, and exciting
stunt-kite demonstrations and
training.
The EAA (Experimental Aircraft
Association) Young Eagles
program provided the Scouts with
flights in full-scale aircraft at
nearby Reese Airport. AMA had
multiple RC air shows throughout
the day October 14, including
LED night-flying synchronized
with the live rock-and-roll band.
The National Guard made a dramatic presence by
flying a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter that landed on the site.
Reports from all over have been coming in about how successful
the program was. Troop leaders, Scouts, and parents made it a point to
write in and remark about the fun they had and asked when the event
will be held again.
The Camporee took an enormous effort on the
part of the Scouts and the AMA
staff. Hundreds of volunteers
enjoyed the satisfaction of
cultivating aeromodeling’s
future, and a number of them
remarked about how friendly and
polite the Scouts were.
Few AMA events have ever
been able to bring thousands to
one site to learn about model
airplanes with such enthusiasm.
This program’s growth potential is
enormous for AMA and scouting.
Meetings are already in the works to
further develop the program and, it is
hoped, encourage it to spread on a national level. MA
—Michael Ramsey
MA Associate Editor
In the Air
A North Carolina
Club’s Good Deeds
The Fly-for-Tots program was originally
started in the mid-1990s as a drive to collect
toys for underprivileged children in local
foster homes. Each year the effort has
managed to donate a large number of toys
and a check for roughly $500.
Although the toys were much needed, it
became clear that this charity could better
meet the specific needs of families and
children with the cash that was donated.
Every year we would get a little more than
the year before, and we always looked
forward to the day we would deliver our
donation, and the event continually grew.
The Raleigh Durham Radio Control
(RDRC) club’s enthusiasm toward holding
events and their willingness to offer their
hands to get things done added a great deal to
the success of the event. In 2004 we made a
larger effort to pass out event flyers to local
businesses and hobby shops and at fly-ins we
attended across the state.
A couple simple things such as lowvolume
music played through the speakers
and noon demonstration flights turned out to
be real crowd pleasers. Our efforts paid off as
the donation grew to $1,500.
What did we do to make it even bigger?
The January 2005 event included help from
major hobby distributors. Raffle tickets were
printed, listing the larger prizes so advanced
ticket sales could be made at other flying
events, places of work, etc.
We also set up the event like a public air
show and made it a two-day event. This
was a great opportunity to expose
aeromodeling to the public and increase our
chances of reaching our goal. That year we
exceeded our goal by raising $5,000.
When the 2006 flying season started, we
knew modelers would spread the word to
each other. We also knew we needed to
reach the public in a bigger way.
A club member was able to convince the
area’s largest mall to allow us to hold a
static model display two weeks before the
event. Another helpful tool was the
Internet. Sites such as RC Universe and
Flying Giants offer flying-event-schedule
forums free of charge. We used these to
invite modelers from all locations.
This heavy online activity attracted the
attention of model distributors and hobby
shops, and it encouraged Horizon Hobby,
Hobbico, and Hobby Lobby to send
demonstration pilots and great prizes.
It was inspiring to have modelers and
the public offer their gratitude to our club
members for all their efforts. They also told
us what a great time they were having and
that they appreciated what we were doing.
Even our charity recipient—“Smiles for
Little Faces”—was there to enjoy the
event.
In the weeks following the 2006 event
we received many E-mails and telephone
calls from modelers, the public, and
sponsors letting us know what a great time
they had and how they look forward to
participating in next year’s event. This
experience has been moving for many of us
in RDRC, and we highly recommend that
any club that is considering holding such
an event move forward with it.
The most important tools your club will
need are willingness and cooperation of its
members. When you hand that check to
your selected charity and see the
appreciation in the representatives’ eyes
and then hear later how your club’s efforts
made the difference in a child or a family,
you’ll be inspired for life.
RDRC thanks all those who helped us
reach our goal for the 2006 Fly-for-Tots
fly-in; we raised $10,000! MA
—Larry Lewis
District IV
AMA Museum Director Participates in State Conference
Michael Smith, the director of AMA’s National Model
Aviation Museum, and representatives from three other
Muncie, Indiana-area museums (Minnetrista Cultural Center,
the Muncie Children’s Museum, and the Ball State Art
Museum) presented a session at the Association of Indiana
Museum’s (AIM) Annual Conference on October 16.
The session entitled “Many Hands, Light Work? Real
World Collaboration Examples” examined an “Educators’
Open House” these institutions held in June this year.
In years past all these museums had open houses in an
attempt to inform educators about their institutions’
educational benefits, but turnout had historically been very
low. This year the museums decided to try a different
approach in the hopes of attracting a larger and more diverse
audience.
A single Educators’ Open House was held at the Ball State
Art Museum, and each museum presented a booth
highlighting its educational activities. The event went well
overall; however, as with anything, some items were not
addressed or did not go as planned. The AIM session
addressed the positives and negatives of the event, providing
attendees with the opportunity to better prepare for
collaborative activities. MA
—AMA Headquarters