Executive Vice President
Mark Smith; [email protected]
Opening
Hi folks — as I write this in early March, I’ve been addressing some family health issues and was out of touch for most of January and February. I’m back now and ready to put my nose to the grindstone.
AMA Expo (Ontario, CA)
I attended the AMA Expo in Ontario, California, in early January and thought it was one of the best. I attribute much of our success to Lora Knowlton, an avid modeler from the Denver area who owns a promotions company. AMA contracted Lora to manage the show, and with her excellent administrative and interpersonal skills she helped make this one of the best shows ever. Great job, Lora!
This was the first year we involved our public-relations firm, JWalcher, which secured TV, radio, and print coverage in addition to extensive web-based content.
Executive Council and FAA
We held the January Executive Council (EC) meeting on Sunday at the Expo. We had the opportunity to meet and speak with a representative of the Federal Aviation Administration. It was an informative meeting and much AMA business was accomplished. Please take a look at the minutes on our AMA website.
New Media / Web
AMA has hired a new media/web designer. Mark Benson reports to AMA’s Director of Marketing, Jeff Nance, and is focused on updating and overhauling the AMA and Park Pilot websites. You should notice Mark’s work in the near future as he and Jeff position our internet presences to be more user-friendly and informative.
Club visits in Las Vegas
After the meeting in Ontario, I caught a ride with one of the EC members to Las Vegas. Greg Clemensen, an AMA associate vice president, picked me up one Sunday afternoon and we visited three local club flying fields. Greg let the club members know in advance that I would be in the area, so I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with several modelers.
Our stops:
- Bennett Field
- Vegas Aces Park Pilot Field
- McCool flying site (North Las Vegas), shared by a couple of clubs
Three local club presidents — Brian Vyhnal, Tom Brandt, and Greg Thomas — posed for a picture next to a beautiful 1/3-scale Balsa USA Fokker D.VII built and owned by Propnuts club member Warren Cross.
Health and safety reminder
I want to take a minute to address something serious. Last year my wife of 38 years badgered me into seeing a dermatologist for a routine check-up. I have always been dark-complected, rarely used suntan lotion, and seldom got sunburned. I thought the visit would be a waste of time and money. The doctor was concerned about a mole on my face and did a biopsy — the result was melanoma.
Luckily it was caught in time and my scar is barely visible. My point is to urge you all to use sunscreen because it can save your life. Our hobby requires us to spend time in the sun, which can be dangerous. Take it from someone who’s been there: this stuff is serious. I will be visiting my dermatologist every three months for the rest of my life.
Closing
I hate to end on such a down note, but I’ve been blessed to count so many of you as close friends and wanted to inform you of this danger. I’ve mentioned it several times: this hobby is all about camaraderie, and you are what make it so great for me.
Until next month, have fun and stay in touch!
Mark Smith 14632 W. 50th St. Shawnee, KS 66216 Tel.: (913) 568-4347 [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
