Flying Site Assistance
Tony Stillman | www.modelaircraft.org/membership/clubs/fsap.aspx
Fall is in the air here in the Southeast. Cooler temperatures mean more days at the flying field. I hope you can take advantage of the weather before winter sets in.
I am recruiting AMA members to serve as Flying Site Assistance volunteers. This month I want to explain AMA’s revised Flying Site Assistance Volunteer (FSAV) program. The concept began with getting AMA members involved in locating possible flying sites. The original program never fully took off, but it was a good idea. I have revised the program to give direction to FSAVs to help find new flying sites for clubs. Below is an outline of the program.
Flying Site Assistance State Program
Purpose: The purpose of this program is to help acquire flying sites for AMA clubs by attending state conventions to solicit support from city or county representatives who are in attendance.
Program: This program is modeled after our national program. I attend the National League of Cities and the National Recreation and Park Association annual conventions to solicit support for AMA club flying sites. A state-by-state approach can have a positive impact. Based on what District II Vice President Gary Fitch accomplished in 2010 at the New Jersey League of Cities, we will duplicate this program at the state level and use our Flying Site Assistance volunteers to maximize benefits.
As an FSAV you would become part of a statewide work group devoted to assisting clubs with flying-site acquisition issues. The tasks include organizing, training, and supporting each state work group in order to attend a statewide convention and present the AMA story to attendees, with the goal of obtaining flying sites for AMA clubs.
- State work groups would organize and select a group leader.
- The group would research statewide conventions and select one to attend each year.
- The AMA would provide booth materials and training, and would cover the cost of booth space and entry fees for two FSAVs to staff the booth.
- FSAV convention workers would educate visitors to the booth and collect leads from those interested in providing a flying site for a club.
- The FSAV state work group would follow up on these leads and use the information to connect clubs with the convention contacts, with the hope of creating new flying sites.
If you are interested in serving as a Flying Site Assistance volunteer, please contact me at [email protected] and I will forward an application to you.
I have had good results with a test program run by the Sonoran Desert Flyers Inc. of Oro Valley, Arizona. The group attended a State Parks and Recreation Association convention and created several dozen new contacts that we are currently pursuing for clubs in Arizona.
Based on my experience with the National League of Cities program I have been involved with for the past few years, this is a great opportunity for AMA members to participate in a program that can really make a difference. Please consider becoming a Flying Site Assistance Volunteer!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
