View from HQ by Dave Mathewson, AMA Executive Director
Welcome new members
AMA’s membership numbers have been trending up for the better part of 2012. It’s safe to say we will end the year with our first membership increase in nearly 10 years. This is good news, and I want to thank our members for their continued support. AMA works hard to provide the level of services and benefits our members expect and that help ensure their continued enjoyment of model aviation.
The other good news is that we have recovered the significant loss we sustained in the last decade in our number of youth members. Between 2002 and 2010, AMA lost 52% of its youth members. Because of the hard work of our Education and Marketing departments, and our partnerships with organizations such as the EAA, Civil Air Patrol, Youth Aviation Adventure, and the education wing of the FAA, we have erased those losses.
AMA believes that aeromodeling is the perfect stepping stone for young people to careers in aviation and aerospace. There’s a concerning trend in this country: the average age of a NASA aerospace engineer rose from roughly 28 years old during the Apollo program to more than 53 years old today. AMA members and clubs are in a position to reach out to young people and become the pipeline for the next generation of engineers this country so desperately needs. These young people will help the U.S. maintain its role as a leading nation in aviation and aerospace technology.
In my September 2012 column in Model Aviation I wrote about an editorial that appeared in Hobby Merchandiser magazine by Dennis McFarlane. Hobby Merchandiser is a trade magazine for the hobby industry. Dennis discussed experiences new modelers had when they visited a local club flying site. His concern was that, in some cases, these new modelers left the site feeling less than welcome.
"... aeromodeling is the perfect stepping stone ..."
I was completely surprised by the response I received from that column. On the downside, the majority of responses described a bad experience someone had when they first became interested in model aviation or, in some cases, when someone relocated and was searching for a new club.
On the positive side, I also received a number of emails from members who wanted to tell me about their clubs and the positive things they are doing to welcome new people. We have many clubs that recognize the value of gaining new members and are doing their best to increase their numbers. I also received emails from members saying they intended to do more outreach to potential new members. I think this bodes well not only for individual clubs but also for model aviation and AMA. Thanks to everyone for doing their part to help grow the ranks of aeromodelers.
Please take a moment to read Rich Hanson’s government relations column on page 15. The FAA’s effort to create regulation for the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) continues. The proposed rule has been undergoing internal review since September 2011, and it’s doubtful a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published before this year’s national elections. However, this remains a critical concern for aeromodelers, and it’s important that we stay informed about the impending rule and be prepared to respond when the NPRM is released.
AMA renewal notices are in the mail and most of us will have received ours by now. Included with your renewal notice is the annual election ballot. There is no national election this year; district elections are taking place in II, IV, VI, VIII, and X. Additionally, a special election is taking place in District III to fill the vacancy created when Bob Brown was elected AMA president.
- District elections: II, IV, VI, VIII, X
- Special election: District III (to fill vacancy after Bob Brown was elected AMA president)
Campaign statements for the candidates can be found beginning on page 140 of the October 2012 issue of Model Aviation or on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/membersonly/2012campaignstmt.aspx. If you live in a district where an election is being held, please read the statements and vote for the candidate you want to represent you on the AMA Executive Council. Election ballots include prepaid postage so you can mark your choice and drop the card in the mail or return it to AMA with your membership renewal form. Ballots need to be postmarked by November 9, 2012.
See you next time ...
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
