From the Copilot's Seat by Gary Fitch, Executive Vice President
Toledo, Top Gun, and Triple Tree
As I write this in the third week of May, I have had the pleasure of meeting with members at several national events while representing AMA and working in our booths.
Events I attended
- AMA Expo in Ontario, California
- Westchester Radio AeroModelers' (WRAM) show in Secaucus, New Jersey
- Weak Signals' show in Toledo, Ohio
- Top Gun in Lakeland, Florida
- Joe Nall in Woodruff, South Carolina
The common denominator at these events is people coming together and having fun. For the average modeler, meeting friends from around the corner or from the other side of North America is a common occurrence at these national gatherings.
The 2012 Top Gun was well organized and efficiently run. I guess we have come to expect that from model aviation's premier event promoter, Frank Tiano. The invitation-only pilots came from many countries, including:
- Argentina
- New Zealand
- Venezuela
- England
- Brazil
- Canada
- Australia
- Thailand
- and, of course, many from the United States
The venue is easy to get to with wide open spaces. The people are friendly and readily offer advice or even parts to help another competitor. I had the chance to talk and renew old friendships with many AMA members who came to watch the best of the best in Scale compete. This is one of those bucket-list events that most modelers want to attend.
The 2012 Joe Nall event, held every year at the Triple Tree Aerodrome, set new attendance records with nearly 1,100 registered pilots. Site owner Pat Hartness, together with the Triple Tree Aeromodelers, are outstanding hosts and are the friendliest people you'll meet.
Buses run from morning until night to ferry visitors to the different flying sites, which include:
- a 3-D site located a mile from the main runway
- an all-electric site
- an outstanding lake for float-flying
- the immaculately manicured primary flying site
The noontime show is one of a kind and is put on by many of the names you read about in this magazine.
The annual AMA Membership Meeting was held Thursday evening, and AMA provided dinner for everyone afterward. Friday evening's barbecue dinner is famous. I had the honor of being asked to help collect dinner tickets. There were eight food lines, and everyone—hundreds of people—were served dinner in 14 1/2 minutes. What a monumental task the club achieved!
Changes to weight limits
Last year, the Executive Council voted to raise the weight limits of our aircraft. Our Safety Committee analyzed the various components involved, including designs, building materials, radio systems, servo strength, batteries, and piston, turbine, or electric power plants, and determined that increasing the weight limit could be done safely when our rules are followed.
Key changes:
- Standard weight limit remains 55 pounds.
- New class: Large Model Aircraft 1 (LMA1) and Large Model Turbine Aircraft 1 (LMTA1) — weights between 55.1 pounds and 77.2 pounds for both propeller- and turbine-driven aircraft. This maximum matches Canadian and European limits, simplifying domestic and international events. Approval is subject to the requirements of the LMA1 program on AMA's website.
- Experimental Class changed to Large Model Aircraft 2 (LMA2): 125 pounds weight limit for propeller aircraft.
- Large Model Turbine Aircraft 2 (LMTA2): 100 pounds weight limit for turbine aircraft. Qualification in this class is subject to inspection by an LM2 Inspector.
Some members are beginning to take advantage of these changes, increasing the size and quality of their building projects. It was interesting to see the number of larger turbine- and propeller-driven aircraft at Top Gun and at Joe Nall.
Until next month, help secure our future and take a youngster flying.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
