A change of heart
From the Copilot's Seat
by Gary Fitch, Executive Vice President
Most of you are probably aware that AMA is actively involved in working to protect our members from onerous government regulations. Our members also keep us informed of news events and what the media has to say about model aviation.
On March 27, the Los Angeles Times printed an article written by John Villasenor, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA, about the drone threat in the U.S. In that article, the author questioned the wisdom of Congress including a model aircraft exclusion in the enacted and signed FAA Reauthorization Bill.
The article didn't paint a glowing picture of model aviation, and called for a requirement that all U.S. operators of drones capable of carrying a significant payload obtain a license to fly.
AMA's officers felt a response to correct the inaccuracies in the article was in order. President Bob Brown crafted a carefully worded letter and sent it to the newspaper and to Mr. Villasenor. A number of our members also sent Mr. Villasenor emails objecting to the article.
Given Mr. Villasenor's position within the educational community, we felt that we should reach out to him. Our Government Affairs and Regulatory Representative, Rich Hanson, made the contact and arranged a time to meet with Mr. Villasenor.
Rich invited John to attend the Toledo Weak Signals Show, which was to be held a week later. He accepted the opportunity to come, at his own expense, and met with Rich. They walked the floor of the convention center together and John learned about our hobby.
The Executive Council met at the show and John addressed the council. He told us that he didn't mean to cast model aviation in a bad light and that he has a new understanding about model aviation—how we fly in an enclosed area, have safety rules by which we abide, and have a 76-year history.
John Villasenor has become an advocate of model aviation. This is a testament to the open-mindedness of John Villasenor and the outstanding efforts of Rich Hanson.
John, thank you for joining us, talking with us, and becoming a model aviation supporter!
I have been asked on several occasions why AMA doesn't tell clubs that they have to allow new members or make a club change its rules. My answer is that AMA provides charters for clubs and also provides primary liability insurance to their landowners. Clubs are independent legal entities, and it isn't AMA's place to tell a club how to structure or run its organization.
The exception to this is when infractions of the AMA Safety Code threaten the club and AMA. A club makes its own rules, being mindful of the AMA Safety Code.
It is amazing to me that some of our members, many of them retired, don't remember how they got started in this lifelong hobby. Typically a parent or a friend helped them when they were the newbies. Without that support, would they still be involved today?
I don't understand why these same people often refuse to support and sometimes even prevent their club's involvement with youth or other community-based outreach events (such as supporting the Wounded Warrior program). Events such as these allow the public to learn about and watch model aviation firsthand.
I can understand that some members just want to go to the field and fly or socialize with their friends, but why stand in the way of other club members who want to help their club with positive community involvement and help grow the club?
AMA's success, and ultimately that of our members and chartered clubs, is based upon an annual influx of new youth and open members. We hope that club officers realize, especially after all we have been through together of late with government intervention, that our futures are joined.
We will be developing educational information concerning all of the programs and benefits that AMA provides for our clubs and members, and we will be making this available to your club representatives and other interested members.
AMA is your organization, and it needs your help and support now more than ever. Thanks for listening. Help secure our future by taking a youngster flying today.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
