District X-2011/07
LET ME CONTINUE my discussion about attracting new members to both your club and the AMA. One of the most effective tools in your arsenal is the AMA’s Introductory Pilot Program (IPP).
Introductory Pilot Program (IPP)
In my travels around the district, I find that the IPP is not a well-understood program. It is open to FF (free flight), CL (control line), and RC (radio control) disciplines. Put simply, it allows non‑AMA members to fly while covered by the AMA’s liability insurance for 60 days provided they do so under the direct supervision of a club‑designated Introductory Pilot Instructor. This includes allowing a potential member to bring his or her own airplane and fly it under the instructor’s direct supervision.
Becoming an IPP instructor
- You must be designated as an IPP instructor by one of your club’s officers.
- There is a form to complete for designation.
- A $5 annual processing fee per instructor applies.
This program lets you expose potential new members to our sport for an extended period without forcing them to commit to the AMA or your club upfront. Without the IPP, non‑AMA members are limited to a single flight — not enough time to decide about a hobby that requires both time and financial commitment.
Club policy suggestion: Temporary membership during IPP
Once you’ve designated IPP instructors, consider adopting a policy that makes any potential member covered by the IPP a temporary member of your club. Let him or her fly up to 60 days at your field while in the IPP.
During this time you can get to know each other, build a bond, and let the bug of modeling take hold. If the person is inclined to pursue modeling, chances are they will join your club and the AMA before the 60 days are up.
Regular, scheduled opportunities
Regularly scheduled, hands‑on modeling opportunities are another strong way to build membership. Suggestions:
- Designate a weekly session (for example, Saturdays from 9–11) as “fly‑for‑free” time.
- Have a model appropriate for a beginner to try.
- If offering RC modeling, include a simulator on a laptop as a complement to the trainer aircraft.
Ways to advertise these opportunities:
- The weekly “this weekend” section of your local paper.
- Craigslist.
- Posting at your local hobby shop.
Mailbox flyer idea
Many homes for sale have yard signs with attached mailboxes filled with brochures. A similar mailbox mounted on the gate at your field is a great way to advertise the fly‑for‑free service. If someone comes when no one is present, they can take a flyer home to read and return later. The flyer can include club background, meeting times, and learn‑to‑fly session schedules.
The IPP and weekly fly‑for‑free sessions can be great tools for spreading the word about modeling. Please give them a try and let me know how they work for your club. I’d love to hear your ideas on building membership — please write.
Western United States AMA Flying Site — committee and call for help
I am happy to announce that Gary Hover has agreed to work with me on establishing a Western United States AMA flying site. Gary led the charge to do the same in the 1990s in Visalia, California.
We are forming a small committee to work on this issue. We’re looking for people with experience in:
- Fundraising
- Environmental impact reports
- Conceptual art (site plans, renderings)
- Project management
- Real estate law
- Construction
If you have experience in these areas, please contact me. I’d love to have your experienced help.
The city of Tracy, California, has expressed preliminary interest in including a flying site as part of a sports complex they are developing. Discussions with Tracy are at a very early stage and may or may not lead to anything, but I would like to have a year‑round flying site in the western United States that all AMA members can enjoy. If you would too, please join the team.
New associate vice president — Utah
Utah modeler Todd Sheridan answered the call to become Utah’s newest associate vice president (AVP). Todd is a resident of Pleasant Grove, Utah; he is married with three children. He’s a graphic artist working in video game development, television and film effects, photo manipulation, and web graphics.
Todd enjoys a wide range of modeling with an emphasis on Combat. He travels to a number of Utah clubs to support their events and manages a thread on RC Groups dedicated to Utah modeling. Please help me welcome him aboard.
District X website
I hope you’re taking advantage of our District X website, www.ama10.org. There are many more stories published there than I have room for in this column. The blog is the place to find those stories; so far there are 30 and counting.
- You can subscribe to an RSS feed to be alerted when the blog is updated.
- The blog page lists the five most recent posts; to see the rest, click the “go to archive” link near the top of the page to view the full list.
If you or your club has an article you’d like run on the website, please send it to me and I’ll post it.
That’s it for now. Until next month, may you have nothing but happy landings.
LT
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
