Executive VP’s Report - 2004/03
As I write this, it is early December and all financial information is not yet available. It will be completed after December 31, 2003; however, it looks as though we are having a very good year. Renewals are ahead of last year at this time by approximately 3%. I plan to provide some preliminary numbers as soon as they are available and the information has been sent to the auditors. Our largest expense category is insurance. Premiums are high but claims have not been as bad this year as in the past, so fly carefully; it helps AMA financially.
I’ve been flying smaller electric airplanes such as GWS models, the Sig Jenny, the ever-popular GWS Tiger Moth, and an electrified rubber Fairchild 24 from the Dumas series. After building and flying those, I found myself working on the Roadkill series. I built a Spitfire and then a Jenny, both of which I enjoy flying. Those models weigh about 3 ounces.
Having flown Peanut Scale in times past and some indoor aircraft, I became interested in finding something under 1 ounce that I could fly in my living room. There is a man in Raleigh, North Carolina, named Larry Park who has an airplane called the Housefly. The Housefly has a wingspan of 14 inches and a 4-inch chord, equaling an area of 56 square inches. The finished weight is 12 grams. The model can be built heavier by using larger batteries, a bigger motor, and a control mechanism. I have built two of them and, as far as I’m concerned, Christmas came early this year!
I hope you will participate in model airplanes with the idea of enjoying the hobby and having fun with the sport. At AMA we will do the best we can to have rules that protect without burdening. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "I have no particular talent; I am merely extremely inquisitive." Our sport offers a lot of opportunity to be inquisitive. There is a lot to learn and a lot of fun to be had when you take what you learn and make it fly. So, apply that and have a good 2004. Remember: ABC — Always Be Courteous.
Until later ...
Contact
- Doug Holland
- AMA Executive VP
- 3517 Fernwood Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612
- Home: (919) 787-5163
- Office: (919) 787-7454
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
