Flying Site Assistance - 2010/10

October 2010 141
AS I WRITE THIS in early August, I hope
everyone is enjoying all the warm (hot!)
weather and is able to get out and fly!
This month, I want to go over some ideas
about what direction the AMA is going
with Flying Site Assistance.
During the past several years, the AMA
Executive Council has been working on a
Strategic Long Range Plan (SLRP). This is
a five-year plan to position the AMA
where we want to be at the end of this time
frame. This document identifies areas that
the EC sees as vital to the Academy and
lists specific goals to be attained in those
areas.
Earlier this year, the EC finalized and
approved the SLRP. Now, the task of
fulfilling the plan falls on the AMA staff
members. We have a great staff at AMA
Headquarters, and every one of them will
have some part in this task.
The SLRP directly addresses the task of
Flying Site Assistance. This helps give me
direction on what the EC sees as specific
areas that I attend to in my daily work. The
three main strategies for this work are:
• Club programs for flying site
acquisition.
• Provide professional expertise,
guidance, and legal support.
• Enhance local government awareness
of model aviation. Enhance federal
government acceptance of model
aviation.
From the first day I started, I knew that
one of the biggest tasks would be to get
our currently used documents for flying
site assistance up-to-date.
Currently AMA maintains more than
100 documents that provide direction and
assistance to clubs and members. Many of
these documents are 30 years old or more
and are in dire need of a makeover.
The main thrust of my work so far has
been to review these documents and retain,
update, or discard them. Many of these
documents are statements from famous
individuals about how their involvement in
model aviation at an early age paved the
way for their career paths and helped them
achieve their goals. These testimonials are
great to show the nonmodeler how model
aviation can play a vital part in developing
young people and helping them define
their interests and use them to create a path
to a career in aviation.
Obviously, these documents don’t need
updating. We have documents from
agencies and the military showing support
for modeling. While still extremely valid, I
want to make new contacts with these
agencies.
Other documents that have been added
throughout the years cover many facets of
flying site acquisition and development.
Some are related to sound. Some are the
products of legal issues regarding flying site
location and/or usage.
In each case, the Academy learned
something and used that situation to create
written documentation and aid so that other
clubs could benefit. These documents are in
the process of being updated now and will
soon be completed.
When these documents have been
updated, they will be available in print form
from AMA Headquarters. Eventually they
will be available online as well. They will
be put into packages to target specific
situations such as electric flying sites, flying
sites in national parks, other communityowned
lands, etc. You can contact AMA
Headquarters for these packages. We can
also tailor documentation for specific
situations.
These packages will be a vital part of the
Club Program for Flying Site Acquisition
(number one on the list). As all of the pieces
for this come together, the program will be
complete and ready for kick-off. It will be
presented to the clubs as a tool to help teach
club members how to look for a new flying
site, how to keep the site you currently
have, and how to plan for the future.
Number two on the list concerns
support. Most of this is directed toward
clubs that have issues with their flying site
or have lost their flying site. From the
moment I began, I have received calls and
e-mails from clubs and members who need
this assistance. I have been providing help
with support from AMA Headquarters.
These new updated documents will improve
the level of assistance that AMA can
provide. I will continue to advance this
effort.
Number three on the list will begin this
fall. I will be attending national conventions
where I can meet with government officials
and companies that may be able to assist the
AMA in a partnership much like what we
currently enjoy with the Environmental
Protection Agency. I also have plans to
meet with other government agencies as
well as businesses that look promising.
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I
am excited about helping clubs find, retain,
and improve their flying sites so that they
can enjoy model aviation for many years to
come!
AMA News
Announcements, news, and information from the
Academy of Model Aeronautics and the elected district representatives.
Flying Site Assistance Tony Stillman | [email protected]
Tony Stillman
Flying Site
Assistance
Coordinator
102 Cherrywood Ct.
Brunswick GA 31525
(912) 242-2407
[email protected]
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I am
excited about helping clubs find, retain, and
improve their flying sites so that they can
enjoy model aviation for many years to come!
Visit the
National
Model
Aviation
Museum
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