The AMA Expo, as the show is now named, has a history reaching back to 1978. It was originally known as the International Modeler Show (IMS) and was founded by Bill and Anita Northrop.
It was held in Pasadena, California, from 1978 to 2003. In 1999, the AMA took over the show and in 2004 the location was moved to the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California. In 2005, the AMA changed the name to the AMA Convention and in 2009, the AMA changed the name again to AMA Expo.
Through the nearly 40 years of its existence, under three names and two locations, it has remained a West Coast tradition, allowing vendors and manufacturers to showcase their latest products at the start of each year.
AMA Expo 2015 was held January 9-11. This year’s trade show featured a wide range of products, with sUAS and FPV equipment dominating a large portion of the floor space.
To find out more about the AMA Expo, be sure to read the coverage staring on page xx and watch several video interviews, located in the digital edition or online at www.ModelAviation.com and click on “Features.”
Know Before You Fly
It seems as though we are being inundated with news stories involving the use of sUAS or “drones,” with several of them seemly highlighting their careless use. Incidents such as the one at the White House have responsible pilots shaking their heads.
The AMA has partnered the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Small UAV Coalition to work with the FAA and spread the word about safe and responsible flying. The campaign is called Know Before You Fly.
In the pages of Model Aviation, we like to share with our readers interesting articles on how this new technology is being put to good use. This month, “Conservation Drones” tells the story of how two scientists began using model aircraft to aid in wildlife conservation. Find out more by turning to page xx.
When thinking about the responsibilities we have as model pilots, a quote by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. seems apt. “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.”
