Modeling Spoken Here
Bob Hunt
You will likely notice some changes to MA this month. We have just completed a redesign of the magazine and truly hope that it meets with your approval.
You might ask, "Why redesign?" Many magazines want a new and fresh look every four or five years to make the publication more fun to read and produce. They feel that sticking with any set formula too long becomes tedious and boring, so graphic elements are revamped to breathe new life into the look of their magazine and make it more fun to pick up and read.
MA's redesign is a bit more significant than just a cosmetic change, however. AMA is an ever-changing entity, with an ever-changing membership profile. We are constantly trying to find a proper balance between presenting technical modeling information and informing the membership of the services that the Academy offers them and what AMA is doing to insure the future of our hobby/sport.
For many years this balance has been decidedly slanted toward the technical side of things, with AMA news and information included as a package in the body of the magazine. With this redesign we have taken a step to make the organizational news more relevant and prominent. We are, after all, an organizational publication.
AMA is an organization that is dedicated to its members and their needs. It is imperative that we use this magazine as the resource to inform the membership of news items and issues that affect the hobby/sport.
A new section called "In the Air" contains an expanded "On the Fly" section and AMA news. It is hoped that this part of the magazine will grow and evolve to be something that lets us get a sense of the pulse of AMA on a monthly basis.
This coupled with the daily news that is posted to the official AMA Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) will enable all of our members to be totally informed about AMA issues on a constant basis should they so desire. It's all about serving the membership in the most efficient, effective manner possible.
AMA Executive Director Don Koranda had the following to say about the redesign.
"I'm excited about the changes we are making to Model Aviation because I believe they will help us communicate a better message about the work we are doing for our members, the hobby, the sport, and the industry.
"In the association business, keeping your members up to date and informed on national issues is critical. The world is moving at a faster pace, and we need to move with it. That means getting the information up front and in a style that is readable, interesting, and informative. Our new 'In the Air' section will help us focus attention on the things we are doing to address our members' needs and industry issues."
One of the most exciting aspects of the redesign is the move to use color throughout the magazine. This is a colorful sport, and now we will be able to more completely enjoy the colorful aspects it has to offer in the pages of MA.
Another change to the special-interest columns, which have long been a popular feature of the publication, is that we are listing the major subjects discussed in each column at the beginning. Now, at a glance, you can determine if there is something of interest to you in a particular column. In addition, the product reviews are now under the banner of "Plane Talk."
Don Koranda went on to say:
"A critical issue for us, and part of what we are attempting to address with this change, is how to attract readers to the multitude of articles and columns that deal with disciplines in which they might not currently be participating. I believe our members are not so monolithic as to never have any interest in another discipline. The challenge we have is in making each article and each column an opportunity to attract new readers.
"This is an exciting time to be at AMA. Change is never easy, but I think most people will look at this as a step in the right direction. More news. More color. More content designed to attract readers. It's a readable, interesting, and informative magazine."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
