President’s Perspective
Dave Brown, AMA President
When I was re-elected president, one of the Executive Council (EC) members suggested that I present a "State of the Union" address at the first EC meeting of the new term. I thought it was a good idea and wrote the address, but I was unable to present it in person. A medical emergency prevented me from attending an EC meeting for the first time in 25 years.
On January 26, 2005, AMA's Executive Director Don Koranda read the statement to the council. Well received, it was suggested that I share the address with the membership.
As I embark on another term as president, I look out at AMA and see a healthy organization, led by a dedicated group of elected volunteers and managed by a hardworking staff. I see an organization that has come a long way since the 1960s when a number of people in the aeromodeling industry ran a "dump-the-deficit" campaign in order to keep the association afloat.
AMA has grown into a financially stable, effective organization dedicated to advancing the sport of model aviation. The facilities we have for our employees are first-class, as are the National Model Aviation Museum and the flying site we maintain for members. Our balance sheet is the envy of many organizations, and our standing within the international model-aviation community is at the very top. Our education and heritage programs are fulfilling our charitable premise, and the number of young people being exposed to model aviation because of that work is inspiring.
While the organization is healthy, it faces a number of challenges in the years ahead, including slowly shrinking membership and constantly advancing technology which will challenge our ability to keep pace.
Technological advances are the lifeblood of our sport and organization, yet they will challenge our rules and structure.
The organization needs to be prepared to meet those challenges. Safety should continue to be our top priority because the availability of affordable insurance coverage is of paramount importance to the sport.
Among the challenges we face in the immediate future is one which is both a challenge and an opportunity. Park flyers — the new breed of "little" RC model airplanes — present an opportunity for AMA and the sport to grow to a size unimaginable in the past. Creating programs to attract that group to AMA without undermining the core membership of the organization will be difficult, yet it will be necessary if we are to prosper in the future.
Fifty years ago it was common for young people to fly CL in more populated areas of the country. Park flyers present an opportunity to bring model aviation back into these areas. Melding liability control with financial realities will be difficult, but we must overcome this obstacle if we are to attract this new generation of aeromodeler.
Efforts must be made to work with municipalities to create safe and acceptable places for these models to be flown. The number of these modelers will have a profound effect on aeromodeling of all types. We need to expend the effort to ensure that the effect is positive. If they do not act responsibly, they could have the opposite consequence.
Facilities for the enjoyment of our sport are central to the activity. The need to acquire more flying sites and to preserve the ones we have must remain high on our list of priorities. We cannot afford the luxury of having members who disagree with a policy adopted by a club to control its facility, and then go to the government department that controls the use of the site in an attempt to resolve their grievance. We must convince members to address those concerns internally — within the aeromodeling "family" — in order to avoid losing flying sites because of internal squabbles.
Most importantly, we need to be responsive to the needs of the membership. Diversity is considered a strength for any organization; if this is true, then AMA should be the strongest organization on earth. We are certainly diverse. The challenge is to unify those diverse interests into a single voice that can speak for and to the issues we face.
As the sport grows, it becomes more diverse — particularly as technology and economics allow us to expand the boundaries of feasibility and popularity. At one time — not so long ago to some of us — the extremes of aeromodeling were confined to a narrow group: .60s were "big," .15s were "small." A "light" model was 4–5 ounces, and a "heavy" one was 10 pounds. Speed records were set in the 140 mph range, while sport models flew at 70 mph.
Those extremes could be handled within a one-membership-fits-all policy, and there was little need to consider any other plan. Technology has not only made it possible to fly a greater cross-section of models, it has made flying models across a wider spectrum practical and popular.
Who would have thought 25 years ago that models capable of flying 300 mph would become accessible to the common modeler? Who would have believed that an RC model weighing only a few ounces would be available and have enough thrust to hover on its electric motor and fly for nearly a half hour? Who would have guessed there would be 50-pound models with enough power to accelerate vertically?
These are commonplace models today, and what the future will bring is exciting to ponder. We have outgrown the idea of "one AMA membership fits all," and it is time to consider a multileveled membership structure to serve the interests of all aeromodelers. Those flying at the high end of the envelope don't want any more limitation than necessary, while those in the rest of the sport don't want to carry the liability cost in their dues.
Those who only invest $100 or less in their RTF equipment are not inclined to spend $58 to join the association. I believe a multileveled system of membership is the only logical way to address these needs at both ends. The challenge is to accomplish this without undermining our current base of membership.
I see AMA as a strong organization, rich in heritage. It is vibrant, with some new, enthusiastic people recently elected to the board; these leaders have all been a part of bringing AMA to this point. During the next few years, I expect to see a number of changes at AMA, not only within its leadership, but also in its basic being.
AMA must change — not as a reflection of its being out of step with the times we are in — but in response to changing times. I feel confident that the leadership of AMA now and in the near future will continue to serve the sport of aeromodeling well.
To those new members of the EC, I extend a welcome. Your fresh ideas will bring a lot to the table. To those members of the council who have been here for a while, I thank you for your service to the aeromodeling community. Together we are responsible for the future of AMA and the sport of aeromodeling in the United States.
We had better strap in and get to work; it's going to be a thrilling ride.
Dave Brown AMA President [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
