President's Perspective
What has three rings, a few Ringmasters, and nets for the performers? If you responded “a circus,” you are only partially right. That description fits this year's edition of the AMA Convention in Ontario, California, which is winding down as I write this. Throw in a large number of goodies available for purchase and most of the major manufacturers who are available to answer your questions, and this becomes a must-attend event for next year.
On the other side of the entrance lobby are a number of rooms where seminars are presented. These allow members to learn the ins and outs of almost everything pertaining to model airplanes and to ask questions of the experts in many fields.
Deals abound on the trade-show floor, and if swap-shop shopping is your thing, there is that as well.
The convention is an opportunity to ask questions of the AMA officers, and attendance at the Saturday morning AMA annual membership meeting should be part of your planning. If you think these meetings are not worthwhile, at this year's meeting a question was put forth by a member that resulted in nearly an hour of discussion during the AMA Executive Council meeting held in conjunction with the convention. Assuming there is sufficient space, members are generally welcome to sit in on the meeting and watch their representatives at work—although you might not find it exactly riveting.
Touring the floor it was obvious that electric power is rapidly becoming the majority of our activity. Small electric helicopters were the rage at this convention. When we arrived I noticed that many booths were stocked high with various small helicopters. By the end of the show there were not many left. I even heard a few attendees comment that they were unable to buy one because “all of the exhibitors are sold out!”
It seemed as though every other person I saw was carrying a big box, but the record was a man struggling with three large boxes containing his new models while his wife struggled with the other three. He certainly seemed to be a happy camper.
Another area of interest was the static display. AMA members in the area entered many models in the competition and there were some superior aircraft. Mind-boggling craftsmanship is still a part of this sport, even if it seems as though ARF and RTF models have taken over. Nowhere is this more evident than in the model-boating arena, where there were a number of beautiful and intriguing pieces.
Education is still a major element of our sport; after all, we are the Academy of Model Aeronautics. While it is certainly an education program, I can't help but feel a great deal of pride as I see the youngsters who have built a model in the Make-and-Take area. It doesn't matter if the kid built a model airplane, a rocket, or even something I can't quite describe—the look on a kid's face as he or she carries off something he or she built is priceless. I overheard one adult member say that seeing those kids beam with pride was the high point of the show for him. It's a hard act to beat!
Plans already being made for next year include more seminars and many other little improvements. Plan now to attend your national convention. Your attendance will be the biggest improvement the show will have.
About the author
Dave Brown AMA President [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
