hroughout the years AMA has created
several programs intended to provide
additional benefits for our members.
Some programs are designed to help grow
our number of chartered clubs as well as
AMA’s membership. Some intend to provide
financial assistance to clubs working toward
improving their current flying site or
purchasing property for a permanent club
facility.
Others are designed to help clubs that have
been the victim of an unfortunate natural
disaster that has damaged the club’s flying field
and still others support and encourage clubs to
create educational programs that help them to
become valuable assets in their communities.
In meeting and speaking with many of our
members, it has become apparent that many are
unaware of these various opportunities that are
available as part of our AMA membership. To
try to solve that problem I have listed some of
AMA’s more popular programs and offer a
limited explanation of their intended purposes.
Ambassador Program: AMA’s Ambassador
Program is designed to provide an incentive
and a means of thanking our current members
who introduce someone new to AMA and
model aviation, explain the benefits of
membership, and encourage someone to
become a member of our association.
For every three new Open or Senior
members that an Ambassador signs up, he or
she will receive a one-year membership credit
toward annual AMA dues. There’s no limit to
the number of new members an Ambassador
can recruit.
Life Members who participate as
Ambassadors and meet the requirements
receive a merchandise credit redeemable
through AMA’s Supply and Service
Department, equal to one year’s dues. When
you sign up a new member, remember to
ask him or her to indicate your name and
President’s Perspective
AMA President Dave Mathewson
T
AMA number in the space provided on
the application.
Take off And Grow (TAG): AMA’s TAG
program was launched in 2007. Intended to
introduce model aviation to our friends and
neighbors, TAG is an intensive, one-day
introduction to aeromodeling held at club
fields.
TAG events should include a brief ground
school, simulator flight time (for RC clubs),
and actual time flying a model airplane for
each participant. Clubs submit applications
outlining their proposed event and submit
them to AMA by April of each year. Clubs
that are selected to host an AMA TAG day
receive grants of as much as $1,000 to help
promote, prepare for, and host their event.
Afterwards items purchased are your
club’s to keep as AMA’s way of saying thank
you for helping out. Through the TAG
program, individual AMA members can also
take advantage of AMA’s Ambassador
Program.
Introductory Pilot Program: The AMA
Introductory Pilot Program is structured to
allow a non-AMA member to fly at an AMA
chartered club site and receive member
liability insurance protection as long as the
nonmember is flying under the direct
supervision of a club-designated Introductory
Pilot Instructor.
The Introductory Pilot Instructor must hold
a current AMA membership with the
Introductory Pilot classification. Supervised
instruction must take place at an AMA
chartered club’s site and must be closely
supervised.
The non-AMA member will have the same
liability insurance coverage that other AMA
members receive solely while under the direct,
one-on-one supervision of the Introductory
Pilot Instructor. This is limited to 60
consecutive days starting from the first
session.
Flying Site Assistance Grants: AMA’s Flying
Site Assistance Program is designed to
provide financial support to our clubs to help
offset the cost of making improvements to
current sites or to help toward the purchase of
a club-owned facility. Grant applications need
to be submitted by March 1 each year and are
reviewed and ranked by a committee.
A club may submit a request for up to
10% of its total project with a maximum limit
of $5,000. AMA places a certain dollar
amount into the fund annually based on
membership numbers and distributes the
entire amount. The number of applications
and the amount of the requests determine the
total number of grants awarded.
Youth Education Stipend (YES): One of
AMA’s goals is to introduce young people to
model aviation through education. AMA’s
YES Grant was specifically developed to help
clubs do so. The YES Grant provides as much
as $750 to help create an educational program
to reach out to the younger members of their
communities using model aviation as an
educational tool.
Applications for YES Grants are due by
January 1 each year and grants are awarded
by February 1. The program is administered
by AMA’s Education Committee.
Although grants are made available to
AMA chartered clubs, the program guidelines
don’t preclude teachers or local community
groups from partnering with an AMA
chartered club to develop a program and
submit an application asking for funding.
Next month I’ll continue with other
programs that AMA offers as a benefit of
membership. For more information on any of
the programs I’ve mentioned, contact your
district vice president, visit the AMA Web
site at www.modelaircraft.org, or call AMA
HQ at (765) 287-1256. MA
See you next time ...
May 2008 5
TAG is an intensive, one-day introduction
to aeromodeling held at club fields.
Mission Statement
Dave Mathewson
AMA president
[email protected]
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is a world-class association of modelers organized for the purpose of
promotion, development, education, advancement, and safeguarding of modeling activities.
The Academy provides leadership, organization, competition, communication, protection, representation,
recognition, education and scientific/technical development to modelers.
05sig1.QXD 3/25/08 10:14 AM Page 5
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 5