President’s Perspective - 2009/11
What are AMA Special Interest Groups?
AMA is a large organization. Our members are incredibly diverse and enjoy flying all types of model aircraft, ranging from rubber-powered free flight to turbine-powered jets. In between, there are dozens of other types of model activities enjoyed by our members.
Several years ago, AMA adopted a system of suborganizations known as Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Each SIG comprises AMA members who have an interest in the specific modeling discipline that is that organization’s primary focus. Today there are 23 AMA SIGs that are part of the AMA structure. Membership in these SIGs ranges anywhere from several thousand to, in some cases, a few hundred.
The primary purpose of a SIG is to advocate for its members and act as a liaison between their membership and AMA. The SIG works with AMA leadership and Contest Boards in adopting policy and rules that affect their members.
In many cases, each of these groups plays a strong role in conducting the annual National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats), where it is responsible for overseeing the competition in its discipline. SIGs almost always play an integral part when the AMA and the United States host various World Championships.
Most important, though, is the role these organizations play in helping provide direction and guidance to our national association. Sometimes that comes in the form of suggesting new or modifying current rules for competition. It may come in the form of helping the AMA understand and address a concern and finding a reasonable resolution to that concern. Or it might be the role these SIGs play in helping to build and maintain programs like our Turbine Waiver Program or the Experimental Aircraft Program.
I recently had a discussion with members of one AMA SIG, who observed that many members might not be aware of our SIG structure. A similar remark was made again at a recent Nats planning meeting. I thought I could help make more of our members aware of our system of SIGs through this column.
I've offered each group the opportunity to draft a brief introduction to itself that I will use in this column as space permits. Since the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) was the first to respond to this offer, the rest of this column will be devoted to that organization's story.
The IMAA is one of AMA's largest SIGs.
The IMAA was formed when large-scale model development was in its infancy. Its original purpose was to represent those who flew large-scale airplanes and help RC pilots and manufacturers bridge the gap between 40- and 60-size aircraft into "giant" scale models.
It soon became clear that flying larger aircraft required a host of new airframe requirements, power plants, and accessories for both performance and safety. The first IMAA members knew that in order to keep the new large-scale segment viable, they would have to find a way to help pilots learn to build and fly these models safely and successfully.
As IMAA evolved, it formed chapters to host fly-ins. These events permitted fliers to meet other pilots with interests in large-scale models and learn more about building and flying these airplanes. The organization's mantra has always been about camaraderie and having fun. There is no competition at IMAA events; they are strictly fun-flys. Members pilot everything from Piper Cubs to warbirds.
In its prime, the IMAA grew to exceed 12,000 members as the AMA's largest SIG. However, as large-scale modeling evolved, the IMAA's original purpose began to subside. Today, as IMAA approaches its 30th anniversary, its ranks are smaller, but a new Board of Directors with fresh ideas is working on rebuilding its relevance in the modeling community.
IMAA initiatives and programs include:
- A new Manufacturers Committee to work closely with model, engine, radio, and accessory designers and builders to help create new, exciting, and safe products for model aviation enthusiasts.
- A new training program to update and expand training tools for its membership.
- An IMAA Speaker Bureau to provide members who can present talks on technical topics, safety, event management, and transitioning to large-scale modeling.
- A mentoring program to help members get fast answers about building and flying giant aircraft.
- Chapters that host events throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Europe; new chapters are being formed to give local members venues to meet and share ideas.
Other IMAA benefits include:
- A website that allows members to communicate, buy and sell big-scale RC equipment, apply for and renew memberships, and vote in elections.
- HIGHlight, the official IMAA publication, which offers building and technical articles and a full-color section of event coverage.
As do all of our SIGs, the IMAA plays an important role in our organization. A complete list of AMA SIGs, along with their contact information, can be found on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org.
See you next time …
Dave Mathewson AMA President [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
