President’s Perspective - 2010/10

October 2010 5
n Sunday, July 25, AMA
participated in a reception at EAA’s
AirVenture Museum to help
dedicate the organization’s new model
aviation exhibit. A large turnout of EAA and
AMA members was on hand to take part in the
dedication.
AMA also participated in EAA’s annual
AirVenture aviation celebration after a twoyear
absence. Our booth was in the museum
on the mezzanine, directly across from the
model exhibit. It was a perfect spot for us as
thousands of people stopped by during the
week.
Many were AMA members visiting
AirVenture, many were AMA and EAA
members, and many were EAA members who
simply wanted to know a little more about
today’s model aviation. Among the comments
we heard from EAA members were, “I used to
do this” and “I’m going to do this again
someday.”
Those who had an opportunity to walk
through the model exhibit were impressed.
The exhibit does a great job of telling the story
and history of model aviation. It is interesting
to note that many of the models on display are
on loan from EAA members and many have
AMA numbers on their wings.
As part of the dedication, Captain Tom
Huff, AMA and EAA member, spoke about
how an interest in aeromodeling led to his
career in aviation. Captain Huff graduated
from the Naval Academy and went on to
become a fighter pilot, flying operational tours
in the FA-18.
President’s Perspective
AMA President Dave Mathewson
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He was deployed on the USS Theodore
Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the USS Enterprise
(CVN 65), and has accumulated more than 600
carrier landings participating in combat
operations in Iraq and Bosnia. Captain Huff is
the Commanding Officer of US Naval Test
Pilot School and Commander, Naval Test Wing
Atlantic at the Naval Air Station based in
Patuxent River, Maryland.
Captain Huff flies models as a member of
the Pax Aeromodelers, an AMA chartered club,
and has served as both club president and vice
president. He spoke enthusiastically about his
club’s outreach efforts in partnering with his
local EAA chapter to support Young Eagle
rallies and air show demonstrations at the naval
base. He incorporates CL and RC aviation into
his Boy Scout Aviation Merit Badge Counselor
program, his after-school modeling club, and
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM) instruction.
Captain Huff’s excitement was clearly
evident and he’s a wonderful example of what
we all need to do to get young people excited
and involved in aviation.
In the August 2010 issue of MA, I wrote about
AMA’s work with the Indianapolis Children’s
Museum in applying for a Competitive
Program for Science Museums and
Planetariums (CP4SMP) grant from NASA.
That effort paid off when NASA awarded one
of only nine grants in the country going to
informal education providers. Several new
educational projects and programs will be
created as a result of this grant.
There’s more good news. AMA and
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
recently signed a Memorandum of
Understanding agreeing to work together on
classroom education outreach efforts for the
purpose of earth science data collection.
Although some of our AMA chartered clubs
have been involved in this effort, this agreement
formalizes the partnership and opens the door to
increased participation in the program.
NASA trains a number of teachers each year
to participate in the program and there is so
much interest that there is a backlog of teachers
waiting to take part in the research exercise.
AMA’s involvement will provide the model
aviation and the flying experience needed to
make the program successful. As the program
ramps up we will notify our members and clubs
of how they can become involved.
This is yet another example of a
collaborative partnership that offers a
tremendous opportunity for AMA to reach out
to the younger members of our communities to
introduce them to model aviation.
In that same issue of MA, I wrote about the
FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) that proposes to “simplify, streamline,
consolidate and update” Part 95 of its rules by
replacing Part 95 in its entirety with a new Part
95. Frequencies set aside in the 72 MHz band
for model aviation would be regulated under
Subpart D of the new Part 95.
The NPRM was published in the Federal
Register on August 4, 2010. As a result, the
deadlines for filing comments and reply
comments regarding the notice have been
established as September 3, 2010, for
comments, and September 20, 2010, for reply
comments.
As I noted in my previous column, our FCC
attorney and our Electronic Technology
Committee have reviewed the NPRM and see
no obvious threats. However there are some
minor issues and clarifications we’d like to
address and will be submitting our formal reply
before the September 3 deadline.
We’re still in the process of drafting those
remarks as I write this column. Once complete,
they will be posted on the AMA Web site for
review.
AMA renewals will begin arriving about
the same time as this issue of MA. Included
in your membership renewal will be your
2010 election ballot and candidate campaign
statements. Please take a moment to read
the information and exercise your right as a
member to vote. MA
See you next time.
Dave Mathewson
AMA president
[email protected]
Mission Statement
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.
“I’m going to do this again someday.”
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