Happy Holidays from the AMA team! Depending on how quickly you receive this issue, the holiday season may be in full swing. I hope your family and you will have or have had an enjoyable time.
The past month was focused on additional efforts in the Washington, D.C., area. I had an enjoyable day at Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Virginia. John Langford, the chairman and CEO of the company, is a longtime friend in international aeromodeling and is a well-known FAI Space competitor. He is the international program’s liaison for the National Association of Rocketry.
Large and small aircraft UAS activity within that company is extensive. Its small UAS is called the Skate and is designed by a team in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A couple of great modelers are on that team. It was neat to see a simple model developed into a sophisticated aircraft. A working relationship between Aurora Flight Sciences officials and the AMA’s Education department was created. Some new and exciting things will soon be offered.
The next day of our trip was spent at the DC Drone User Group Conference at George Mason University. Dave Mathewson, Rich Hanson, and I presented a program that illustrated AMA’s philosophy and benefits. It was a pleasure to learn that a large number of the participants were already AMA members. Several speakers conveyed their thoughts on the various aspects of sUAS. Considering the discussions and varied interests, this was a positive day for the Academy. We were happy to share the AMA philosophy and explain many of the misconceptions of our insurance program.
Privacy issues continue to be debated in the nation’s capital. We met with an influential group with strong ambitions to resolve these issues. This group includes major aerospace manufacturers, leaders of Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, officials with four large institutions of higher learning, and several aviation experts. It was evident that the AMA’s political efforts were recognized. We will attend additional meetings on this subject.
Considering all of the facets that are included in model aviation, it can be hard for our members to understand that everyone involved is entitled to fun and enjoyment of the hobby. If you have not viewed our video pertaining to how we perceive ourselves, please look at it at http://bit.ly/17WtgJx.
New Year, New Challenges
The new year will present several challenges to the AMA. Unless there is a drastic change of philosophy, the situation with the FAA should reach a positive resolution. The Academy should be a key in helping the FAA with sUAS issues. Personal privacy will be a formidable topic and will require considerable effort to reach agreement with the government. It is somewhat unfortunate that politicians are creating additional laws when those already in place are sufficient.
The Executive Council is in the process of updating the AMA Bylaws.
An event to recognize all forms of modeling is being planned for summer 2014. This will lead to the largest modeling event in the world.
The AMA council and staff are working in an innovative, positive direction! Enjoy 2014 and fly safely!
