PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE
Bob auctioned the shirt off his back
To say I lost my shirt at the Weak Signals auction in Toledo, Ohio, would be literally true. Those who attended recognized the need for the newly formed AMA Foundation and bid on several items donated to the AMA. One of the items—my shirt—netted more than $200 for the cause.
We created the foundation to ensure AMA's longevity without placing additional costs on individual members. You will be seeing more information about how you can help. One easy way is to include the AMA in your estate planning.
One of the most enjoyable experiences I have as AMA president is presenting scholarships to deserving AMA members who wish to further their education. While at the Toledo R/C Expo, I surprised Eric Gilkey with a $6,000 Charles H. Grant Scholarship and the $1,000 Weak Signals RC Club Scholarship. His academic credentials certainly merit the awards.
The FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM) holds its annual meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. In recent years, FAI President Antonis Papadopoulos has provided positive leadership that will help the FAI meet present and future needs. The membership is realizing that additional activities are needed outside of international competition.
The manufacturers of Jeti and Weatronic radios presented on the use of gyros and stabilizing equipment in competition. The audience was clearly divided in its enthusiasm for such equipment. The coming years will be interesting as radio technology advances.
The FAI has for several years sought sound reduction. We respect the need for this but have sometimes resented the more dictatorial edicts that were offered. This year, through intelligent negotiations, the noise issues involving control line were partially resolved. I thank all who were involved.
Progressive FAI activity was illustrated by the creation of a working group focused on the inclusion of FPV and sUAS activity. Most in attendance felt this was necessary to ensure the future of the FAI.
While at the meeting, I also accepted the World Cup gold medals for Aleksander Andriukov (F1B) and Taron Malkhasyan (F1P). Congratulations to these competitors for a great effort.
Have you ever tried RC aerotow? If not, put it on your to-do list—it's a lot of fun. My wife and I attended the Lancaster Area Soaring Society's Susquehanna Aerotow in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The friendship and assistance offered by the hosts was tremendous. Thanks to those involved—we had a ball!
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) hosts the world's largest exhibit of unmanned systems at an event called Unmanned Systems 2014. It is the place to find the latest solutions the industry has to offer. Dave Mathewson, Rich Hanson, and I represented the AMA at various functions of the show held May 12–15.
At the show, demonstration areas allowed exhibitors to showcase their systems. Attendees had the chance to see emerging technologies in the unmanned systems industry.
I recently read remarks by a man who flew his multirotor in the downtown area of a large metropolitan city. He claimed to have obtained all necessary blessings from local authorities, but I wonder where common sense fits in.
In another city, a multirotor crashed into a downtown skyscraper. To my knowledge there is little redundancy in these systems, and no craft is fail-safe. If something were to fail, the future of model aviation could be at risk.
Please fly within the scope of the AMA Safety Code and use your intelligence. The AMA is diligently working to create good relationships with government entities. Don't jeopardize the organization or its members for your personal satisfaction.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
