Travels, connections, efforts, and the future
Travels and meetings
This year was quite busy. I saw the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and almost Mexico. I was in at least 22 states and visited two foreign countries. I met a lot of people and have made many new modeling friends. As AMA president, I am very enthusiastic to be leading a great team — how else could you meet so many people while having fun?
Highlights:
- Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean
- Canada and nearly Mexico
- At least 22 U.S. states visited
- Two foreign countries visited
International perspective (FAI/CIAM)
It appears that the FAI may be beginning to understand that its Eurocentric philosophy must change in order to satisfy the needs of the entire world. I was at a hobby shop near Washington/Dulles International Airport and met one of the modeling leaders from Europe. This man understands our needs and is helping generate a global perspective within the CIAM Bureau (International Aeromodeling Committee). It would be helpful if more people shared his global perspective.
The hierarchy of the FAI now includes a couple of leaders from a country with issues similar to those of the U.S. It will be interesting to see if this insight produces gestures that might benefit the AMA and other groups throughout the world.
UAVs and safety efforts in Washington, D.C.
I recently spent time in Washington, D.C., meeting with the leaders of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. The discussion focused on developing an educational program for neophytes in unmanned vehicle operation.
There are far too many people flying these vehicles with little knowledge of how they are programmed or the safety precautions that must be followed. It was felt that the AMA Safety Code is the primary document that should govern UAV operation.
It was also noted that the FAA now prohibits flying over large crowds where 30,000 or more people are gathered. This includes:
- Athletic stadiums
- Racetracks
In the future, you will see documents and media focused on the safe and proper use of UAVs.
National Aeronautic Association and the Frank G. Brewer Trophy
Another effort in Washington included our attendance at the National Aeronautic Association awards banquet. The Frank G. Brewer Trophy recognizes an individual, group, or organization for significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the U.S.
I had the pleasure of presenting the Brewer Award to Betsy Schmid and Trip Barber from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). The association certainly deserves this recognition. The AMA has signed a five-year extension to our working agreement with the NAR, with hopes of continuing our constructive relationship.
Acknowledgments
A special thank-you goes to Mitch Rose for his service as AMA's political advisor in Washington, D.C. His knowledge and efforts have been beneficial to our work in the political arena. Mitch's ability is illustrated by the fact that he is now senior vice president of government affairs for Comcast-NBCUniversal.
As the new year unfolds, I hope you continue your focus on making model aviation safe. Demonstrating a safe attitude will allow continued advancement for our hobby within the ever-challenging political arena.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
