View From HQ 2008/04
If you are on the "short list" of a congressman or woman, let us know.
The weather is warming up and you should be finishing all of those winter building projects.
For the first time in my flying/building career, I am so far behind that I cannot justify buying one more thing until I finish some of the other projects that are calling my name every time I go into the workroom. When did the airplane that I couldn't keep my hands off of for so long become the stepchild of the workbench?
For many, April is the beginning of the flying season as the days get warm enough to make it fun and not an endurance contest.
Events
- At AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, some staff will be attending the annual Weak Signals Toledo Show in Toledo, Ohio, April 4–6.
- We plan to have representatives at the National Retail Hobby Shop Association (NRHSA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22–25.
- We will also be at the Electric Flight Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, April 25–27.
If you have been out of the country for a while and are not aware of the new AMA Park Pilot Program, I encourage you to visit www.parkflyer.org. Acquaint yourself with this exciting new program designed to get thousands of new fliers acquainted with safe flying and the AMA.
Committees and member involvement
We held the first Executive Council (EC) meeting of 2008 under the leadership of the new president, Dave Mathewson. As part of the new administration, Dave submitted a revised plan for AMA committees in 2008. As one aspect of the committee-building process, the Academy is conducting a poll of members who are interested in serving on an AMA committee. The form to submit your name for consideration is on page 49 of this issue of MA. Mail the form to AMA or check out the web-based poll and apply electronically. A roster of open committees and their mission statements is available for review along with the polls.
With a membership of more than 150,000, we cannot guarantee that everyone who submits his or her name for consideration will be asked to serve. We expect that many more will volunteer than can be accommodated. Some committees, following a bylaws mandate, already have their membership determined.
As far as I am aware, this is the first time a membership-wide invitation has been offered, so if you have some expertise in a field or endeavor outlined in one of the committees' mission statements, please take time to respond and you may find yourself in a position to help shape AMA's future.
Legislative contacts
We also plan to poll the membership concerning members' governmental and legislative horsepower. We will be seeking AMA members who are well connected with federal elected officials and staff.
The Academy is preparing itself for interaction with these legislators. We know there is strength in numbers and often getting access to these lawmakers—without having to go the hired-lobbyist route—depends on who you know.
If you are on the "short list" of a congressman or woman, let us know. It is one of those things in life that we hope we never have to use, but often by the time you need connections, it is too late to find out who knows whom on Capitol Hill.
"You know you're a modeler when ..."
"You know you're a modeler when ..." has continued to amaze me!
- Stanley Jablonski: "You don't have the time to iron wrinkles out of a shirt, but you will spend an evening ironing MonoKote."
- Bob Kirkpatrick: "You would rather watch the batteries in your new radio charge than spend 'romantic' time with your wife. (And I wonder why many wives don't come out to the flying field.)"
Andy Koschmann of Valley Aeromodelers in Appleton, Wisconsin, thinks you know you're a modeler when:
- You keep debonder next to the Band-Aids in the medicine cabinet.
- You consider CA a necessary part of your first aid kit.
- You know what CA stands for.
- You don't understand how anyone could not know what CA is.
- You go to the local hobby shop to socialize with friends.
- You buy industrial-grade power tools to cut balsa and lite ply.
- You get a new plane, radio, or engine and have "show-and-tell time" at the next club meeting, just like you did when you were in kindergarten.
- You are disappointed when all the presents are unwrapped Christmas morning and there is nothing under the tree to support your modeling needs.
- Your wife is embarrassed to take you to social events because she knows you will talk to everyone about airplanes until you find someone that actually cares.
The price of a model airplane
Finally, not in the vein of "You know you're a modeler when ..." but just as funny is from Ron Hill in Pensacola, Florida:
"There are three prices that you pay for a model airplane:
- The price that you actually paid for it
- The price you told your wife you paid for it
- The price you pay when your wife finds out what you actually paid for it"
In the spirit of flight.
Jim Cherry Executive Director [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
