View From HQ - 2010/04

I160 MODEL AVIATION
Executive Director Jim Cherry
n an effort to help members locate
flying events in their area quickly or
check on events across the nation, the
Academy has revamped the online
contest calendar. Now members can go to
www.modelaircraft.org/events/calendar.aspx
and search for their favorite annual flyins
or discover an event that is being
offered for the first time.
This searchable database allows one
to select the type of event (flying or
nonflying), the city (not required), and
class of event (A, AA, Team Trials, etc.)
to locate. Check “All” if you wish to see
everything available or have the program
filter only the types of events you wish to
see.
In the “Category” dropdown, you can
select “All” to see everything, or if
you’re into RC Combat, CL Scale, or
Indoor FF, etc., the program will allow
you to opt to see only those events.
Finally, you can select a start date and an
end date to narrow it down to a particular
timeframe.
This is exciting because the current
calendar printed in MA shows events only
three months in advance. If you are
reading the January issue and looking for
May’s Joe Nall fly-in in South Carolina
or the December King Orange event in
Florida, it would not show up. The new
contest calendar can offer you
information as soon as the CD sends the
paperwork to AMA Headquarters—up to
12 months in advance!
This programming is tied to the new
AMA online contest/sanction process that
eliminates the need for five individual
mailings between district contest
coordinators, AMA Headquarters, and
others who have to sign off on the
application before the event is approved.
The events will be typed into the
system once, thus reducing the possibility
of mistakes as they go through the
process and appear in the online calendar.
The new service will begin on
February 15 and will replace MA’s
printed calendar starting with the July
issue. Being able to provide a real-time
I
… work with us as we sift through this
new process.
View From HQ
calendar that is updated daily and saving
more than $80,000 in annual printing
costs have made this move from print to
electronic distribution timely.
Those who do not have access to the
Internet are encouraged to seek another
avenue by interfacing with fellow
members or obtaining Internet access at
the local library or other community
center.
Some clubs post upcoming events at
their flying sites or in their newsletters.
A special-request program for printing
and mailing a calendar is being
developed with a minimal cost to the
member to cover postage and handling.
I used to collect cartoons that allowed
me to make a point during presentations
to soften the sometimes-hard message
that needed to be delivered. I would
incorporate the cartoon into a
PowerPoint presentation and the
audience would see it on the screen.
After approximately five seconds of
stone-cold silence, a humorous laugh
would come from the group and I could
get into the discussion item. Starting
from a funny positive point allowed me
to expand upon it in detail.
If I had a cartoon of this pending
change, it would picture a 15th century
German named Johannes Gutenberg who
is credited for inventing the mechanical
printing press with movable type. Before
his invention, all documents were
handwritten manuscripts.
My cartoon would have Gutenberg
standing over his new printing machine
with another man, obviously seeing it for
the first time, commenting, “It will never
catch on.”
I ask everyone to work with us as we
sift through this new process.
January’s AMA 2010 Expo is now one
for the record books. A best-ever
attendance, new programming with great
speakers, and a 1/3-scale model of an F-
117A Nighthawk which kids could sit in
and have their pictures taken, made the
show a success.
The Expo offers a great opportunity
for AMA staffers and me to meet and
talk to members. One conversation with
Ron Werner, “The Rocketman,” centered
on turbines and safety regarding how
some clubs and flying sites relate to
visiting turbine pilots. After the show,
Ron shared with me his thoughts and
concerns by e-mail.
“Putting to rest some misconceptions
and myths about turbine safety: It seems
many clubs nowadays are choosing to
not allow turbine operation even though
the AMA has repeatedly assured properly
waivered modelers that as long as
document 510-A regulations are being
followed, the insurance provided by
AMA is there to cover any incident
arising from the operation of RC turbinepowered
aircraft.
“AMA and the mission statement
make it clear that it supports the
advancement of technology in this
hobby, and jets are a part of the cutting
edge. There are approximately 1,000
waivered pilots, less than 1% of AMA
membership, and that’s quite a minority.
Probably mostly because of the work that
must be done to obtain a waiver. It’s not
easy and, let me assure you, once you get
the waiver AMA is convinced that you,
the waiver holder, know what you need
to know after taking their examinations
and passed the check flights.
“In conclusion, to all modelers, all
clubs that continue to allow model jet
turbine action at their fields, and anyone
who has questioned turbine operation
safety, once a turbine waiver has been
presented to you to prove the pilot in
question has passed all of AMA’s
examinations, there is no reason to
further question their qualifications. The
fixed-wing turbine waiver says, without
it being printed on it, that the holder
knows how to fly fast, safe, and
responsible.
“Fly Safe.”
In the spirit of flight.
Jim Cherry
Executive Director
[email protected]
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