View From HQ - 2011/04

172 MODEL AVIATION
addresses to make sure that AMA has
your current one. I can’t state this often
enough. E-mail is the fastest way to share
crucial information.
The government relations URL is
www.modelaircraft.org/gov. If you still
have questions, don’t hesitate to give us a
call. Paraphrasing what one member
wrote, AMA is working long and hard to
keep the hobby alive at this juncture. If
you’re not aware of the FAA’s proposals,
it is a good time to read the material.
This is also a good time for AMA
members who know people who fly but
do not belong to AMA to get them
involved. Urge them to join the
association. It is easy and can be done
online, at hobby shops, at trade shows,
and at sanctioned events. Strength is in
numbers!
This is the time of year for the show
season. I recently returned from E-Fest,
an event held in Champaign, Illinois, and
soon will be traveling to the Westchester
Radio AeroModelers (WRAM) Show in
New York. I enjoy attending these
events, and I take pleasure in meeting
new members as well as old members
whom I have known for years.
It does put a strain on our various
workloads at AMA Headquarters, but
that is why we are here. Each department
has its busier-than-normal time, but all of
us are busy with additional travel,
programs we are launching, or events
held at the Muncie, Indiana, site.
Sometimes your e-mail may not get
answered in the time frame you expect or
View From HQ
your telephone call may not be returned
that day, but it will be. If you have a
problem with communication from AMA
Headquarters, please let me know.
Many of our employees are
multitasking and helping other
departments. Numerous others are
involved in the flying activity held on the
AMA site.
Some of this year’s main events that
are sponsored by the Academy or run by
AMA employees include the Indoor Nats
in Johnson City, Tennessee, May 24-29;
the Extreme Flight Championships, or
XFC, June 3-5; the National Electric Fly-
In, June 10-12; the Outdoor Nats, June 25-
August 11; AMA’s 75th Anniversary
celebration, July 14-17; the International
Radio Controlled Helicopter Association
(IRCHA) Jamboree, August 10-15; the RC
Aerobatics World Championship, August
2-1; and the Indiana Warbird Campaign,
September 2-4.
These are not the only events that
involve personnel from AMA
Headquarters. There are additional
gatherings and contests held every
weekend, and all require our maintenance
staff, which does an excellent job.
For more information about many of
these contests and events, please visit the
AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.
org/events/events.aspx. Schedules, entry
forms, and more are available, and
remember that anyone of any skill level
can participate in the Nats!
My hope is that everybody has a safe and
fun-filled summer. MA
noth er mon th has come a nd
gone. As I ’m writin g this
column, I am pleased to men tio n
that we ar e having a heat wav e! It is
alm ost s trange not to see snow a nd ice. I
am sure it i sn’t g oin g to sta y thi s way for
lon g, but we will e njoy it as much as
pos sib le for n ow.
I am sure that mem bers have had a
cha nce to r ead A MA President Da ve
Mat hews on’s comments c oncerni ng the
FAA issue, s o I will n ot delve de eply into
thi s subject.
It is impor tant that our me mber s real ize
that many hour s are sp ent on this i ssue .
We are work ing very ha rd for all mo delers
wit h both e xternal and int erna l help.
A Web site ha s bee n developed for
rela yin g the most cu rren t info rmation w e
have. Pleas e check the re for up-to-date
info rmation and read the frequ entl y asked
ques tio ns and answers un der the “Learn”
tab on the pa ge. This is our official
plat form , a nd it is r eliable for rec ent, upto-
d ate informati on.
This F AA si tuat ion stresses why it is
impo rtant for those who ha ve e-mail
Interim Executive Director Joyce Hager
AMA is working long and hard
to keep the hobby alive.
A
Mission Statement
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is a world-class association of modelers organized for the purpose of
promotion, development, education, advancement, and safeguarding of modeling activities.
The Academy provides leadership, organization, competition, communication, protection, representation,
recognition, education and scientific/technical development to modelers.
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