View From HQ
Remembering Maynard Hill
Model aviation and AMA lost an icon and legend on June 7, 2011, with the passing of Maynard Hill. Articles about Maynard, highlighting the significant accomplishments he accrued throughout his career, appeared in many of the major newspapers across the country including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times. Clearly this is a testament to what he meant not only to the aeromodeling community, but to the entire aviation world.
His accomplishments and success in setting world records placed AMA and model aviation in the United States on the international map. Maynard’s achievements at this level are virtually unmatched.
It would take several columns to detail everything that Maynard did throughout his career, but his feats will no doubt be documented in almost every model aviation–oriented publication, including Model Aviation.
On behalf of AMA’s 140,000 members, I’d like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to Maynard’s wife, Gay, and his children.
FAA, sUAS, and AMA’s Work
On the surface it may appear that the FAA’s effort to regulate small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) has hit a lull. I can assure you that although it may appear that way, this is not the case. Behind the scenes work continues as AMA’s Model Aviation Workgroup meets via conference call for several hours weekly as we continue to develop a set of model aviation standards that, once adopted by the FAA, will allow model aviation to continue in the future much as it has in the past.
Representatives of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Program Office (UAPO), James Sizemore and Lynn Spencer, attended the AMA’s general membership meeting held at the Joe Nall Fly-In in May. They participated in an open forum similar to what we did at the AMA Expo in Ontario in January.
The question-and-answer session that took place was very informative and answered many of the common questions our members have been asking in the last several months. A video of that forum can be found on AMA’s website at https://www.modelaircraft.org/amatv.aspx.
As I wrote in my last column, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will detail the proposed new regulations affecting sUAS has been pushed back until later in 2011. It’s important that our members, and all model aviation enthusiasts, continue to monitor the NPRM’s progress and be prepared to react once the NPRM is released.
Providing input in response to an NPRM is a right afforded to all Americans, and it’s important that we take the opportunity to make sure our thoughts are known. The best place to get the most current information on the process is to visit the AMA Government Relations page on our website at https://www.modelaircraft.org/about-ama/gov.aspx. The information is updated frequently, so please visit regularly.
Member Advocacy
You may have noticed that there is a new feature in Model Aviation. AMA expends many resources and much effort in advocating for our members. We have represented our membership before a number of federal government agencies, as well as state and local government agencies. These include:
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
This new feature is intended to document our work in this area. Member advocacy is an important part of what we do and one of the most important benefits of membership that we provide.
IAC Improvements
Many of you have noticed and commented on how nice the road resurfacing at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) came out. The runways at the L-Pad and at Stage Center were also sealed and re-marked in advance of this summer’s Nats and the 2013 FAI F3A World Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft.
The roads were installed in the early 1990s and have received very little maintenance since that time. Funding for projects such as this comes from member donations, and all of the costs for this project were covered by donations from members that were earmarked specifically for site maintenance.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to keep the IAC the premier flying facility in the world.
Upcoming Events
- FAI World Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft — Beginning July 24 and running through August 2. AMA will be hosting; thirty-four countries from around the world will be sending teams to compete. This is a great opportunity to visit the IAC and witness the best pilots in the world compete for the title of World Champion.
- Ninth Jet World Masters (JWM) — Runs from July 24 through August 6 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. This event will attract pilots from around the world and features some of the best jet flying you will find anywhere. If you attend, plan on spending some time visiting the museum. The museum houses more than 400 aircraft in exhibits and over 1,000,000 square feet of exhibit space, with every era of aviation history displayed.
See you next time.
Dave Mathewson AMA Executive Director [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
