The trade show season is over and it won’t be long before people in every part of the country are outside enjoying the flying season. Let’s hope this season is kinder to us than the winter we’ve just experienced.
Each year I try to take my observations of how well the major trade shows faired and use that as a guide to get a pulse on how model aviation is generally doing across the country. I came away this year with the impression that model aviation is becoming reenergized, and that’s good news for all of us.
It was good to hear reports of trade show attendance being up in 2014 compared to the previous year. Although most event organizers reported a slight reduction in the number of exhibitors, from what I observed, many of the exhibitors that did attend were displaying new items that are or will shortly be available on the market.
This is a good sign because it shows that model aviation-related companies are investing in developing and marketing new products.
The AMA has been named as a finalist for the 2014 Lightspeed Aviation Foundation Pilot’s Choice grant program. The Academy has been selected as one of 15 finalists from hundreds of nominees.
Each year, the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation recognizes a select group of deserving aviation nonprofit organizations nominated by members of the aviation community. The AMA was chosen because of its long list of benevolent programs developed to enhance, preserve, build, and promote model aviation. The grant money would assist the Academy in its efforts to provide educational programming to youth.
You can help by visiting LightspeedAviationFoundation.org to vote. Online voting is a pivotal part of determining which organizations receive grants, and the amounts awarded. Vote ranking will be published regularly on the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation Facebook page with the Pilot’s Choice Award winners announced in November.
Please encourage your fellow club members, friends, and family to vote for the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Your support is greatly appreciated.
This column is being written in early April during National Volunteer Week. Volunteers make up a large part of the work force that keeps AMA, its Special Interest Groups, and even its clubs running. Think about it. Volunteers run the events we attend, manage the clubs we belong to, and take on the challenges of leading one of AMA’s several Special Interest Groups.
Did you know that AMA’s Executive Council (EC), in essence AMA’s board of directors, serve without pay? Serving on the EC is an enormous task of balancing the need to be responsive to the needs of our membership, while governing and establishing direction for a multimillion dollar organization. This is not an easy task.
Volunteers invest an enormous amount of time and effort, and even on occasion their own financial resources, as a way to support model aviation and AMA. Their only pay is the psychological paycheck that comes from someone taking a moment to stop and say thank-you.
Although National Volunteer Week has come and gone for this year, there’s never a bad time to show your appreciation.
As always, it’s going to be a busy summer at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. The site calendar shows that there is at least one event—and in most cases several events—taking place each weekend from the beginning of May until nearly the end of October. The 88th Annual National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) begins on July 7 and runs through August 7.
If your plans have you coming to Muncie this summer, I encourage you to spend some time at the National Model Aviation Museum. It’s the largest museum of its kind in the world and does a great job of telling the story and history of model aviation. AMA is incredibly proud of its museum and I’m sure that you’ll enjoy your visit.
While you’re here, consider stopping into AMA’s administration building to say hello. A member of the staff would be happy to give you a tour of the facility. It’s also a great opportunity to meet some of the AMA employees who work so hard to make your model aviation experience as enjoyable for you as it can be.
See you next time.
