View from HQ - 2001/04
WELL, it is that time again and, as usual,
it is hard to decide what subject should be
discussed.
I could list all kinds of statistics, but Doug
Holland really covers that in his column and
Dave Brown writes about the big issues that
face the Academy, so here I go.
Donations: Once again, the Radio
Control Hobby Trade Association
(RCHTA) has seen fit to support
AMA’s educational programs. The
following excerpt from RCHTA’s
newsletter says it all.
View from HQ - 2001/02
THE END of the year 2000 is nearly
here. As I write this, winter is
coming to Indiana and most of the
other parts of the Northern
Hemisphere. It is time to give up
flying for the year and start building
for the new season. That is, unless
you live in one of those wonderful
areas that allows you to fly all year
round.
Membership increased 6% in the
year 2000, giving us a total
membership of 165,365.
With this issue of Model Aviation,
we are kicking off a new member
incentive program. Join three new
members and receive a free
membership. This is an effort to
continue the growth of the
association and introduce many new
people to this wonderful hobby.
On the Fly Late-breaking news from Headquarters - 2001/02
Former HQ Staff Member Dies
Robert E. Vojslavek, former AMA
Director of Operations, active volunteer, and
longtime modeler and AMA member,
passed away October 21, 2000. He was 63.
Most recently, Bob was instrumental in the
creation of AMA’s Grand Event—an annual
activity at the International Aeromodeling
Center, designed to introduce the public to
different kinds of outdoor hobbies. He also
brought organized Radio Control car activity
to the national flying site.
For more information, see page 143
of this issue. MA
View from HQ - 2001/01
aS I wrITe this column, AMA Headquarters
staff is heavily involved in the preparation of the
2001 operating budget. This annual budget
itemizes all our operational costs, then balances
those costs with a realistic projected income.
Not included in the 2001 operational
budget are items such as improvements to the
site, equipment repair and replacement, or the
new administration building and furnishings.
These funds come from donations, the sale of
the Reston building, and fund-raising efforts.
The 2001 budget has more than $130,000
dedicated to the promotion of aeromodeling
projects, ranging from Air Show Teams to
education programs. (The Radio Control Hobby
Trade Association [RCHTA] donated an
additional $75,000 during a two-year period, for
education projects.) Displays, handouts, films,
mall shows, Homecoming/Grand Event, and
other promotional projects are included.
The budget addresses insurance premiums
and fees, the cost of National Aeronautic
Association (NAA) and Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) fees,
postage, freight, telephone, membership
supplies, Internet access, and other expenses.
Executive Director View from HQ
Since my last column, I spent two days at the Indoor Nationals, where there were more than 100 contestants in official events. As usual, the facility at Johnson City, Tennessee was nice, and those who attended seemed to enjoy themselves. At this year's Indoor Nats, 15 youths attended who are part of a church group from Smyrna, Georgia. They were there last year, but were unable to participate because they were unable to meet the cost of AMA membership. This is just one of the reasons why the AMA reduced the youth membership fee to $1. An article on this youth group will appear in a later issue, as will complete details of the Indoor Nats.
