Efforts to keep and acquire flying
sites are always a concern at AMA
Headquarters. In support of this, the
Membership Development Committee has developed
some new tools for members who are working
with local public officials to secure flying
sites. Although these materials are directed
toward obtaining park flyer-type sites, they
do contain information that is useful for
regular modeling sites.
The information
includes a short DVD that explains to elected
officials and recreation board members the
benefits and advantages of incorporating
flying sites into their master plans. It
includes leave-behind information and a
notebook with material that is helpful in
securing flying sites.
Contact Tom Schwyn at
(765) 287-1256, extension 273, if you want to
receive these support materials.
The 2008 AMA
Convention will be January 11-13 at the
Ontario Convention Center in Ontario,
California. We surveyed AMA members who live
within a 300-mile radius of Ontario concerning
topics they would like to see presented at
this year's event. Please note that this is
not a complete list; more seminars are being
considered.
• 2008 Take off And Grow (TAG)
Program
• Associate Vice President training
•
Selecting an electric power system for your
model
• Glow-to-electric conversions
•
Charging, using, and storing Li-Poly batteries
• Covering with plastic/fabric films
• Tuning
and troubleshooting two- and four-stroke
engines
• Setting up helicopters
• Spread
spectrum technology and use
If you're planning
to attend this year's Convention, check the
AMA Web page for the details about the seminar
presentations, locations, and times.
"You know
you're a modeler when ... " has generated some
great responses. Here are the first of what I
hope are many more to come. Thanks to those
who shared their thoughts about modeling! You
know you're a modeler when:
"You arrive at a
contest site 300 miles away, only to discover
you left your suitcase sitting in the driveway
at home." —Roy Stewart
"You spend two days
trying to get a park flyer out of a tree that
is 75-feet high."
—Stanley Jablonski
"Your
wife actually counts your aircraft and comes
up short of the answer because she failed to
look in the closet." —Earl Averill
Eric
Welfare of Lynchburg, Virginia, offered a
David Letterman-style response with a top-10
countdown:
"10) You sit close to the window at
church so you can keep an eye on the wind.
"9)
You do a search on the Internet for 'models'
but delete all the sites that are about pretty
women.
"8) You can describe in detail the
model in the ad but don't notice the young
woman holding it.
"7) Too sick to go to work
is not sick enough to stay home from the
flying field.
"6) You say it is too hot to cut
the grass but not too hot to go to the flying
field.
"5) You've gone to the emergency room
more than one time for airplane-related
injuries.
"4) You've ever had to call someone
for suggestions on how to get glued fingers
apart.
"3) You describe to the nurse how to
put the bandages on so you can hold a
transmitter.
"2) The last car you bought was
chosen not for how many family members it will
hold, but how many airplanes it will carry.
"1) Your neighbor gets a new leaf blower and
you get excited every time you hear it
running."
Bruce Jablonski ends up this
installment of "You know you're a modeler when
... " with:
• "Your spouse claims your cologne
is 15% nitro.
• "You find yourself pretending
to fly that commercial aircraft as it passes
overhead.
• "You're out flying when your home
team is playing in the Super Bowl."
Keep them
coming in! The staff and I have gotten a kick
out of the responses we have received so far.
It's the holiday season and in this world of
being politically correct, one has to cushion
what one may want to say in a public forum
such as MA. I offer no new words of wisdom in
this season of celebration that you haven't
heard before. What I do offer is a sincere
thank you and hope to all.
Thanks for allowing
me to serve as executive director of one of
the most challenging and rewarding
associations in the world. In this first year
I have met many members who all share the love
of this hobby and sport. I have made many new
friends and had the opportunity to work in an
environment of which most people only dream.
My hope is that your holiday season is full of
whatever makes you happy.
MA
In the spirit of flight.
Jim Cherry, Executive Director
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