DATELINE: Muncie
This view looks northwest toward the city of Muncie, Indiana. The area outlined in the foreground is the main body of the AMA property. It's close enough to town for ready access to motels, restaurants and services—yet far enough away from the city to provide ample room for flight activities.
Construction bids and schedule
Construction bids on the Muncie project are due on May 24. On that day the bids will be opened and posted in Muncie, Indiana. The top bid submitted will be identified, and the few top companies involved in the bid will be examined closely.
The review will focus on past performance, financial condition and quality of work. Following this review, a construction contract should be awarded by early June.
Understanding the size and scope of this project, it is not unrealistic to expect construction to begin in earnest by mid-June and continue through the next six months. Completion is expected sometime in late October or early November. Upon completion of the buildings, AMA will send one of its employees to Indiana and will initiate shipment of museum articles and display items to the newly constructed facility.
Property and access
In addition to the main body of property, AMA has acquired an additional 185 acres just to the northwest of the main property. This parcel borders Highway 3-67, a four-lane divided roadway that borders the city from southeast to north. Entrance to the AMA site will be at "A," as shown on the sketch. The dotted line represents a new road which will lead to point "B," the location of the multipurpose flying site to be constructed this summer. The new AMA Museum facility will be constructed just west of the entry point on the property.
Current use of the property
The present use of the AMA property is shown on the sketch: the black areas have been leased to others for farming purposes in 1991. AMA is farming the remaining areas with the following crops:
- Corn ("c")
- Beans ("b")
- Wheat ("w")
The small figure on the east side of the drawing that looks like a "T" is actually a cross indicating the location of a small county cemetery.
Multipurpose flying site (Architect John Hunton)
One of Architect John Hunton's original sketches shows the multipurpose flying site to be built (indicated by "B" in the sketch). Key features include:
- Main runway: 650 ft long and 160 ft wide
- "L"-shaped portion: 250 ft by 200 ft
- Parking: originally planned for 500 cars, increased to 1,000
- Pavilion: 30 x 40 ft, with lighting and electrical outlets fed by underground cable (no above-ground cables)
Operations and events
Full use of the flying facility is expected to begin as soon as weather permits in 1992. AMA President Don Lowe has indicated a desire to run additional symposia and seminars at the facility. AMA has also been in contact with the IMAA concerning the potential for holding the annual IMAA Festival at the site in June 1992.
The 1992 FAI World Championships for RC and CL Scale will be held at the new site in August. There is also consideration being given to hosting the 1992 AMA Nats at the site. Certainly the first big event will be the Grand Opening. Watch the pages of Model Aviation magazine as plans for the opening take form.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
