Executive Director View from HQ
"We anticipate having a very full calendar year for the Muncie site."
Good News! Once again, the Radio Control Hobby Trade Association Board has voted to continue funding for the Media Awards Program, which has been a successful promotional tool for the RC industry since 1997.
Media Awards Program
The program presents retailers and clubs with cash awards for verified, positive media coverage of their RC events. The Media Awards Program was designed to introduce RC products to the general public and to convey the message that RC is a fun and exciting activity.
The RCHTA Board unanimously agreed to allocate $100,000 for the program in 1999. Official rules and applications can be obtained from the RCHTA office:
- Tel: (847) 526-1222
- Fax: (847) 526-9987
- E-mail: rchta@lnd.com
Committee to Achieve Responsible Environmental Solutions — AMA CARES
At the January 1999 Executive Council meeting, the AMA Board of Directors recognized the extreme need for ecological considerations and determined the overlapping need to expand the availability of model aircraft flying areas.
AMA President Dave Brown established a new committee charged with confronting the needs of our members for flying sites and our desire to coexist and cooperate with development, address environmental concerns, and work with other organizations and governmental agencies.
Sandy Frank, District VIII Vice President, will chair this committee. Please read his column and see if you can help in this area.
If your club has an environmental issue, wildlife issue, or sound problem at your field, AMA has produced a video that may assist you. Please contact Jay Mealy at AMA Headquarters, extension 270, or E-mail: jmealy@modelaircraft.org for more information.
IMS Convention '99
Just a brief message since there will be complete coverage of the IMS Convention '99 in next month's Model Aviation.
From the Academy's point of view, this was a successful show. All vendor booths were sold, and we have a waiting list for next year. The Pasadena, CA Convention Center indicated that ticket sales went up 20% over the last three years. Not too bad for a first show!
Improvements on the Way
One of the goals set by the Executive Council more than three years ago was to have the planning and design for a new Headquarters building done within three years, and to have the staff operating out of it within five. This is on its way to becoming reality.
A new subcommittee of PADCOM (Property Acquisition and Development Committee), chaired by Chuck Foreman, District IV Vice President, will be spearheading the new administration building project. It is anticipated that the groundbreaking will take place in the year 2001. Monies donated to build the Reston, VA site will be the seed money used for the new project.
Once the administration offices are out of the current building, we will have the ability to expand the National Model Aviation Museum. You may remember that the original intent of the current facility was to house the AMA Museum and to provide an area for storage and restoration of the aircraft.
Since the Headquarters staff has occupied this space, there has been a desperate need to expand the library and the exhibit area, and to provide a space where children can have hands-on experience.
The remainder of the above goal was to invest a certain amount of funds to improve the International Aeromodeling Center, which includes the museum and the site itself. The improvements we hope to accomplish prior to the 1999 flying season include:
- Paving the two gravel roads (many members and neighbors complained about the dust created from the existing roads)
- Erecting the first of several permanent bathroom facilities (one day we may not have to rent Porta-Johns)
- Extending running water throughout the entire site
Let's hope the weather cooperates!
We anticipate having a very full calendar year for the Muncie site. I hope that some of the members who have not had a chance to fly at the National Flying Site will have the opportunity to do so in 1999. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director jhager@modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
