Executive Director View from HQ
“I appreciate all of the letters I receive.”
A surprise visitor
You never know who will drop in on you. Thursday, April 29, Dick Beamer, a fifth-grade teacher at Southwood Elementary in Wabash, IN, visited AMA Headquarters. That in itself is not strange, but he landed his ultralight at Reese Airport so that he could visit the AMA museum.
Dick’s fifth-grade class followed his trip via the Internet. This is what he had to say to his students about his visit to the Academy:
“The Academy of Model Aeronautics is great! It is a new museum with beautiful handmade models of all kinds of airplanes. You would have recognized several, like the Spirit of St. Louis. If you like airplanes, you should visit this place. I’m bringing home information about a big event in June where you can make and fly airplanes.”
We found his venture as interesting and exciting as he did.
Reader responses to the March column
I often wonder how many members read the officer columns in Model Aviation. Believe it or not, it takes a lot of effort to think of topics each month that are of interest to most of the members. Newsletter editors know exactly what I am talking about.
After my column in the March 1999 issue (“Are We Really Too Busy or Too Selfish to Help a Newcomer?”), I found out that people do read my column. I want to thank everyone who responded. I apparently hit a sore spot for some, and I received encouragement from others.
I won’t go into many details, but I would like to share some comments I received:
- “The individuals and organizations who roll up the welcome mat to newcomers or spectators are also missing the most fulfilling aspect of our hobby (sport, craft, etc.); that is, the camaraderie of the diverse personalities who share a common interest.”
- “For some years now, we have been bending over backward to help newcomers, with little to show for it. I have personally rearranged my schedule on several occasions to accommodate students. On two occasions, different students’ equipment was not charged, so we used mine.
“A third student failed to make needed repairs to his equipment even after I provided a list of items needing his attention before the next session! His aircraft was nearly lost when the elevator began to move away from the stabilizer. The aircraft landed safely, but the student said, ‘I’ll see you when deer hunting season is over.’ He never returned.”
- “After reading your article in the March issue (of Model Aviation), I wrote to our chartered club president and told him I thought the club should be more focused on new members who have never flown a Radio Control airplane.”
- “In our club, many people are willing to take on flight instruction. This in itself creates a lot of problems. Each instructor has his own way of teaching, which is good for the student. He or she can glean a lot of different information and use what is best for him or her. The problems arise when the instructors step on each other’s toes.”
There are no easy solutions. I realize there are two sides to every story, and no matter how hard we try, it has to be on the part of the student and the instructor.
I thank those members who took the time and effort to share their experiences with me. I appreciate all of the letters I receive. Some are positive, and some are not so positive, but I learn something from each and every one. Keep them coming!
Nominations
Nominations for the offices below are due at AMA HQ by June 28, 1999. Officers currently holding these positions need to be nominated for the next term of office.
- Executive Vice President
- Vice President, District III
- Vice President, District VII
- Vice President, District XI
Do you know someone who is interested in one of these offices? If so, review the Bylaws for requirements.
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director jhager@modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
