Executive Director
View from HQ
"Your AMA staff is here to serve you ..."
This is the first issue of the new membership year. I would like to extend a warm thank you to all members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics for their loyalty to and support of the association. Your AMA staff is here to serve you, and I look forward to a successful 1998 year for the organization and each and every one of you. This is also the beginning of the 1998 trade show season; I hope to see many of you at one of these affairs.
Attention Chartered Club Officers
We are planning to have the 1998 Chartered Club renewals in the mail the week of January 12. These kits will be mailed to the club contact, so please ensure that our records are up to date.
Club fees have remained the same:
- Basic fee: $20
- Each additional insurance request: $20
- Special wording insurance certificate: $30
In order to avoid delays in processing your renewal, please be sure to submit all of the required paperwork with proper fees and signature.
Please be patient. AMA receives 2,500 club renewals during a two-month period, so much of the staff's time, effort, and dedication goes into each year's renewal season. We make every effort to have all club material returned to the club contact prior to the March 31 deadline. Please do your part correctly so that we can do our part in a timely fashion.
Another exciting venture for 1998: AMA will be offering a new service to members. We are in the process of being trained on new equipment that will enable us to produce customized t-shirts, jackets, hats, bags, etc. Questionnaires were sent to chartered clubs requesting some basic information, and we will be sending out items to a test market to see how well they are received. This is a thrilling opportunity for us, and we hope to produce a significant amount of non-dues revenue. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see, send your comments to Shirley Cook at AMA HQ.
You may have noticed that page six of the magazine has a new column called "On the Fly." This section is intended to bring you important, timely news from Headquarters about membership issues and AMA activities and programs. The column is part of our effort to improve and expand communication with the membership, and I encourage everyone to take the time to read it each month.
Now on to a sad note:
In Memoriam—Bob Wischer
October 12, 1915–November 24, 1997
We must report the passing of recent AMA Hall of Fame recipient Bob Wischer. Filled with a passion for designing, building, and flying radio-control scale models, he was the consummate modeler. The flawless building techniques and realistically reproduced flying honed through constant weekly practice made Bob a formidable competitor at all levels, nationally and internationally.
One of Bob's most significant victories was in 1974 when he won the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) Scale World F4C Championships. He is the only U.S. scale competitor to achieve that goal.
Bob epitomized the scratch-builder. His skills extended far beyond the ability to translate an aircraft's photos and measurements into the necessary three-views and plans to produce a model. He developed unique processes for simulating details on aircraft, carved his flying propellers, and stripped his balsa stock from large blocks.
A classic story came to be while Bob was assisting at a forum during the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. When asked for his definition of "scratch-building," Bob replied without a moment's pause, "Grow your own balsa tree." While the audience treated his response as fictitious, there were those present who realized that it wasn't far from the truth for him.
Bob's ability, coupled with his wife Dolly's skills and determination, carried through all levels of his life. Calling upon his professional background as a draftsman and Dolly's interests as a conservationist, they designed and physically built their home in Wisconsin. The design featured passive-solar concepts before it became a catchphrase. When Bob was unable to find what he considered a suitable heating plant, he designed and built one.
Throughout the years, Bob's representation of the AMA and the U.S. scale community was most impressive. He served on the FAI CIAM Scale subcommittee; did volunteer work at world championships; wrote a column for Model Aviation; and assisted at many conventions and trade shows. These contributions, in addition to his indomitable competitive spirit, will continue to provide inspiration for modelers.
Bob was blessed with the support and love of his wife Dolly, who was ever-present and assisting in every way possible. May she know that the worldwide aeromodeling community reaches out with their love, prayers, and support to enfold her and the family.
It has been requested that any memorials in Bob's name be designated to the Frank Ebling Museum or the Scholarship Fund.
—Bob Underwood
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director jhager@modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
