Focus on Competition
Technical Director — Bob Underwood
It's been awhile since we visited the sanctioning process and Contest Directors' activities in this column. Recent concerns around Headquarters suggest these areas need to be revisited. While it's true we suffered some problems during the move and transition, things have stabilized. There's a whole bundle of technical stuff (and jargon that confuses even old-timers) associated with the sanctioning process. Teresa McKee, Tina Pool, Sarah Pryor and Kim Knight have done well learning the routine.
IMAA events and dual-sanctioning
One area of concern has been events sanctioned through both AMA and IMAA processes. Some time ago the AMA Executive Council allowed clubs to send IMAA entries directly to the IMAA coordinator, Pam Carson, who would process them for IMAA and then forward them to AMA. Some confusion has crept in with this procedural change.
- Clubs sometimes write phrases such as "IMAA rules to be followed" on an AMA sanction request and yet do not intend the event to be IMAA-sanctioned. When these requests reach the AMA district contest coordinator, the confusion begins. If you are using IMAA guidelines but are not sanctioning the event through IMAA, make certain you notify the AMA coordinator that it is not IMAA-sanctioned.
- Some IMAA-sanctioned events require membership in IMAA. If your IMAA event has that requirement, you must indicate it on the AMA sanction request card. In addition, the event would be sanctioned as a "C restricted." If you fail to advertise that the event is restricted to IMAA members only and it is an IMAA-sanctioned event, you must allow any AMA member who shows up to fly.
Date changes and rescheduling
Problems also arise when events are held on dates other than those originally applied for. The sanctioning process information in both the Competition Regulations and the Membership Manual clearly states the process for rescheduling. Both the district Contest Coordinator and Headquarters must be informed. Failure to follow the proper process may jeopardize elements of insurance coverage and result in the event not being recognized for the Contest Director's earned membership for the year.
Timing and processing
Timing is important for every part of the sanctioning process. Headquarters' difficulty often centers on the receipt and processing of requests. The Coordinators do their job well, but Contest Directors frequently delay getting requests to the coordinators in a timely fashion.
- There are specific minimum lead times for having forms in the Coordinator's (or, for certain events, Headquarters') hands. If in doubt, check the sanctioning section of the Competition Regulations or the Membership Manual.
- In very rare emergency situations, Headquarters will try to work with timing problems. However, it is unreasonable to expect Headquarters to absorb expedited mailing costs when a CD misses deadlines due to their own error.
- If you want your event listed in Model Aviation, the request must be in the Coordinator's hands an absolute minimum of 90 days prior to the event.
Non-flying events
Non-flying events (mall shows, swap shops, etc.) are no longer sanctioned in the same way as flying events; they are listed in a separate "non-flying event" section.
- There is a special form for non-flying events; it can be obtained from Headquarters and completed forms go directly to Headquarters.
- If the mall or other host requires liability coverage, that coverage is obtained through the Chartered Club program handled by the Membership Department. It is the same insurance and uses the same kind of form, but it is not issued as a result of sanctioning by the Competition Department.
Event listing length and contents
Over the last year some sanctioned-event listings began to balloon with lengthy text (rule deviations, schedules, etc.) that really belong on special-request flyers and handouts from the Contest Director. To keep listings useful and to allow as many events as possible to be listed in Model Aviation, the Competition Department will limit sanctioned-event listings to basic information.
- Lengthy rule deviations, special schedules, and extensive details should be supplied on special-request flyers and handouts available directly from the Contest Director.
- You will be given a form with the sanction that asks exactly what you want included in your listing. You may have up to 300 characters (including spaces) for your text.
- The department will watch closely to avoid unduly restricting events that legitimately need many items listed (for example, large FAI contests).
Please resist the urge to fill the allotted space with unnecessary text. The goal is to be fair to all event organizers while promoting each event effectively.
Reminder checklist for Contest Directors
- Fill out your sanction request yourself. Do not sign a blank request and then have someone else fill it in.
- Type the information or letter-print it carefully. Many mistakes, including wrong dates, stem from poor penmanship.
- Do not list the event under multiple categories. Choose one category: A, AA, C, or P. (A rule-book event can also contain demos and/or non-rule-book events—do not create A-B-C combinations.)
Any questions? Contact Headquarters—we've got answers. Now if we can only match the two parts up—
Until next month—for every takeoff there is at least one landing!
Bob Underwood
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
