Focus on Competition
Technical Director Steve Kaluf
If you are not a Contest Director (CD), or are not considering becoming one, you may wish to skip this column. This is an occasional reminder to all Contest Directors of their responsibilities and some timelines that need to be adhered to.
Becoming a Contest Director is straightforward:
- Take the open-book test (an exercise in looking up information in the Competition Regulations and the AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code).
- Get three AMA Open members to sign a form stating you would make a good CD.
- Send the completed test to the Competitions/Technical Department at AMA Headquarters (AMA HQ) for grading.
- If you pass, a postcard is sent to the District Vice President requesting final approval.
Once approved, a Contest Director is on probation until successful completion of one contest and submission of all required paperwork to AMA HQ. After completion of a second successfully run contest, the CD will receive an earned AMA membership for the next membership year. Subsequent earned memberships are provided for each year the person runs a contest.
Responsibilities
The AMA Membership Manual and Competition Regulations describe CD responsibilities:
- CDs must enforce rules. Lax enforcement jeopardizes an event's official standing and the value of an AMA sanction.
- Local flexibility may be acceptable, but when out-of-town participants are involved, entrants have a right to expect strict adherence to regulations. Ignoring this invites protests and possible disqualification of record performances.
- When a contest is advertised as an AMA event (specifically or by implication), entrants naturally assume AMA regulations apply. Any deviations must be clearly spelled out in advance, particularly in advertising aimed at out-of-towners.
Any deviations from the standard rules printed in the Competition Regulations must be detailed in writing as part of the sanction request. These changes will be reviewed by the Technical Director for possible safety or procedural concerns and to determine whether the deviations will be allowed and which sanction status ("A" or "C") will be assigned. If additional guidance is needed or in the case of an appeal, the Contest Board Coordinator and the Contest Board Chairman for the event will be included in the decision process.
Authority
To effectively oversee an event, the CD is granted specific authority relating to organization, rules, and safety:
- The CD may perform safety inspections of any equipment and prevent a participant from using equipment deemed unsafe.
- The CD has irrevocable authority to disqualify or prevent from flying any participant whose ability to fly is, in the CD's opinion, impaired by use of alcohol or drugs.
Most CDs take these responsibilities seriously; however, poorly run contests can cause serious accidents or drive competitors away from future events.
Sanction Application and Contest Calendar
Common mistakes and requirements when filing a Sanction Application:
- List each rule-book event you plan to run and include age-group breakdowns. Note: the Senior classification is ages 15 through 18 (less than 19) as of July 1.
- Provide two choice dates in case your preferred date is already taken.
- Include a daytime phone number for the CD; AMA HQ may need to reach you during business hours.
- Use page two to describe any deviations from the Competition Regulations (this must be submitted in writing with the sanction request).
- The Contest Calendar listing in Model Aviation is limited to 300 characters; condense your description. For more space or visibility, consider a Supplemental (paid) ad — they are inexpensive and effective.
Mail the completed sanction to the proper Contest Coordinator for your district (names/addresses are in the monthly Competition Directory in Model Aviation). Timelines:
- Sanctions must be mailed at least 30 days in advance to allow processing.
- To have a listing appear in the magazine prior to your event, allow at least 90 days for a single listing; 120 days is safer to account for postal delays.
- Sanction applications may be sent up to a year in advance to maximize the possible three listings in the Contest Calendar.
Contest Paperwork (Forms 10 and 11)
- The CD’s paperwork burden is often small: the CD fills out the CD Report (Form 10). Contestants fill out the Safety Declaration and Event Participation List (Form 11).
- For computerized scoring, Form 11 is not required if AMA HQ receives a computer printout containing the same information as Form 11, along with contestant placings.
- Ideally, use a separate Form 11 for each event so placings can be properly indicated. Form 11 is the historical record for your contest; if not properly executed, it is worthless.
- Note: Earned membership credit on Form 10 is authorized only for contests rated "A" or higher. Additional CDs are only eligible to earn a membership at an "A" or higher rated contest.
Deviations from Published Rules
- Deviations that could affect the safety of the contest are unacceptable; others may be problematic.
- Some modifications to accommodate field conditions are acceptable, but understand they may invalidate performances for national records. Example: shortening an RC Pylon Racing course to fit a small field would prevent record-setting because the required distance was not flown.
- If your contest attracts out-of-town modelers, they expect to be able to consult the Competition Regulations and know how the event will be run. Running an event with unpublished "local rules" is unfair to them.
- All deviations must be submitted in writing with your Sanction Application and are subject to review. If deemed unacceptable, the sanction may not be issued.
Events and Announcements
The 1998 National Aeromodelling Championships planning meeting was held October 18, 1997, and the schedule has been set. A full-page ad listing all events will run monthly in Model Aviation until the August 1998 issue; check it each month as information will change as the Nats approach.
All participants from the last three Nationals were mailed entry forms in mid-November 1997. If you did not receive one, have not participated before, or need additional forms, call AMA HQ — do not assume forms are still on the way.
Most Contest Directors do an excellent job and their efforts are appreciated by the Competitions/Technical Department at AMA Headquarters. If you have any questions, please call.
Till next time...
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
