INTERNATIONAL AEROMODELING CENTER: A GUIDED TOUR
Steve Kalut
My department at AMA HQ (Competitions) helps organizations run events at the International Aeromodeling Center by administering those events. We make sure organizers have the equipment they need (we provide it if they do not), and we brief Contest Directors on site rules and any special circumstances for a given day or event. We are also partially responsible for authorizing events held on the site.
Because of this involvement we receive many questions from the membership:
- What does the flying site look like?
- What has been done to the site since I was last there?
- What do the offices look like?
- Is camping allowed?
Below is a short guided tour of the International Aeromodeling Center, describing the site, facilities, and how to visit.
Location and site overview
The site is located at the southeast corner of Muncie, Indiana. Muncie is about an hour’s drive from Indianapolis and a little farther from Dayton, Ohio. The city has more than 70,000 residents and is home to Ball State University. Motel rooms are generally plentiful but can be scarce during large events.
The flying site covers a little more than 1,000 acres of flat Indiana farmland. Main access is through the Memorial Drive entrance, which is complemented by a small pond. The property is entirely AMA-owned.
Facilities
The International Aeromodeling Center is comprised of:
- The Frank V. Ehling Complex (AMA HQ offices and the National Model Aviation Museum)
- The Lee Renaud Memorial Library
- The flying site itself
Frank V. Ehling Complex (AMA HQ & National Model Aviation Museum)
- The building is approximately 25,000 square feet. Eventually the offices will move into a new facility and the entire building will become museum space; no definite timetable has been set.
- The front one-third of the building is currently dedicated to the museum. The lobby contains the museum store and reception area.
Museum highlights:
- Displays built into walls, freestanding cases, and suspended from the ceiling
- Theme-based displays, many dedicated to particular manufacturers, filled with one-of-a-kind models and memorabilia
- A ceiling display of models from many eras
- A 1:1-scale replica of a 1950s hobby shop stocked with hundreds of kits (most still with original parts)
- Display cases of accessories: fuel tanks, glow and spark plugs, wheels, etc.
- Larger models, including a Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis (built by the late Ed Izzo)
- A small theater that continuously runs videos on the history of AMA aeromodeling
- Two large cases containing part of one of the largest engine collections in the United States and early radio-control systems
Lee Renaud Memorial Library
- Complete reference collections with dedicated aeromodeling volumes: books and magazines dating from the early 1900s to the present.
AMA Headquarters (offices)
- The rear two-thirds of the building houses AMA HQ offices. Office space is currently separated by temporary walls; most will be removed when museum expansion or a new office building occurs.
- About 47 full-time staff are employed at AMA HQ.
Key departments:
- Membership
- Competitions
- Model Aviation
- Special Services
- Marketing / Resource Development / Flying Site Assistance
- Computer Services
- Accounting
- Operations
- Human Resources
The Membership department is an open-space area that many members have dealt with. AMA HQ may not be fancy, but it functions for the staff and members.
The flying site
The flying site is accessed through an electronic gate that opens shortly before normal flying hours and closes after dark. The main access road is about a mile-and-a-half long.
General layout and notable areas:
- Southern one-third: a large open field favored for Free Flight contests and test flying; provides the best drift over the property.
- Central area: the main RC runways and the general-purpose L-pad are clearly visible from many vantage points.
RC Soaring and Control Line grass area
- Completed in fall 1996.
- Size: 600 x 600 feet of graded, smooth grass.
- Large enough for nine Control Line circles or as a launch area for Soaring Nationals.
- Expected to be used for the 1997 Nationals (historic note).
Asphalt Control Line, Speed and Racing area
- An asphalt pad with two marked circles, each properly configured for Speed and Racing events.
- Speed pylon bases are permanently installed at the center of each circle.
General-purpose pavilion (L-pad)
- The first flying surface installed at the site.
- Versatile: used for RC and Control Line.
- Marked for four Control Line circles in an L configuration.
- Used at the Nationals for Control Line Aerobatics.
Main RC runways ("Stage Center")
- Two 700-foot runways arranged in an X configuration to provide an into-the-wind option most of the time.
- Each runway has a 200-foot grass overrun at each end.
- A formal asphalt pit area and a gravel parking lot lie south of the runways.
- All large RC events are flown from this complex.
Events headquarters (renovated house)
- A simple house on the east side of the property was renovated in spring 1996 to serve as an events HQ.
- Features installed: hobby shop (primarily for the Nationals), office space, computer networks, many AC outlets.
- The house serves as Nationals HQ during the Nats, handles Pattern scoring, and provides onsite registration for workers—an improvement over hotel-lobby operations used in the past.
Visiting the Center
- The flying site is open 365 days a year; certain areas may be restricted during special events.
- AMA International Aeromodeling Center offices: open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Museum hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday (special weekend hours may apply for holidays and winter months).
- A complete schedule of yearly events is available by contacting the Competitions Department at AMA HQ.
- If you plan to visit, it is a good idea to call in advance so staff can update you on events planned for your visit.
Notes and contact
- The site is always changing and improving. Member suggestions are solicited and appreciated. Changes require time and money, so please forward suggestions to the Competitions Department or to me and I will ensure they reach the proper person(s).
- Remember: this is your site.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
