President's Perspective
As president of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), I receive many club newsletters. This is a helpful way to keep up with activity among the clubs. It is amazing to see how similar the problems are, even among clubs dedicated to different disciplines. It is almost as interesting to see how different the clubs are.
Most clubs give out a "broken prop" award, or something similar, in jesting honor of the best faux pas among a club's membership. Many have honors for "new solos." Maintenance of the flying site is a big item, common among most clubs, and many clubs have "show and tell" programs at their meetings.
Common club activities and programs:
- "Broken prop" awards and other humorous honors
- Recognition for "new solos"
- Maintenance and preservation of the flying site
- "Show and tell" programs at meetings
Once you get past those items, the myriad differences become apparent. A few clubs have active "field preservation" committees, but unfortunately, field search committees are more common.
Some clubs are actively seeking more members, and some have limited membership and a waiting list.
Each club—whether Control Line (CL), Free Flight (FF), Radio Control (RC), or one that encompasses all disciplines—has something in common with the others. There are also many differences. These differences lead to some problems, particularly when AMA members move from one club to another.
It is amazing how often an AMA member contacts me and expects me to step in and "insist" that the local AMA-chartered club change its rules. Sometimes it's a safety issue, and if it is a clear violation of the Safety Code, the club can be asked to make some changes.
However, it is far more common for the club to be doing something perfectly all right, but just "different" compared with what the member expects or is accustomed to. It may concern how the officers are elected, or how they decide to spend their dues. It may relate to how the pits are organized, or even where they put the spectators.
One common problem I receive calls about is when a club won't let someone join, for whatever reason. Some members think that AMA will simply call up the club officers and force them to let someone join. It's ironic that these same members would typically be the first to scream if AMA were to try to step in and change something that they didn't want changed!
Clubs are autonomous organizations and are not governed by the AMA bylaws, nor are they subject to AMA having much say in their operation. AMA could refuse to charter any club, but a step this drastic would usually be taken only if the actions of the club were to create a significant safety or liability concern. AMA has taken a "hands off" approach to club management, but we have always been there to help and advise the local clubs.
During the first days of this year's Nats, I was speaking with a couple of contestants about AMA. I commented that if I could wave a magic wand and accomplish one thing in AMA, it would be to remove all of the rivalry among different disciplines of aeromodeling!
This rivalry between competition and sport flying, RC versus CL, Pylon versus Pattern, etc., is not good for any of us. United, we can accomplish a lot more than we can ever expect to accomplish with a divided house.
Examples of common rivalries:
- Competition vs. sport flying
- RC vs. CL
- Pylon vs. Pattern
I feel that we are making progress in this area. I'm seeing and hearing of RC clubs incorporating CL circles at their sites, and of CL clubs that have members flying some RC. Often, FF modelers are flying some RC, probably because of the great popularity of the SAM events. Indoor RC is gaining in popularity, and for all of the problems it has created, it has resulted in a fair amount of crossover.
The person I was talking with had a suggestion: "Ban the use of RC in any club name." Somehow, I think we have a long way to go.
'Til next month,
Dave Brown
AMA president dbrown@dbproducts.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
