President's Perspective
"We make both good and bad choices."
It's funny how things happen. A couple of hours ago I was finishing up a late shift at work, banging my head against the wall trying to get a machine to cooperate. I knew that tonight was the deadline for the column, and I was wondering just how many members realize that the AMA officers are elected volunteers and have regular jobs and duties just like any other member. In short, I was feeling bummed out and had no idea what to write about in this column.
When I got home at around 10:30 p.m., I sat and read the mail and found this letter from AMA member Nicholas Hallett. It says a lot, especially about the organization, and it made my day much brighter. I decided to share it with you.
Letter from a member
When I was a boy I was introduced to the concept of insurance as a means of collecting fees from everybody concerned, thus being able to pay for the losses of the few. A 77-pound model would indeed cause grave injuries, but so would a 200 mph CL (Control Line) Speed model that got loose, or an average RC (Radio Control) sport model that lost contact with its transmitter. Each of us participates in a potentially injurious sport, and each of us should pay the same premium for insurance to protect ourselves when disaster strikes.
Money generates complaints from those who must pay, and the cost of belonging to the AMA is no exception. Those who feel that they are being asked to pay too much should think for a moment about the unique benefits the organization provides each and every member. My membership in the AMA began in 1959, and I have watched the Academy grow from a rather tentative club through the Johnny Clemens years to the vigorous, multifaceted organization that it is today. We have a headquarters staff that treats me with kind assistance whenever I write or phone. We publish a magazine that covers the whole spectrum of model aviation activity. What other groups of our size publish a 180-page full-color magazine each and every month? And because our magazine is so comprehensive, we belong to one of the most open groups in the country. Through Model Aviation each member has access to information, expert advice and equipment suppliers for every phase of the sport, all free. I've not flown a model airplane in many years, but the event listings in Model Aviation allow me to attend contests, which I enjoy.
Do I think that AMA is perfect? No. We struggle to please as many members as possible. We make both good and bad choices. All in good faith, but not all are successes. The very fact that we are willing to forge ahead, while being able to accept plan "B" when things don't work out is clear testimony to the value of the AMA. Our difficult, albeit positively focused dealings with the following are examples of this philosophy in action:
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
- the insurance industry
- state and local challenges to flying field locations
- the ever-present budget
I wish that spectators at contests were treated with more courtesy instead of as unnecessary impediments to the real business of the day. I think that the Muncie site is a marvelous innovation, but wish it were nearer so that I could see it myself. I wish that Model Aviation would do a better job of explaining new innovations and building techniques, rather than assuming that, for instance, CL flyers already understand RC helicopters. These are sources of disappointment for me, but they are not reasons to be angry with the Academy or its leaders.
And certainly not reasons to respond with rudeness and/or profanity. A great deal can be accomplished with common civility and kindness. Complaining is done easily, but constructive suggestions take only a little more effort. The AMA will be 64 years old at the millennium. I hope we won't let this fact suggest retirement. Let's just keep challenging the frontiers in every direction with a hefty dose of one-for-all, all-for-one camaraderie.
AMA 11866 Nicholas Hallett 204 SW Terry Rd. #17 Coupeville, WA
Thanks Nic! Your letter made a big difference in my day!
Till next month,
Dave Brown
Dave Brown AMA President dbrown@dbproducts.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
