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Our history is rich with tradition and new challenges, which we meet head-on.
On April 10, I am pleased to announce that the Executive Council voted unanimously to hire Dave Mathewson as AMA’s new Executive Director. This move resulted in me sliding into Dave’s seat to handle the duties and responsibilities of president until elections are held this fall.
Coincidentally, my position as Executive Vice President is up for election, thus both of the top two leadership jobs will be on the ballot. As I stated earlier, we are up to the new challenges and I have no doubt Dave and I will continue to work seamlessly during the next few months to ensure AMA moves forward on all fronts.
Our AMA 2011 calendar is chocked full of fun and exciting events beginning with the Joe Nall, which was again a huge success. We had two main objectives at this event. One was to recognize the Triple Tree flying site as a world-renowned facility. A bronze plaque was dedicated to Pat Hartness and his folks, to signify the importance of Triple Tree as a prominent international facility. We also wanted to provide more insight for our membership about our FAA issues. This was accomplished at our annual membership meeting Thursday evening, which was tailored after the meeting at the Expo in Ontario, California, this past January.
Two FAA people were present, along with our staff, to bring the membership up to date on the pending regulations and answer questions from the audience. As a side note, I had the privilege of taking tickets for the Friday evening barbecue. This was a very rewarding time for me and I was greeted with many smiling faces and chatted with fellow modelers. More coverage of the Nall will be forthcoming; however, rest assured, both objectives exceeded our expectations.
I can’t let this opportunity pass without putting in a plug for all of the exciting events we have in store at our International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana. I hope you were able to attend these two events in June!
Extreme Flight Championships Want to see model airplanes and helicopters do things you never thought possible? It happened at the Extreme Flight Championships (XFC). I hope you joined us June 3-5, at the IAC. CD Frank Noll Jr. had pilots who came from seven countries and Puerto Rico.
The four-minute Freestyle flights rocked to music and featured performances not normally seen in routine flying. It’s all about choreography and precision, demonstrated by some of the best pilots anywhere.
National Electric Fly-In For the second year, AMA sponsored the National Electric Fly-In (NEFI), June 10-12 at the IAC. Open to all who want to register, the cost was $15 per pilot. There was free camping, free battery-charging stations, special hotel rates, raffles, and free admission to the National Model Aviation Museum. The museum and the Animal Rescue Fund of Muncie shared in proceeds.
National Aeromodeling Championships—The Nats! We have long been known for the Nats! This too kicks off in June. Even older than AMA is the spirit of model aircraft competition. Ten years before AMA was organized, modelers were holding national-level competitions. The largest and most-renowned of them all, the Nats, will be held at the IAC in Muncie, June 25-August 11.
For more than five weeks, competitions in a full array of disciplines will be open to all who register and to anyone who is fascinated with the best performances in model aviation and wants to spectate.
Nats Director Ron Morgan, in his 51st year in this capacity, and his 20-plus CDs and event managers should be commended for giving so much for this to happen.
AMA’s 75th Anniversary If you’ve never visited the IAC, July is the time to do it with our 75th Anniversary celebration. Born in the Golden Age of Aviation, AMA is still going strong and it’s time to celebrate.
You are invited to join pilots and modeling enthusiasts from across the country July 14-17 at the IAC for several days of flying and camaraderie. You are also invited to attend the Diamond Anniversary Gala, July 15, at the Muncie Horizon Convention Center. It will be an evening of good food, live music, and a look back at and forward to all that gives AMA its renowned stature.
F3A World Championship This is another fantastic opportunity to see the world’s best RC Precision Aerobatics pilots compete! July 23-August 1 is the F3A World Championship featuring 35 national teams from around the globe. As a program of the Fédération Aéronautique Nationale, the World Championship is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee. This is yet another premier event to put on your calendar for this summer.
Please be sure to check out the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/events and make plans to visit!
In conclusion, I pledge to you that I will do my level best to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of president.
Please keep in touch.MA
Mark Smith AMA Executive Vice President [email protected]
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