March 2012 President's Perspective

AMA President Bob Brown
The new year is still in its infancy and the Academy has been busy, but yet positive.
The FAA issue is paramount in every modeler’s mind. AMA is spending an unbelievable amount time and money on the problem. I am confident that those involved have every member of the Academy included in their thoughts. A short synopsis of my activities during the past month include several days at AMA Headquarters; aligning the mechanics of our FAA awareness plan; attending weekly Model Aircraft Standards workgroup meetings; meeting with representatives of the FAA; and narrating a forum between the FAA and membership at the AMA Expo. Considering all this activity, one has to realize that constant changes within schedules appear. In the past several weeks, we thought the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would be released sometime during January or February. However, “unanticipated issues requiring further analysis” have created an additional delay. We project that the NPRM will be released sometime in the spring of 2012. When it is released, the Academy will advise members of the specific direction needed for reaction. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in our membership records; you can make any necessary changes by updating your profile on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/profile.aspx. A forum was held with the FAA at the AMA Expo. This forum included Lynn Spencer, FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety/Standards Leader; James Sizemore, Team Leader of the FAA Airworthiness and System Engineering; Rich Hanson, AMA’s Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs Representative; and myself. The forum included a synopsis of the AMA/FAA activities and a question and answer session. In order for each member to understand the situation, the Academy has placed a video of the forum on our website at www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/gov.aspx and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/modelaircraft?feature=watch. Please be informed, watch the video! AMA Expo 2012 Everyone who attended this year’s Expo appeared to enjoy it. Members of AMA’s Executive Council spent considerable time meeting with the membership. AMA Executive Vice President Gary Fitch, District X Vice President (VP) Lawrence Tougas, and I spoke with members waiting in line to enter the show. Several people asked why we were doing this. The simple answer is, “Without knowing your desires, how can we represent you?” Incidentally, next year we hope to reduce the length of the lines. A specific thank-you is in order to the speakers at the show. Their diversified topics provided information for several interests. I took great pleasure in presenting the Hall of Fame plaque to the family of Bill Young. Bill was certainly a deserving recipient. Jonathan Gaffney, the president and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association, and I presented Dr. Laird “Doc” Jackson with the FAI Aeromodelling Gold Medal. Doc and I have been great friends for several decades and I took great pleasure in presenting him with this prestigious award. Doc’s knowledge and efforts as CL Subcommittee Chairman for 33 years will never be matched. Doc is also known thoroughout the world for his expertise in the field of genetics. He was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although he maintains a busy professional schedule, he has agreed to continue to assist the Academy. Thanks again! The Expo was also the site of the AMA Executive Council meeting. The current council is certainly a group of professional men who are highly capable of providing direction for the Academy. I am sure the teamwork of the membership, AMA Headquarters, and the council will allow the Academy to prosper. The FAI budget for 2012 was approved during the meeting. The Council has no desire for the Academy to become an isolationist within the aeromodeling world; however, the FAI philosophy has to be modified to incorporate the needs of everyone. Focus has to be on eliminating archaic thoughts and activity and becoming a benefit to all. I will be meeting with other airsports groups within the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) to initiate a catalyst on our behalf. District VIII VP Jim Rice and his wife, Linda, presented a check for $2,500 to the AMA Scholarship Fund. This much-appreciated donation was generated from proceeds from the 11th Annual J.H. Rice Memorial Fly-In. Would it be possible for your club to establish a goal to do something similar this year? MA
Bob Brown AMA Executive Vice President [email protected] Back To This Month's Issue of Model Aviation