Throughout
the years AMA has created several programs intended to
provide additional benefits for our members.
Some programs are designed to help grow our number of
chartered clubs as well as AMA's membership. Some intend to
provide financial assistance to clubs working toward
improving their current flying site or purchasing property
for a permanent club facility.
Others are designed to help clubs that have been the
victim of an unfortunate natural disaster that has damaged
the club's flying field and still others support and
encourage clubs to create educational programs that help
them to become valuable assets in their communities.
In meeting and speaking with many of our members, it
has become apparent that many are unaware of these various
opportunities that are available as part of our AMA
membership. To try to solve that problem I have listed some
of AMA's more popular programs and offer a limited
explanation of their intended purposes.
Ambassador Program: AMA's Ambassador Program is
designed to provide an incentive and a means of thanking our
current members who introduce someone new to AMA and model
aviation, explain the benefits of membership, and encourage
someone to become a member of our association.
For every three new Open or Senior members that an
Ambassador signs up, he or she will receive a one-year
membership credit toward annual AMA dues. There's no limit
to the number of new members an Ambassador can recruit.
Life Members who participate as Ambassadors and meet
the requirements receive a merchandise credit redeemable
through AMA's Supply and Service Department, equal to one
year's dues. When you sign up a new member, remember to ask
him or her to indicate your name and AMA number in the space
provided on the application.
Take off And Grow (TAG): AMA's TAG program was
launched in 2007. Intended to introduce model aviation to
our friends and neighbors, TAG is an intensive, one-day
introduction to aeromodeling held at club fields.
TAG events should include a brief ground school,
simulator flight time (for RC clubs), and actual time flying
a model airplane for each participant. Clubs submit
applications outlining their proposed event and submit them
to AMA by April of each year. Clubs that are selected to
host an AMA TAG day receive grants of as much as $1,000 to
help promote, prepare for, and host their event.
Afterwards items purchased are your club's to keep as AMA's
way of saying thank you for helping out. Through the TAG
program, individual AMA members can also take advantage of
AMA's Ambassador Program.
Introductory Pilot
Program: The AMA Introductory Pilot Program is
structured to allow a non-AMA member to fly at an AMA
chartered club site and receive member liability insurance
protection as long as the nonmember is flying under the
direct supervision of a club-designated Introductory Pilot
Instructor.
The Introductory Pilot Instructor must hold a current
AMA membership with the Introductory Pilot classification.
Supervised instruction must take place at an AMA chartered
club's site and must be closely supervised.
The non-AMA member will have the same liability
insurance coverage that other AMA members receive solely
while under the direct, one-on-one supervision of the
Introductory Pilot Instructor. This is limited to 60
consecutive days starting from the first session.
Flying Site Assistance
Grants: AMA's Flying Site Assistance Program is designed
to provide financial support to our clubs to help offset the
cost of making improvements to current sites or to help
toward the purchase of a club-owned facility. Grant
applications need to be submitted by March 1 each year and
are reviewed and ranked by a committee.
A club may submit a request for up to 10% of its total
project with a maximum limit of $5,000. AMA places a certain
dollar amount into the fund annually based on membership
numbers and distributes the entire amount. The number of
applications and the amount of the requests determine the
total number of grants awarded.
Youth Education Stipend
(YES): One of AMA's goals is to introduce young people
to model aviation through education. AMA's YES Grant was
specifically developed to help clubs do so. The YES Grant
provides as much as $750 to help create an educational
program to reach out to the younger members of their
communities using model aviation as an educational tool.
Applications for YES Grants are due by January 1 each
year and grants are awarded by February 1. The program is
administered by AMA's Education Committee.
Although grants are made available to AMA chartered
clubs, the program guidelines don't preclude teachers or
local community groups from partnering with an AMA chartered
club to develop a program and submit an application asking
for funding.
Next month I'll
continue with other programs that AMA offers as a benefit of
membership. For more information on any of the programs I've
mentioned, contact your district vice president, visit the
AMA Web site at
www.modelaircraft.org, or call AMA HQ at (765) 287-1256. MA
See you next time ...
Dave Mathewson, AMA president
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