PDF | FULL TEXT

You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this document.
Get a copy here

LEADER TO LEADER

Safety Beyond Members

by Jim Rice, Chairman Leader Member Committee

As we start the New Year, it is imperative that we not only keep our excellent safety record intact, we must also make strides toward the goal of ensuring all modelers, AMA or not, fly in a manner to be considered safe by the FAA and other governmental agencies including city, county, and state officials.

We have a difficult enough time enforcing our AMA Safety Code with our own membership, but we need to attempt to educate and encourage safe operation by nonmembers when we see them flying in and around our areas. If we do this properly, we might get the safety issues corrected and develop a friendship that could encourage the newcomer to join our ranks and fly at a chartered club field where more friends and aircraft can be encountered. A reckless act by a nonmember could endanger our future operations, and that should not be taken lightly.

Please familiarize yourself with the new Safety Code and the “See and Avoid” document so you can train the rest of the modelers in your area. You should also try to remain in tune with the ongoing activities of Rich Hanson’s work group and any communications between the FAA and the AMA. You are another voice to our membership and communications are crucial to us over the next year or two.

I also encourage you to sign up for the AMA Forum on the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/forums/default.aspx. As I write this, we have 267 members on the forum and it has been running for about three months. Many issues discussed are just bantering, and others are quite meaningful.

I do not want to get into censure, but I believe a shot of level headedness from our ranks can help keep the threads from getting too far out of control or off topic. I post periodically when I think I can help get to the bottom of an issue, but I believe all of you can help provide new issues for thread discussion and can offer years of experience and leadership to all of us.

Keep your eyes open for potential new Leader Members because we are always in need of new blood in our volunteer ranks and there are many new modelers whose expertise could be invaluable to our organization.

See you on the flightline. Q
 

Home       Archives       About       Contact      AMA       Publications       Subscribe       Unsubscribe