Model Aviation Online - Modeling Spoken Here (August 2006)

If it flies, it should be of interest
to us

Normally I try to utilize this column to write something that is, hopefully, inspirational. On this occasion I'm going to shift gears a bit and try to pass on some explanatory bits.

    Lately I've been receiving some letters and E-mails that express a degree of frustration that MA is not hitting the mark in supplying specific modeling information in sufficient quantities. Each correspondent makes reference to different areas that he or she feels need more coverage.

    Viewed as a whole, the comments suggest that all of MA should be totally aimed at each and every modeler's specific interest area. Even those who are mathematically challenged (like me) will easily be able to figure out that this does not equate. I guess it's time to clear the air about what MA is within AMA and the modeling community, and also what it is not.

    On the cover, right under the MA logo, are words that read "Official Publication of the Academy of Model Aeronautics." This is an organization that contains and represents modelers of all types and disciplines.

    It handles competition issues and rules-making procedures, insurance issues, club issues, legislative representation to the federal government, legal issues, national flying-site maintenance and improvement, international modeling representation, and, of course, promotion of the art and sport of model aviation. MA is first and foremost a vehicle to inform and educate the members about these issues on a monthly basis.

    Beyond that commission, it is my opinion that MA should also inspire and encourage modelers to go beyond their natural comfort levels to achieve more in terms of technical knowledge and creative possibilities. Of course the magazine needs to inform the members about new products, services, and modeling techniques, and it should also entertain them with photos and stories about contests and fly-ins.

    The need MA cannot fill is to be the last word on every technical subject about every modeling discipline. Nor can it report on each and every modeling activity that occurs. In fact, no single modeling magazine can do either of those things, even without AMA's organizational house organ component thrown in.

    In the past, modeling magazines were the only source of technical information. Nowadays we have the Internet and on it are literally hundreds of sites and forums dedicated to all of the many forms of modeling. There is more information accessible today than ever before. A traditional modeling magazine with its two- to three-month production/printing/distribution cycle simply cannot keep pace with the information exchange that the Internet allows.

    So it is clear that MA magazine cannot deliver all things to all modelers every month. So what exactly is its mission?

    MA serves to remind us of the extreme diversity of the modeling hobby/sport. It lets us see the scope of our pastime and gives us a chance to examine what others are doing. It allows us to glean the best ideas from all modeling disciplines to augment our own involvement and enjoyment.

    I am often contacted by members/readers who tell me they do not find enough in MA about their particular interest area and consequently find the magazine of little value to their modeling. Interestingly I also hear from many who are amazed by the variety of subjects covered. They speak of the opportunity to abstract great ideas from other modeling areas and adapt them to their own areas of interest. Glass half empty and glass half full ...

    I truly wish I could, as the content editor, publish reams of articles about all modeling disciplines every month. That's just not possible. What I will do is strive to continue to find the best and most varied material I can.

    I've been a model-airplane magazine editor for 24 years and have seen dramatic changes in the dynamic of the hobby/sport in that time. In the past few years that dynamic has changed rapidly and dramatically. New technologies have made possible realms of flight we only dreamed of but a few years ago.

    The need now is to integrate coverage of these new forms and styles of modeling into the mix we have already established. With that the job of covering everything only becomes more challenging. The message I'm handing out today is this: why not read it all? Why not take advantage of the innovative thinking that permeates the entire hobby/sport and learn from each other? Why not appreciate everyone's contribution and view it as one large entity? And that entity is aeromodeling. If it flies, it should be of interest to us.

I can be reached for comment or questions at (610) 614-1747. If E-mail is your thing, use robinhunt@rcn.com. And if you prefer to lick stamps, try Box 68, Stockertown PA 18083. MA