Model Aviation Online - View from HQ (August 2009)

... thanks for making it this
far back in the magazine!

The "View from HQ" is supposed to be just that: the happenings in your AMA Headquarters, here in Muncie, Indiana. Those of you who make it to the last page in Model Aviation on a regular basis know that sometimes I tend to drift from the HQ view to what is happening in the Academy as a whole.
     As I am writing this, this weekend, May 9, 2009, the AMA hosted the IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club) judging school. Will and Marian Berninger from Cincinnati, Ohio, a great husband-and-wife team, helped stage and teach the course. I asked them to recap the weekend for me to share what goes on here at HQ.

     "The IMAC judging school for the North Central flying region was held at the National Flying Site of the Academy of Model Aeronautics in Muncie, Indiana, May 9-10, 2009. There were 31 members who came to the Muncie flying site for instruction from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Canada.
     "Instructors Ken McGuire, Will Berninger, and Marian Berninger conducted a two-day seminar consisting of a one-day classroom instruction course using a PowerPoint program developed by Wayne Matthews of the Southeast IMAC region, and one day of flying, demonstration, and hands-on judging.
     "Typical IMAC events are judged by the participants involved, otherwise called contestant judging. Over the past five to seven years, a lot of effort has been put into educating our members so proper and consistent scoring can be achieved. Larger events here in the United States such as the AMA Nationals, Tucson Shootout, or the Clover Creek Invitational normally have paid professional judges.
     "The class was divided into two separate rooms for Saturday's class. There was a 'Basic' room for new members with no former training and older members wanting a tune-up. There was also an 'Advanced' room where more experienced members could discuss rules in deeper detail, getting more involved with the specifics of more obscure rules or guidelines.
     "There is a national group in IMAC that helps improve the rules by finding gaps, errors, or areas that need better clarification. We were lucky enough to have three of the Rules Committee members in the Advanced class to gather information from the two classes and forward input to the rest of the Rules Committee for further work.
     "The class fee was $20 for IMAC members and included a rule book, the class itself, and lunch on Saturday. The fee for non IMAC members was $40 which included everything above plus a one-year membership. Lunch provided to the class was supplied by Marian Berninger and IMAC.
     "After class was over Saturday afternoon around 4 p.m., we headed over to the flying field for some tune-up and open flying. The winds being somewhat stiff sent most people home early, while the rest of the group headed to Texas Roadhouse for dinner after about six or eight flights. Dinner was a good time and supports one of the primary reasons so many of us love IMAC: the friendships developed along the way.
     "Sunday at 9 a.m. we started doing demo flights, putting the class to work showing them mistakes that we were likely going to be seeing at a typical IMAC event. We built the demo flights up from simple level flight and lines to full sequences over a couple hours time.
     "The class was paired into twos and the small groups judged the maneuvers flown with Ken McGuire checking the students' progress along the way. Ken made sure to point out what were good and bad about each flight and each maneuver to build recognition of error among the students. The students were all checked along the way keeping track of the scores.
     "The demo flights continued until the class was consistently catching and assessing the proper scores. At about 1 p.m., the class broke up and tune-up flying started. This was flying and helping people set their planes up with the assistance of another pair of eyes, hands, ideas, and experienced fliers.
     "All and all a great event that is important to the growth, survival and enjoyment of what it is that we do: fly Precision Aerobatics with model airplanes and with friends."

If you missed President Dave Mathewson's column in the June 2008 issue of Model Aviation on page 5, concerning the AMA and the FAA, it is worth picking that issue up again and reading.

Don't forget, the AMA membership drive is ongoing and the early results can be found at www.modelaircraft.org/membershipdrive/leaders.aspx. Someone is going to win a lifetime membership with the Academy, some club will win $500 cash and other recognitions, and a district will have the bragging rights for a year!

I have just realized that I have a new name within the membership. While attending an event recently, I was referred to as "That guy on the last page of Model Aviation." I was referred to by this statement many more times during the event.
     All I can say is thanks for making it this far back in the magazine! MA

In the spirit of flight.

Jim Cherry, Executive Director

Comments on the magazine?
or call Model Aviation Editorial offices: (765) 287-1256, ext. 224.
(8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays). Fax: (765) 289-4248.
Address: 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302