EAA-AMA Reception
Modeling Exhibit Dedication on EAA AirVenture Eve.
AMA made a grand entrance to kick off its new partnership with the Experimental Aircraft Association(EAA) at a dedication and reception of the “Little Wings…Big Dreams: Sport Aviation in Miniature" aeromodeling exhibit at the AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, WI. EAA Chairman and President Tom Poberezny welcomed more than 200 guests and talked about the wonderful future that both organizations have to promote aviation ranging from modeling to full scale. AMA President Dave Mathewson followed with comments about the similarity of both the EAA's and AMA's memberships. Click here to read Dave’s remarks.
Guest speaker, AMA member and commander of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic, Captain Tom Huff thrilled guests with stories of how flying models led him to a flying career in the Navy. Captain Huff also shared the latest developments in testing the new F-35 fighter.
The backdrop for the Sunday-evening reception and speakers was a new AMA booth, located on a landing by the main stairway. The booth was manned by AMA staff and member volunteers during the entire AirVenture. Thousands of visitors from all over the country learned about the AMA, flew the flight simulator and watched a video featuring AMA members Burt Rutan, Hoot Gibson, Jon Sharp, Dan Kreigh and Matt Chapman talking about their love of flying models.
Everyone visiting the AMA booth had an opportunity to win a Horizon Hobby RTF Apprentice and took home a balsa glider with the AMA “Get the Bug” theme on it. In addition, handouts were given promoting buddy box radio control and hands-on controlline flying at KidVenture and giving locations of the Horizon Hobby and Hobby-Lobby booths, where products were available for purchase. More than 200 dual AMA and EAA members stopped in to say hello. There was a consensus among all visitors that the AMA and EAA partnership is exciting but has been a long time in coming.
Listen to AMA President Dave Mathewson on EAA Radio. Listen here >
Watch an interview with Jeff Nance AMA Marketing Director and Captain Tom Huff on AOPA Live. Watch here >
EAA KidVenture
EAA KidVenture was a buzz all week as young and old experienced radio control flying with the help of TeamAMA Northern Aces and control flying by local control line clubs. Visitors to the huge tent learned how to fly using flight simulators, built model gliders to take home and watched AMA members build a 1/3 scale Fokker D7 model.
A week working at AirVenture can be exhilarating as well as tiring. Thank you to all the AMA member volunteers for their time and energy to promote model flying and show everyone how to “Get the Bug!”