Academy of Model Aeronautics
Encyclopedia
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
, USA, is a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to the promotion of model aviation
Model aircraft
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft using a variety of materials including plastic, diecast metal, polystyrene, balsa wood, foam and fibreglass...
as a recognized sport as well as a recreational activity. It is the largest organization of its kind with a current membership of more than 170,000 members.
Founded in 1936, the AMA is the official national body for model aviation in the United States. They sanction more than one thousand model competitions, and an increasing number of non-competitive Fly-in
Fly-in
A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes.Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport or in a farmer's field.Fly-ins can be aimed at specific...
events for member aeromodelers throughout the country each year, charter more than 2500 model airplane club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s and offer contest sanctioning, liability insurance
Liability insurance
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy...
and the procurement of flying sites. In addition, they also certify official model flying records.
All AMA-chartered clubs require their flying members to purchase AMA memberships for said liability insurance. In order to be covered by their insurance, an AMA member does not need to fly at a chartered club's flying site, but members have to follow their guidelines. AMA's insurance coverage is in excess of one's homeowner's or other insurance.
With the burgeoning interest in small park flyer
Park flyer
thumb|250px|This [[Grand Wing Servo-Tech]] [[GWS Slow Stick|Slow Stick]] is an example of an indoor/outdoor park flyerThe term park flyer denotes a class of small, primarily electric powered radio controlled aircraft, so named because their size enables some of them to be operated within the...
aircraft which are often flown outside of sanctioned fields, the AMA now provides low-cost membership and coverage for park flyer enthusiasts.
AMA organizes the annual National Aeromodeling Championships, the world's largest model airplane competition as well as providing press coverage of major meets across the country via their monthly publication, Model Aviation
Model Aviation
This article is about a periodical. For information on the history of model aircraft, please see Model aircraft.Model Aviation is the monthly full-color publication written, prepared and distributed by the Academy of Model Aeronautics beginning in 1936 and established as an independent publication...
.
Other publications include Park Pilot for those interested in park flyers or who are enrolled in the Academy's park pilot program; AMA Insider, an online newsletter; Sport Aviator, a no-cost e-zine for new model aviation enthusiasts regardless of membership and as of March 2010, AMA Today, a monthly e-newsletter sent via e-mail to members.
Given the unique nature of model aviation insofar as it requires both airspace as well as frequency
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
allocation for radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
, the AMA serves as a liaison with the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
concerning aeromodeling safety and operation of model aircraft as it relates to full-scale aviation, most recently with the upcoming likelihood of the start of non-military, commercial and public-use UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
deployment in the National Airspace System
National Airspace System
The National Airspace System of the United States is one of the most complex aviation systems in the world — consisting of thousands of people, procedures, facilities, and pieces of equipment — that enables safe and expeditious air travel in the United States and over large portions of the world's...
over the United States, and how the FAA will regulate such commercial and public use of UAVs, simultaneous with accommodating the needs of recreational and sport flying of radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
model aircraft, with the AMA as an advocate for the aeromodeler. The AMA also works with both the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
and the American Radio Relay League
American Radio Relay League
The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...
concerning available radio bandwidth for radio-controlled aeromodelling activities, with the ARRL primarily functioning as a partner for the purpose of the use of selected amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
frequencies for aeromodeling. As an associate member of the National Aeronautic Association
National Aeronautic Association
The National Aeronautic Association of the United States is a non-profit 501 organization and a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale , the international standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics. NAA is the official record-keeper for United States...
, the AMA is recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
, the world governing body of all aviation activity.
Insurance
While many members view AMA insurance as the primary purpose of the organization, the insurance program is low on the list of priorities.When the organization was formed there was no insurance program. The first offering of optional liability insurance was first suggested in 1939. $0.50 extra was to provide $500.00 liability protection. By the early 1940s, coverage was raised to $1000.00 worth of protection.
By the mid 1940's the insurance program was often referred to as a "gas license" as it was becoming required for operation of gasoline-powered models at most club flying sites and for many contests.
The insurance program presently offers US$2.5 million in coverage. Most leases on flying sites not owned by an aeromodeling club require adequate insurance to be carried by all people who will be flying; many clubs require AMA membership even for guests flying models at their field.
AMA also offers optional site insurance which is considered to be primary coverage and is very low cost. This insurance is subsidized by part of each member's dues.
There is also an additional insurance coverage for each sanctioned event.
By providing the insurance, AMA makes it far easier for clubs or individuals to acquire access to flying sites. It is now standard policy of the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) to require AMA insurance or equivalent coverage in order to acquire a lease of COE-managed land for model aircraft operation.
See also: Model Aeronautics Association of Canada
Model Aeronautics Association of Canada
The Model Aeronautics Association of Canada is the official organization for all forms of the aeromodeling hobby, for model aircraft hobbyists living in Canada. Based in Burlington, Ontario, it was founded in 1949, and presently has over 13,000 members. MAAC is responsible for instituting official...
, with which the AMA has a reciprocal agreement allowing its own insurance to apply to AMA members flying in Canada, and vice versa.