Everyone knows that flying miniature aircraft models is more than just a hobby! It is a passion that offers the unique possibility to enjoy the world from a little bit more different perspective. Some enthusiasts in the US put this hobby up to an even higher level by calling it a sport. Therefore, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (or AMA) was founded in the far 1936 to become nowadays the world’s largest aircraft owners and pilots association of its kind, offering membership to nearly 200,000 members. If you want to learn more about it, then you are on the right page! I will tell you plenty of other interesting stories about the largest special interest group (or SIG) of AMA. It comes to the International Miniature Aircraft Association. It promotes the flying of RC aircraft models as a sport and as a recreational activity at the same time.
For easy understanding, I can also point out that this aircraft owners and pilots association represents the interests not only of the hobbyists from the US but also from Canada and a number of other countries around the world. Hence, it is an International Miniature Aircraft Association. If you like giant RC planes or helicopters that look like miniature scale models of the real flying machines, then you would definitely like the initiatives of the Academy of Model Aeronautics too! Check out the next section because right there, I included a small list of the most famous activities and events of AMA, so you can learn more about this association at a glance.
Academy of Model Aeronautics at a Glance
Well, as a non-profit representative of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the International Miniature Aircraft Association also has the purpose of promoting the hobby among youth pilots often under 19 years of age. Therefore, when they grew up and when they have more options to make giant RC scale planes, it would be possible to see more iconic aircraft models and even huge airliner models of Airbus A380 or Boeing 777-9X, for example. That being said, the Academy of Model Aeronautics organises various annual meets, contests and other events to advertise this hobby among people of all ages. The next list is not full, yet, I tried to offer you only a sneak peek to the most popular activities and milestones of the AMA throughout the years.
| AMA Activities | Description | Year |
|---|---|---|
| AMA District Scheme | There is a regional district division of the members within the US. Currently, there are 11 AMA Districts including territories as far as the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and the State of Maine. | present |
| National Model Aviation Museum | Located in Muncie, Indiana, the National Model Aviation Museum represents the development of the aircraft models throughout history. This is a seasonal museum that includes bit flying events, numerous digital collections and other exhibits. | 2001 – present |
| Model Aviation Magazine | A monthly magazine covering various meets, championships and other AMA events throughout the US, as well as all other aspects of the RC model aircraft flying. The magazine is beneficial to club members. | 1975 – present |
| Insurance Programme & ‘Safety Code’ Practices | All AMA members acquire safeguarding insurance as pilots. It is valid only if a member follows the guidelines in the ‘Safety Code’, the ‘Large Model Airplane Program’ and in other special or competition regulations issued by the organisation. | 1939 – present |
| AMA Chartered Clubs | This programme is a form of unification of all the local AMA members who want to share liability, tips and ideas about their aircraft models. Every chartered club is also like a smaller aircraft owners and pilots association on a local scale. | 1960 – present |
| Flight School | The first-time fliers from all the age groups can take advantage of professional assistance when learning how to fly aircraft models. The AMA Flight School includes various activities such as camps, student clubs, interactive learning tools and others. | present |
| Park Pilot Programme | This is a programme that inspires the owners of very small and light aircraft models who usually prefer to fly in the park, in the backyard or even indoors. There is also a Park Pilot Insurance and a quarterly Park Pilot magazine as an additional source of information. | present |
| Other Monthly or bi-Monthly Activities | The e-newsletter ‘AMA Today’ is issued twice a month to members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The YouTube channel of the Academy also posts the educational series ‘AMA Air’ every month. | 2010 – present |
Of course, those are only the main AMA activities and events throughout the years which continue until today. Along with them, the AMA sanctions hundreds of model competitions that take place every year in the US, as well as includes various group initiatives throughout its social networks like Facebook and YouTube. Another example is the organisation of big annual events like the ‘National Aeromodeling Championship’ which is the world’s largest competition of its kind. I prepared a small list of those yearly responsibilities of the Academy of Model Aeronautics so you can get an even better idea of what do they do.
- Procurement of flying sites;
- Collaboration with the FAA;
- Contest sanctioning;
- Certification of official model flying records;
- Organising competitions and events;
As aircraft owners and pilots association, The International Miniature Aircraft Association aims at promoting those and many other AMA activities. In these modern days where everything is possible and when the technology is so advanced that there are even RC bio-robotic models of insects and birds, I highly recommend you to consider an AMA membership! Sometimes, the best and safest way to perform better in what you are doing is to join a bigger organisation with people like you! Learning how to fly your new RC model makes no exception.
So, Do You Want to Improve Your Aircraft Models?
If you still don’t know how to improve your skills, let me tell you – take your cup of coffee or tea and explore thoroughly the website of the Academy of Model Aeronautics! You will find a tonne of interesting information and details on how to become a member or how to improve your flying skills. Last but not least, make sure to stay up to date by following the International Miniature Aircraft Association! It is a true aircraft owners and pilots association which will help you out in your future adventures in the world of model aviation.