During the “Golden Age of Aviation,” the
nation’s youth idolized such industry leaders as Charles
Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. As enthusiasm for aviation grew,
small-scale aircraft building boomed in popularity, becoming both a
fashionable hobby as well as an educational tool for the expanding
career field.
To support the growing number of enthusiasts, model builders
founded the Academy of Model Aeronautics in 1936. Today, the
non-profit organization continues to support its original
mission: to promote the development, education, and
advancement of model aviation as a recognized sport and worthwhile
recreation activity.
As the world’s largest model aviation association, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics represents more than 150,000 members,
chartering more than 2,500 model airplane clubs
internationally. Open to anyone interested in model aviation,
the AMA is the United States’ official national body for
model aviation. As a liaison with the Federal Aviation
Administration, the AMA works with both national and local
government agencies, zoning boards, and recreational departments to
promote the interests of model enthusiasts.
Today, the organization sponsors more than 2,000 model
competitions throughout the country each year, including the annual
National Aeromodeling Championships, the largest model airplane
competition in the world.
Though the organization has grown to such prominence, the AMA
remains committed to the promotion of model aircraft as a powerful
educational tool for both young and old. To support more
formal educational settings, the AMA established the
“AeroLab” programs featuring materials for physical and
math programs; developed in conjunction with the Alcoa Foundation,
the curriculum is tailored to the needs of classroom teachers
wishing to integrate aerospace concepts into math, science, and
technological studies.
In more informal settings, the AMA helps members attain new
skills in electronics, mechanical engineering, and aerodynamics
through continued education programs including the “Take-Off
and Grow” (TAG) program; for those wishing to introduce model
aircraft to their local community, the TAG program is a one-day
extensive introduction intended to draw new enthusiasts, followed
by a flight-training program for the new members gained from
opening day activities. The 2010 AMA Expo will be held January 8th
through the 10th at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario,
California.