The AMA Joins the AOPA for the Promotion of General Aviation

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.

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