gingertoad
Posts: 64
Joined: 6/21/2005
From: Prescott,
ON, CANADA
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: acenomore
Season greetings if a bit late, I found this site over the holidays. A couple of notes,
- I agree that MAAC FAI competitions are no long attract the top maac pilots - so why maac is set in heading in this area at all costs?
- pattern airplanes are designed to be easy to fly, they are almost like an aerobatic trainers, so the guys flying them look like better pilots.
Perhaps the money allocated to the ACC can be reduced to $1500.00 from $16,000, that would leave over $10,000 to promote maac at events where we could impact a larger number of future maac members.
Maybe we should be setting up MAAC displays at the major airshows across Canada and get exposure to 10,000 of potential modelers instead of continuing in our old ways. Change is difficult and not easy to accept but the world has changed around us.
To Acenomore - I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas.
Your blanket statement that MAAC FAI competitions no longer attract the top MAAC pilots is worthy of challenge, to say the least. One has to realize that MAAC members represent Canada in such diverse categories as Control Line Stunt, Free Flight Power, Indoor Rubber duration and R/C Electric soaring. We have won world championships in the past and will win more in the future. Your reference was to pattern, one of many events and, even at that, I question your contention that top pilots are not attracted. As to a pattern aircraft being akin to a trainer, I am sure that Chad Northeast will have someting to say on that issue.
Our fees to ACC are not something that we can arbitrarily determine ourselves. There is a formula that determines what each member association will pay. The formula is very favourable to MAAC. I know this, because I was, along with Colin Campbell, the person who negotiated it. At a time when we faced a huge increase, we actually walked away with a decrease. We either belong to ACC, as the controlling body of model aviation in Canada, or we choose not to belong, in which case some other group would quickly form, and we would all find ourselves without a voice to control our destiny. The cost of belonging to ACC is about two and a half percent of MAAC's overall budget. Not a large amount to be in control of ourselves, and having a voice with such authorities as the FAI, Radio Advisory Board of Canada, Industry Canada and Transport Canada. Compared to the other organizations that form ACC, our fees, on a per member basis, are pretty low - less than a buck and a half per member. For some groups, the per member fee approaches twenty bucks. As has been stated repeatedly, we are not in a "WE VERSUS THEY" situation with ACC. We are part of ACC as are all the other associations that comprise Canadian Sport Aviation.
I am all for the promotion of MAAC. Any ideas you have in that regard should be discussed with your zone director and implemented if they are feasible. We need to promote our hobby better than we are at present. Retention of existing members is actually a more important goal than attracting new ones. Our drop-out rate is too high. Many RC modellers get a trainer, learn to fly, progress to a low winger and then get bored and drop out.
Please do not regard this reply as critical. MAAC is aware of the changing demographics of our hobby and many dedicated volunteers on the Board are trying to do the best for the association in the face of all the change.
As has been said many times, MAAC has to try to be all things to all people. There are some FAI competitors who have no need of frequency protection, insurance, or protection of flying fields. A much greater percentage of their dues is allotted to areas where they receive no benefit. I have never heard any of them complain about our fees to the Radio Advisory Board of Canada, or the expense of attending their meetings. Frequency protection is a high priority and even the control line and free flight modellers acknowledge that.
As I see it, we are a large, diverse family of modellers. Whether we fly Control line Speed or R?/C helicopters, it behoves us all to support each other, competitor and sport flier alike.
A happy new year to all, and may 2006 bring peace and prosperity to MAAC.
Richard Barlow
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RE: FAI - 
