ORIGINAL: Double-vision
This poll is to try to help show the AMA that its members care who represents them on the World Championship Level. US Teams need to be made up from US Citizens first and foremost. If there is not enough US Citizens to field a team then and only then we should we allow others to go as Americans. We have hundreds of great pilots that will probably never see a World Champs already, due to the incredible competition that we have amongst just the American pilots. Now they want to open the field so that any resident can compete. Thats just not fair to the people that were citizens first. Many Countries have citizenship as the standard for being able to compete and the US needs to adopt the same.
I assure you this is much more to me then the finish order of any contest. This is about being proud to being an American , as well as being a US Citizen. Remember: A US Citizen pledges allegance to the flag, to where as a resident does not.
Double-vision
Your assertion is in error. The current situation is not as you describe. The following is from the EC Minutes from October 2005. It is followed by an e-mail between myself and Mr. Kaluf. Please note the date (e-mail address edited).
If you are going to make an issue of something, at least get the facts straight. Your representation is a total misrepresentation of the way things have been in the past.
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U.S. Team Eligibility
• It is being requested that AMA instate a policy requiring U.S. citizenship for any member trying out for a U.S. team. A decision on this request is under the purview of the FAI Executive Committee. The President indicated that AMA follows the FAI policy which does not require citizenship but does require residency of the country an individual wishes to represent. He also noted that a proposal is set to go before the FAI General Conference requesting the residency requirement be reduced from three years to one year. The NAA polled the U.S. air sports organizations on their view of this proposal; the AMA President offered a resounding no. Depending on the outcome of this issue it may be necessary for the AMA to write their own policy on residency requirements. It would be extremely difficult to require proof of citizenship, as percentage wise not many people have U.S. passports.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Kaluf [mailto:
[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 5:36 AM
To: Jean and Debbie Rondot
Subject: RE: FAI
Jean-Pierre, this depends on your definition of involved in FAI. If you mean competing in FAI events the number is much higher than those competing in FAI sanctioned events.
I would guess we have about 1000-2000 or a little more that compete in FAI events at AMA competitions. However those that participate in FAI sanctioned events would be more on the scale of 300.
Steve Kaluf
Technical Director
Academy of Model Aeronautics
United States of America
Ph: 765-287-1256 x 230
Fax: 765-286-3303
From: Jean and Debbie Rondot [mailto:
[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 2:23 PM
To: Steve Kaluf
Subject: FAI
Hi Steve
Can you tell me approximately how many AMA members are involved in FAI? Would the number of sporting licenses by a fair indicator, or are those only likely for those that have made the teams?
Jean-Pierre Rondot (J_R)
AMA 732