Publicity? Local clubs here in Northern Ohio seem to get mentions in local papers several times a year. Sometimes, it's because a reporter contacts a club officer, and sometimes, someone from a club makes the contact. Also, there can be quite a bit of good publicity just by taking part in community activities. Just from my club's 2006 activities calendar, on Tuesday, 5/23/06, several of us are going to put on a extemporaneous program for a group of CAP cadets at our field. We were contacted by their aviation education officer. In June, we will be putting on a small program at one of the local MetroPark locations for a civic group. Later this year, we have been invited to put on a demo for a Boy Scout encampment at the County Fairgrounds. August will be our Model Mania, an annual flying demo at our field for the general public. There have been several other inquiries.

Over the years, we have had many such shows, both at our field and at other locations. We have even put on flying demos and static shows at local airports and at large area parks for community and civic groups. For several years, we participated in a Community Days event at our local Commmunity College until construction in the area reduced the available space to an unsafe margin. Some of our members have even gone to schools for talks and flying shows where space was available.

Can this help overcome noise or other problems? Who Knows! It certainly can't hurt. And these contacts can't be made by the AMA. The AMA staff just isn't that big. Unless, like a number of our club members, you consider yourself part of the staff for the purpose of promoting model aviation. And that wouldn't actually be working to support the AMA. It would really be enlightened self-interest kicking in to help you protect something you like.