Rex Hinson
President, NFFS

THE NFFS PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: November 2006

The Rules
Here we go again: Builder of the Model (BOM) discussions. If you were to survey the free-flight community, half might vote to keep BOM; and half would want to get rid of the rule. During the last AMA rules cycle, several proposals to eliminate or modify the AMA BOM rule were presented for discussion. All were sent to the Free Flight Contest Board. The proposals were publicized, both in the AMA publications and in your NFFS Digest. Did you contact your Contest Board member and express your opinions? If you didn¹t make your positions known, how can you expect your representative to vote effectively representing your desires? Keep in mind that changes to the AMA competition rules are made in a systematic manner, within a 2-year review and change cycle. If you want changes, or if you prefer for a rules to remain the same, your representative must receive your input. If he doesn¹t get input from those in his district, he will likely vote on whatever his personal conviction may be as to what he feels is best for free flight. I have recently seen some announcements stating that certain contests have been planned that intend to be conducted in disregard of the BOM rule. The thinking may be that a smaller Class A club contest or Record Trials can flaunt established AMA rules. Be careful how you announce your contest events. In ignoring established AMA rules, you could jeopardize your flying site¹s liability insurance, and your actions could result in you or your club not being able to obtain sanctions in the future. You could also jeopardize your standing as an AMA contest director. If you feel a rule should be changed, work to get it changed. Don¹t drive 100 mph in a 55-mph zone, just because you think rules are for others.

The period for submitting proposed rules changes to the Contest Board begins January 1. You will find a form for submitting these proposals on the AMA Web site <www.modelaircraft.org> Following the established measures in getting rules changed is the best way to proceed. Don¹t do something that could damage the reputation of our society with AMA, and have NFFS perceived as a problem group. Our Balance Sheet. The financial position of the society needs to be conveyed to the membership in a periodic manner. Above is the position of NFFS at the end of 2005. If you have specific questions about any item on the report, please contact Homer Smith, NFFS treasurer, directly for an explanation.