Each year, AMA Foundation staff make an effort to attend club events and meet with AMA members across the country. Our 2026 club and member visits have officially commenced. AMA Foundation Executive Director Steve Haston shares his thoughts on why these visits are crucial to furthering our hobby:
"Each year, my favorite miles are the ones that lead to an AMA flying field or event, because they always end the same way: with handshakes, flying stories, build stories, and good times with friends.
"I've officially started my annual AMA Foundation club and member visits, with my first stop having been the Kansas City Radio Control Association's 2026 KC/RC Swap & Shop on February 7!
"These trips are more than a schedule. They're about the people who keep model aviation strong: the mentors who teach, the volunteers who mow and mark runways, the safety-minded leaders who keep fields thriving, and the innovators who keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible. I'm looking forward to meeting and talking with each of you throughout my travels.
"When you go to model aviation events, I encourage you to bring the story you always tell when someone asks, 'How did you get into this hobby?' Bring the story of the build that fought you the whole way, and then flew like a dream. Bring the story of the save you still can't believe you pulled off. When we share these moments, we're doing something important: we're passing along the culture of model aviation curiosity, craftsmanship, and community to the next person who shows up at the flightline.
"The AMA Foundation exists to support the future of model aviation through philanthropy that helps fuel scholarships, outreach, club support, and opportunities that keep the hobby accessible, welcoming, and growing. Club and member visits are where that future becomes real: you can see it in a student holding a transmitter for the first time, in the retiree teaching a trim lesson, and in the builder explaining why a small design change matters.
"Here soon, we'll be releasing a tentative travel schedule for 2026. If you're local to any of the events I'm planning on attending, I'd genuinely enjoy meeting you. If you're not local, follow along anyways! These visits are a celebration of what makes AMA members and clubs so special: shared knowledge, and shared pride in doing it right."
