Each year, the AMA Foundation embarks on a road trip to visit AMA clubs and members, attend various events, and strengthen donor relationships. This year, AMA Foundation Executive Director Steve Haston and Deputy Director Rachelle Haughn traveled to the East Coast. To view videos taken at each club visit, visit our Foundation Videos webpage.
Steve and Rachelle had the following to say about their travels:
Steve
"On August 31 at 9 a.m., I set out on my annual AMA Foundation road trip—just me, my faithful copilot (my wife of 40 years), and my ever-trusty advisor, Google Maps, who always seems to think it knows the best route. Lol. By the time I returned on September 13 at 7 p.m., I had visited clubs, connected with donors, and shared in the spirit of model aviation all along the way.
"This trip isn't just about travel—it's about listening, encouraging, and celebrating the clubs and members who keep the hobby alive. Before I hit the road, AMA staff loaded me up with boxes of gifts: Free Flight balsa gliders, AMA-branded cups, sponsor-branded screwdrivers, and plenty of educational materials. At every stop, I handed them out, not just as tokens but as tools to help clubs grow and inspire new generations.
"My stops along the way were as follows:
- 8/31—Columbus, Ohio: Started at the Central Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (CORKS) and then traveled to the Cleveland Radio Control Club
- 9/01—Hampton, New York: Stopped at the R/C Aircrafters of Western New York
- 9/02—Brookfield, New York: Flew with the folks at Brookfield RC's flying field
- 9/04—Falmouth, Massachusetts: Visited Otis Model Aero Club
- 9/05-9/07—Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire: Attended Thunder Over New Hampshire, which was a real highlight. Model aviation, full-scale aviation, and community all came together
- 9/09—Cape Cod: Was scheduled to meet with a STEM club, but illness postponed it. We've agreed to set up a Zoom meeting instead
- 9/11—Albany, New York: Connected with the Loudoun County Aeromodelers, the Watervleit Wind Warriors, and even FPV Builds RC at the 2025 NEAT Fair
- 9/12—Binghamton, New York: Planned to meet with an indoor Free Flight club at Kent State, but they unfortunately didn't show
- 9/13—Cincinnati, Ohio: Wrapped up with the Greater Cincinnati Radio Control Club and the CORKS IMAC Competition. One highlight was interviewing 15-year-old Allen Lipinski, an inspiring young pilot with a bright future
"Like most of us in this hobby, I couldn't do this without my copilot. In this case, my wife not only endured the long trip, but she also kept me going. She was the videographer, note taker, photo taker, and—let's be honest—the members enjoyed talking with her more than me. She's just that charismatic.
"In fact, her role has inspired a new AMA Foundation recognition program! This program will be a way to celebrate the copilots of every AMA member—spouses, family members, and friends—who stand beside us in this sport and hobby. Watch for more on this program in the coming months.
"At the end of the day, this trip wasn't just about the miles traveled. We made new friends. We gave AMA clubs a voice by filming videos to share their needs and successes. We listened to donors who stepped forward with new pledges and gifts. We shared our new partnership packets with aviation companies, planting seeds for future collaborations. When I look back, I realize this trip wasn't about me—it was about all of us, the AMA family, working together to keep model aviation alive and thriving."
Rachelle
"I departed Muncie, Indiana, on the morning of September 2. My first stop was in the beautiful state of New Jersey. There, I met with donors Jay and Barbara Gerber.
"Jay, an AMA Life Member and AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame inductee, joined the organization in his younger years. He participated and competed in RC Aerobatics, including some FAI World Championships.
"Jay had a lengthy career in photography and videography. He spent most of his life working for NFL Films. Jay's passion for the hobby led him to use his talents to produce and direct many films for AMA. They can be found on AMA's YouTube channel by searching for his name. Most are branded as AMA films. They were used to promote the hobby.
"Jay and Barbara were wonderful hosts during my visit. They showed me Jay's memorabilia from his days working for NFL Films. I truly enjoyed my visit with the couple. You can learn more about Jay by reading his AMA History Project biography.
"The next leg of my trip took me to Falmouth, Massachusetts, where Steve and I visited members of the Otis Model Aircraft Club. The flying site is located on a beautiful nature preserve with native grasses and plants. Club members were welcoming, provided some helpful feedback about AMA, and treated us to some great demonstration flights. One such flight included enjoying first-person-view flight from the 'cockpit' of a model airplane.
"On September 5, I began my journey to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After arriving, Steve and I attended Thunder Over New Hampshire, a large full-scale air show at the Pease Air National Guard Base. We helped in the STEM area at the event, which featured multiple hangars focused on different hands-on learning genres.
"Steve and I spent a majority of our time with the New England Outreach Team. This was a group of local model aviation clubs that worked together to share the joy of the hobby with the public. Multiple model aircraft on display in front of the tent attracted hundreds of visitors. Some of the team even provided flight demonstrations intermittently during the full-scale air show! I was impressed with how much work the group put into sharing the hobby, and I was blown away by the number of people of all ages who stopped by to see model aircraft of all sizes."
