By Larry Erbach, President, Chain-O-Lakes Eagles RC Flying Club
Stepping into my new role as club president in January 2025, one of our members encouraged me to personally visit the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana. The goal was simple: introduce myself, learn what I could, and strengthen our connection with AMA. That visit turned out to be one of the most valuable steps in our club’s recent growth—both for us and for AMA.
During my first trip in early 2025, the Member and Club Services department welcomed me and arranged meetings with the Education department and the AMA Foundation. I began by admitting that, in my new role, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I asked for an overview of their work and for guidance on what our club should be thinking about for the future. I was amazed by the resources available—many of which are only a question away.
The Member and Club Services department walked me through the process of securing special‑event insurance, answered questions about the Leader Club program, and clarified the chartering process. The AMA Foundation team introduced me to the wide range of grant programs—Site Improvement, Take off And Grow, and Club Recognition—that help clubs grow and thrive. Those contacts proved invaluable when I later worked through the grant application process. The Education department opened my eyes to the tremendous resources available to support youth programs and help us bring model aviation to the next generation.
That first visit was over a year ago. This week, our club took the next step by returning to the IAC—this time as a team. I was joined by our club’s vice president, Ken Losch, and our education chairman. With a year of experience applying what we learned, we were able to share our successes and challenges with the staff, who were once again eager to listen, learn, and offer new ideas. We also expanded our connections by meeting with the Competitions and the Communications departments at AMA.
We left with fresh ideas for using the Know Before You Fly and UAS4STEM programs, new ways to benefit from the Club Recognition program, a deeper understanding of club services, inspiration for expanding our sanctioned events, competitions, and fun‑fly activities, and improving our communication efforts. Thanks to Michael Smith and Jackie Shalberg, we also enjoyed an outstanding National Model Aviation Museum tour and gained a greater appreciation for the work being done to preserve the history of model aviation.
These visits are absolutely worth the four-and-a-half-hour drive from the Chicago area. They have energized our club and sparked new initiatives in youth education, community outreach, and event development.
If you have the opportunity to visit the AMA staff in person, I strongly encourage you to go; You’ll be glad you did. The people at the IAC genuinely want to hear about your challenges and successes. As one staff member told us during our recent visit: “We work for you—your membership makes it possible for us to work here.”
We extend our sincere thanks to Katie Perry for coordinating our visit; to Kyle Jaracz, Gwen Mathis, Emily Rice, and Ashton Lewis from the Education department team; to Stephen Haston and Rachelle Haughn from the AMA Foundation; to Ilona Maine and Lisa Johnson from the Member and Club Services department; to JC Zankl and Colleen Pierce from the Competitions department; and to Rob Kurek from the Communication department. We are grateful for your time, your knowledge, and your warm hospitality.
