By Frank Sutton
Unlike my Sweetheart, Joan, I have never been a fan of Facebook and do not have my own Facebook profile. I am, however, now a huge fan of the IFLYAMA Group that piggybacks on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/IFLYAMA), and I think you may also become an IFLYAMA fan too if you check it out!
As an AMA Member, I receive E-mails from the AMA all the time, and some of them refer to the IFLYAMA Website and the AMA AIR Live Internet Show normally held on every 1st and 15th of the month, hosted by Matt and Claire. If you’re unable to watch the AMA Air show live (usually about 30 minutes or so), it is recorded and posted on the IFLYAMA Website. In early AUG2020, I watched one of the recorded episodes using the link attached to the E-mail and it was very informative. I watched and enjoyed the next one two weeks later, and noticed that Claire always asks at the end of the show, “If you’re not an IFLYAMA member, why aren’t you?” I’ve been watching every episode, sometimes when it was live, ever since.
Each episode features a dedicated segment to the IFLYAMA group. Matt and Claire say it is their favorite part of the show and for good reason, it is also our favorite part of the show seeing the photos and videos submitted by Pilots featured on the show! So I was very curious about the IFLYAMA group. Years ago, Joan created a Facebook profile for Alex which Joan sometimes updates because like me, Alex also doesn’t do Facebook. With their permission, I accessed the IFLYAMA/Facebook Page via Alex’s Facebook profile and requested membership almost three months ago. Of course, I had to give IFLYAMA my name and AMA Membership number, but I was getting there via Alex’s Facebook profile. My membership request was quickly approved and then I was able to log on the IFLYAMA Website to see what was going on and happily discovered there really is a lot going on!
There are over 3,000 IFLYAMA members currently, and new members are joining daily. To more easily explain what the IFLYAMA is all about, here’s a quote from the IFLYAMA homepage describing what it is all about……
QUOTE
“Model aviation is fun! And it’s even more fun when shared! I Fly AMA is a community created to bring AMA members together to share projects, building tips and tricks, and modeling stories with likeminded modelers.
Whether you fly airplanes, helicopters, drones, prefer Free Flight, Control Line, or Radio Control, this place is for you. Because at the heart of each discipline, we all share one thing in common: a passion for flight!
Please be kind, respectful, and don’t spam. We’re all in this together!”
END QUOTE
In the “Media” section I immediately saw photos and videos submitted by other Pilots showing what they’re flying, where they’re flying, what they’re building, and comments back and forth between the Pilot that posted the photo or video and those that saw the photo or video. Sometimes a Pilot would ask a question or seek advice, and always other Pilots would respond and come to their assistance. Everyone I could see was as excited about aviation as myself and Alex, and we were able to learn a few things and make some new “virtual” friends along the way and located all across the USA! There are technical articles and information as well, and news about the FAA and how their rules and regulations are affecting our wonderful sport.
IFLYAMA does so many things to promote model aviation too, one of them being to promote a different R/C Club each month in their Live AMA Air Internet Show. They also change the aviation photo on their main page every month by having members submit their own photos and then the one with the most “Likes” by the viewers is the photo that headlines the IFLYAMA’s homepage for the following month. Pilots have to specifically submit a photo in the main page contest to be considered for the monthly IFLYAMA mainpage photo when the contest starts on the 15th of each month, any photos that may have already been submitted simply for sharing with other Pilots are not considered. Once a Pilot’s contest photo is chosen, that Pilot is disqualified from submitting another contest photo for the honor of it being used as the IFLYAMA Main Page photo, but of course, the Pilot may always submit additional photos for sharing. The homepage photo competition is fierce with many absolutely spectacular photos submitted each month; I don’t know if one of my contest photo submissions will ever be a monthly winner but I’m not giving up! So long as the SEFSD Pilots keep flying, I’ll keep taking photos!
You may have already guessed it; I saw an opportunity to promote Silent Electric Flyers San Diego to the more than 3,000 IFLYAMA members and have been doing so for nearly three months now. I have submitted photos and a few videos for the IFLYAMA members to view and have received dozens of “Likes” and comments in the process. Similarly, I “Like” and comment on other Pilots’ submissions as well, and often receive a thankful reply. There is no doubt by now many Pilots across the USA understand how great it is to be a member of Silent Electric Flyers San Diego and know of all the fun we have flying at our beautiful Mission Bay location. Many members respond to some of the photos by stating it just can’t get any better flying R/C with the roller coasters in the background (of some photos)!
If you enjoy reviewing the SEFSD Website, the SEFSD photo gallery, and reading the SEFSD Peak Charge Newsletter every month, then Alex and I believe you will also enjoy the IFLYAMA community where there is always something new happening. To join, you’ll need a Facebook profile (www.facebook.com) and if you don’t already have one (like me!), you may easily create one and provide the minimal information to protect your privacy. Then, log on Facebook with your new profile and search for the “IFLYAMA” group and submit a membership request. It can’t get any easier than this, and we hope you will enjoy it too! And if anyone asks, Alex and I STILL don’t do Facebook – but we definitely do IFLYAMA!
I’ve enclosed a photo of Matt and Claire on the IFLYAMA Air Show, the IFLYAMA logo, and a screenshot photo just after posting a few 10OCT2020 T-28 Racing and Open Flying photos. As Matt and Claire say at the conclusion of each AMA Air Live show, “See You Later, Aviators!”
V/R,
Frank “Hobie” Sutton
“Aviator” Alex Sutton
