March 2012 The Inside Loop

Editor Jay Smith jays@modelaircraft.org The wait is finally over! I hope you enjoy Model Aviation’s new look. One of the changes you’ll notice is that the font size has been enlarged to make the magazine easier to read. We have also made changes to the frequency of a few columns to keep the magazine at roughly the same page count.
Although there is much to be excited about, one of my favorite changes is going to full color from cover to cover. After you’ve had a chance to look this issue over, if you have any comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Plans observations Recently I have received a few comments regarding the way we print plans in the magazine when we run construction articles. Currently the plans are slightly distorted to prevent them from being copied. Previously we had placed a watermark on the plans, but received complaints that led us to begin distorting the plans instead.
Why are we trying to protect our plans? One of the main reasons is to prevent them from being copied and sold without consent. We regularly find this to be an issue. Each designer is paid for his or her work, and by selling the plans through the AMA Plans Service, MA is able to recoup some of the cost. Similar to musicians who are cracking down on their music being reproduced without permission, we must also protect our intellectual property. So if you enjoy our construction features, but would like to see the plans handled differently, please email me your suggestions. As I have mentioned in previous editorials, the magazine belongs to the membership and we will continue to evolve and improve it to meet the needs of the majority of our members.
Hawaii One of my goals for the magazine in 2012 is to provide coverage of a greater diversity of events, the first of which is the Biggest Little Airshow featured this month.The event took place this past August on Ford Island in Hawaii and was blessed with good weather—it is Hawaii after all! The pilots and staff of the Pacific Aviation Museum did a wonderful job promoting aviation and aeromodeling. When I attended the event, we already had it in mind to publish the article in this special issue. Additional photos and a video depicting the event are online at www.ModelAviation.com.
New feature Before you put down this issue, be sure to check out the last page for a new monthly feature titled “I am the AMA,” where we will interview notable members each month. MA Back To This Month's Issue of Model Aviation