page_title: Academy of Model Aeronautics
section_title: Insurance
hierarchical_section_title: Academy of Model Aeronautics / Insurance
caption_attribution_description: English: Freewing Avanti S 80mm EDF Jet, a radio-controlled airplane, at the HHAMS Aerodrome.
context_page_description: The Academy of Model Aeronautics, based in Muncie, Indiana, USA at 40°10′36.25″N 85°19′32.19″W, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of model aviation as a recognized sport as well as a recreational activity. It is the largest organization of its kind with a current membership of approximately 195,000 members, with nearly 57,000 of these being youth members under 19 years of age.
  Founded in 1936, the AMA is the official national body for model aviation in the United States. They sanction more than one thousand model competitions, and an increasing number of non-competitive Fly-in events for member aeromodelers throughout the country each year, charter more than 2500 model airplane clubs and offer contest sanctioning, liability insurance and the procurement of flying sites. They also certify official model flying records.
  All AMA-chartered clubs require their flying members to purchase AMA memberships for said liability insurance. In order to be covered by their insurance, an AMA member does not need to fly at a chartered club's flying site, but members have to follow their "Safety Code" guidelines.
context_section_description: While many members view AMA insurance as the primary purpose of the organization, the insurance program is low on the list of priorities.
  When the organization was first formed five years before the USA's involvement began in World War II, there was no insurance program.  The first offering of optional liability insurance was first suggested in 1939. $0.50 extra was to provide $500.00 liability protection.  By the early 1940s, coverage was raised to $1000.00 worth of protection.
  By the mid-1940s the insurance program was often referred to as a "gas license" as it was becoming required for operation of gasoline-powered models at most club flying sites and for many contests.
  The insurance program presently offers US$2.5 million in coverage.  Most leases on flying sites not owned by an aeromodeling club require adequate insurance to be carried by all people who will be flying; many clubs — the great majority of which are already "chartered clubs" within the AMA organizational structure in the United States — require AMA membership even for guests flying models at their field.  
  AMA also offers optional site insurance which is considered to be primary coverage and is very low cost.  This insurance is subsidized by part of each member's dues.  
  There is also an additional insurance coverage for each sanctioned event.
  By providing the insurance, AMA makes it far easier for clubs or individuals to acquire access to flying sites.  It is now standard policy of the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) to require AMA insurance or equivalent coverage in order to acquire a lease of COE-managed land for model aircraft operation.
  See also:  Model Aeronautics Association of Canada, with which the AMA has a reciprocal agreement allowing its own insurance to apply to AMA members flying in Canada, and vice versa.
caption: An AMA-chartered club, HHAMS, runs this flying site
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