RE: What changes at the AMA are DESPERATELY needed?
I'm just saying the National flying site is there for a reason and it should be used to it's maximum potential. I don't here anyone complaining about where Joe Nall is located, but I guess they can't do anything about that.
And as far as it's proximity to NYC, NYer's don't drive more then 25 miles at a time. We fly or take trains wherever we have to go beyond that. The price of airfare these days is as low as it was in the 1960's (when the AMA was actually growing). And thanks to the Internet you can share the expenses of having your airplanes shipped with your friends regionally.
Honestly I'm really not for or against the NATS at Muncie. But what I am for is that more people get to Muncie so they can appreciate what the AMA tries to achieve year after year. You can pretty much tell by the certain people that post on this forum who has been to the National flying site and who hasn't, they stick out like a sore thumb. Not their fault, maybe they can't afford it, they are instead just clueless to the AMA's mission.
The more people that appreciate the AMA, the more we will have a residual effect on new members then any media or gov't agency can provide for us. I mean how do you think 6 times as many EAA members, 800,000 total, make it to Oshkosh every year with hardly any outside advertising? The reason, the members appreciate what the EAA does and provides for it's members and they spread the word. You don't see a whole lot of that in this aviation based membership org. All you ever here is AMA do for me and then when they do they are controlling a__wads.
Desperately needed? Members attitudes changed and help give the AMA positive exposure. This is not aimed at anyone in particular, especially you David and Stick. They know who they are.