CESSNA 421

My Feedback: (17)

Everyone has complained and voiced their opinion at how we have been thrown under the bus by the AMA...so whose going to put action where their mouth is and quit the hobby and find something more interesting and productive to do with their spare time?

AllModesR/C

I will. My AMA membership expires this month and something told me to hold off on renewing it. Then last night I heard about this registration nonsense. I only have one plane so I'm not balls deep into the hobby like some of you guys. I'll either sell the plane or keep it as a room ornament and never fly it.

TimJ

Most are going to continue. Lets face it, registering with the FAA is a small task in order to allow us to keep flying. WOOPDEEE Fing doo. At least the FAA didn't outright ban radio control all together.

JimmyZep

I left 4 years ago, just started buying stuff a couple months ago, Im stuck now.

Jimmy

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Their won't be a mass exodus despite all the angst noted here. The reality is people want to vent, but at the end of the day once they look over at their airplane and realize all the time and effort and money that went into it, they will continue to fly. I suspect many more will go the route of their own brand of civil disobedience and refuse to register. It will take at least a year or two, maybe even 3 to see if the overall membership numbers are up or down...and even then, it will be difficult to specifically point a reason for that.

Register for free...continue to fly, in 3 years reevaluate. Rinse and repeat.

kmeyers

How about cut and paste the rules and a new insurance carrier? Then leave the AMA.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Good point, now would be a great time for another group to get together and give the AMA a run for their money. Competition is usually great for the consumer. Perhaps the original 14 signatories of protest letter to the AMA can put something together. After all, these are "leaders" and the big players in the hobby, certainly they could put their collective heads together and create a new organization. After all, isn't it just an insurance company and a magazine?

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

Leaving the AMA even if for another organization will only work for some of us. Anyone who attends a "fly in" will need to show their AMA membership. Most established flying sites and clubs require AMA membership.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

Or perhaps they could just lobby for their CURRENT organization to advocate for its membership instead of a group of folks whose overwhelming majority don't want to be governed or associated with an organization. That is a more sensible, even-keeled approach.

Regards,

Astro

CESSNA 421

My Feedback: (17)

I agree with all of you and all of you have very valid opinions.

The reason we are where we are is simply dollars….nothing more nothing less. Like everything in this country for the past 50 plus years it is driven by the dollar. There is no consideration for how the rules impact the average working person who is responsibly operating their aircraft to have what little fun is left that isn’t regulated. I feel this is only the beginning and in a couple of years we won't recognize the modeling hobby...if feel we are going to be regulated out of the hobby just as with everything else that used to be enjoyable.

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Just wondering if China will buy all of my planes and engines back ?

LOL

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

There has already been a MASS EXODUS from model aviation in this region with the COUCH POTATO NINTENDO BABY MALL RAT GENERATION. The playgrounds, vacant lots and parks are all empty. This is the first generation to use riding lawn mowers on 1/4 acre lots.
Even with the advent of ARFS & RTFS this sport requires putting down the TV / Game controllers long enough to actually venture outside, set foot on damp grass and brave the elements long enough to risk getting bit by insects, interacting with other humans and [Oh Lawdy..!] flying a toy that does not have a "Reset Button" when something goes terribly wrong..!
There really is no amount of artificial incentives, inducements or special programs that will convince Pugsley, Pillsbury and Emo Boy to surrender their TV controllers in exchange for the Wild Wild World of Model Aviation.
Most RTF drones received as gifts this year will probably never see a moment's use [in the Great Outdoors] past the first week after Xmas .

poison

Man come on guys it's 5 bucks for a number. You would quit flying for that? Let's be thankful that we still have the opportunity to still fly. I be honest drones make me upset because of user lack of responsibility flying them. Lots of people like them because it's almost a guarantee they beable to fly it. Hey I love helies it's like riding weelies on a sport bike it's something not everyone can do that's some of the fun about. So you fly a drone big deal my mom could fly one too. Lol

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Let's NOT be thankful.
Let's be practical, let's be realistic, let's continue to spend our leisure time as we see fit.
Let's NOT be thankful for being betrayed by the AMA.
I find less fault with the Law Makers than I do with the AMA leadership.

Mike Dunphy

I am.Selling everything I have and moving on. I am sick of the government sticking their nose into everything we do. I have been an AMA member for 50 years, no more. AMA you have let all of us down.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Still up in the air on it, I have trailers a motor home set up for the hobby, a bus that was used for the hobby. Now I just don't know, would love to see something come along to help us with this hobby, a new club to replace the back stabbing AMA

kurt2022

My Feedback: (18)

I'm done too, the hobby has been in a tailspin since the 2008 housing melt down, this government decree will just put what's left of it out of its misery! I remember what Mac Hodges told us as to why he wouldn't rebuild his b-29, his reason, it's OVER!

ira d

NO

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

Interesting question. Too bad it rests on a faulty assumption that conflates two distinctly different subjects. It assumes the AMA IS the hobby and the hobby cannot be enjoyed or pursued outside of it. The AMA is an organization that is supposed to help maximize my enjoyment of the hobby, if it does not perform that job than leaving the AMA but staying in the hobby is perfectly fine.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Man you are right, the AMA is not this hobby, its the people!

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

A good point and a valid alternative, but I wasn't kidding in the least bit about another viable alternative. It wasn't just a poke. If there was ever a better time for an alternative, it's now given the recent happenings. And who better to start it than folks already well established in the hobby. Don't get me wrong, it would be a David and Goliath struggle, but with the right people, and the timing, it just might be possible.

As for lobbying the current leadership, absolutely, everyone should make their feelings and opinions known. I'm sure the voice mail boxes and e-mails are piling up this week. I'm just not sure what that is going to do after the fact. They can't change what has happened, and they can't change the FAA's mind. They have indicated they will continue to try work on the reg process with them. They can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, yes I get that the complaints are that the tube never should have been opened, but it was, Does the AMA try to backtrack now and say no, drones/mr will not be part of us? Do they go full tilt againsthe AMA and litigate issues further? I don't know what the answer is or what the best way to approach it us. Replacing the leadership positions doesn't seem like the answer, nor does telling the AMA to "focus on the membership". My feeling is they tried to work on bahalf of all, not just one part of it, and the results are not what all hoped for.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

+1

Veltro

My Feedback: (1)

I'm going to keep on keeping on as long as I can. I'm more concerned about keeping flying sites. Here in California, private property owners don't want the headache of having you on their land. The environmentalists try every trick in the book to get us kicked off public land, as well as block us from getting new flying sites. I feel RC has been on borrowed time since 9/11.

cloudancer03

My Feedback: (22)

For now I will continue its been my passion for nearly 40 years.but how long I don't now.whoever dreamed building a model plane would get this complicated and so politicized.

PLANE JIM

My Feedback: (109)

I am sure there will be at least one or two new CBO's established since the registration process will be public information-
A new organization could provide insurance coverage to its members as well as open the possibility of current AMA clubs having membership charter with a new CBO as well as AMA. Of course it would be have to be a real threat to the pockets of the AMA for them to allow other flyers at a TRADITIONAL AMA field since I believe it violates the current safety code requiring all flyers to be members of AMA to provide the insurance coverage for the land owner (I am not sure on that) -you do have AMA coverage as a individual provided that you operate with in the guidelines no matter where you fly so as a individual you would be cover.
Bottom line I think the AMA is a dying cow due to current leadership holding hands with the FAA thinking they were going to be friends and trying to sieze the moment of being THE CBO in regulating and collecting monies from all those crazy quad guys. I think they knew this was not going being favorable when they raised the dues and marketing strategy of saving you money if you signed up for two years and paid in advance.

I am not getting out of the hobby-I am not going to register-I am going to wait and continue to fly and see what may present itself as a better deal for me. AMA Leadership has operated this way for a while. I may not even renew my AMA-will just wait and see