rsallen13

My Feedback: (1)

All official now.

http://modelaircraft.org/templates/a...ownrelease.asp


http://modelaircraft.org/templates/a...2ecmotions.asp

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

Thanks for posting that.
Me, I'm all for it. The $10 is not going to kill me. I just hope it is enough next year, we don't really know what's going to happen with getting coverage again.

Flying Scotsman

You're right, $58 ($10 raise) aint going to kill anyone who is currently spending hundreds / thgousands of dollars per year on this hobby. But you just wait for the flames coming in!

Happy Flying
Flying Scotsman

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

Boy, what a payraise for some who accomplish so little

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

So....what has AMA not done for you lately?

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

easy there, Tiger, what has it done?

Dave Bowles

My Feedback: (7)

If anything, They have provided peace of mind knowing that our hobby will not be infringed upon without someone sticking up for us , and that I will not lose everything should there be an accident. IMO that is worth the price. The list of smaller things goes on although not always for the individual.

AS the ol saying goes, Don't like it don't buy it. start your own field that dosen't require AMA , I am sure you will get lots of members that feel the same way. AMA is not the LAW, it is a service WE the Model Aviation community have supported to provide a function, WE have the ulitimate control if we choose to not support it.

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

I have no problem with a $10.00 increase either. I spend more than the annual dues on adhesives. AMA's charter in what they do is for the most part what I believe they should do.

But, unlike a business, there is not the accountability within AMA that I would like to see. I manage a test facility with $80 million in capital assets and an operating budget of $7-8 million per year. I must account for all of what I spend and where it went - and what I produced. It is not rocket science - it is quite simple to do. While the $10.00 increase sounds reasonable, I have no confidence that it is the right thing to do - the AMA and it leadership does not provide that level of confidence.

Some may say to not complain - get involved - run for office. Well, the AMA process of who gets on the ballot does not increase that level of confidence I would like to have in the AMA.

I can read my corporation's annual statement and believe what I read given my knowledge of my my department what I must report. Given the information flow from the AMA leadership to us, AMA itself, I have a bit more confidence in AMA than I do Worldcom - not much - just a little. Is it worth getting all worked up over - NO. But, I feel bad that is the type of confidence that AMA instills in me.

Dan

PS: I have sent simple questions to Dave Brown and Joyce Haeger over the years - like how much did this cost - where did the money come from - is it paying for itself. I did it in a nice way - no flames - just simple questions. I never recieved an answer. I assume I was never answered because either 1) they didn't have appropriate answers, or 2) they don't care about the individuals of AMA - like me.

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

thanks R/C Pilot, I feel the same way about it. I do not have anything against the Organization, but changes are in order.
I think, as long as there is no competition for it, they rule the roost and we are obligated to obey, like it or not.

DoubleD

I agree with RCPilot-

10 bucks isn't going to make or break anyone that wants to fly. Knowing that their liability is somewhat limited or shared by the insurance our dues pay for is cheap peace of mind! If you don't believe that, go and get a quote for a personal liability policy.

However, I too would like to see a detailed accounting of how our dues are spent. After all, isn't the AMA a non profit organization?

We don't need every member including myself trying to run our organization, but I'd like to see what my dues pay for!

Regards,
___________
DoubleD

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

They run a complete accounting of every dime once a year in Model Aviation.
I think it's on the website somewhere, too.
They have done this for many years...since I was a kid.
It's never been a big secret.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

An annual dues of $58 is nothing.
How many people here play golf?
WHat is your dues for the club you belong to?
$58 is a night out with the wife.
YES, I am cheap!

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

Hello Geistware!

What about Golf?, R/Cer's do not knock a little Ball down the cowpasture, go find it, knock it again, trying to find a hole and then having to pay for that, silly.

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

EasyTiger,

The accounting summary that AMA publishes once a year is a broad overview. What I am referring to is what corporations are required to do - a detailed summary - revenues - how much - from who and where - expenses - again how much - where - who - what.... From what the AMA publishes, I have no idea who spends what on travel - how much does that Pasadena trade show generate in revenues - or is it a money loser.

Just like at work or at home I have to prioritize what are the returns for a given expense. What can I save in efficiencies if I spend $500,000.00 to install another Burke Porter dynamometer. How much OT will I save? Will I shorten the development cycle and save $$ for the platforms groups? Same thing at home right now - do I buy my daughter a used or new car for school - do I buy my wife a new car and give the daughter a five year old one? What is the payback period?

These are easy business decisions to make, at home, work or for the AMA. I have all the information I need at home or at work - the AMA assumes I trust the leadership enough to make the right decisions also - without them providing the details I would get from a public corporation - just a sort of trust me, it's only $10.00. Sorry, without the details, I don't know if AMA is being run like a good business or like Enron was.

Just came back from flying - we spent more than $10.00 on snacks and beverages - so yeah, $10.00 isn't much. It isn't worth really worrying about - but I hope the AMA leadership doesn't assume I blindly believe what they say - I don't.

Dan

Robby

My Feedback: (18)

Heyy Dan <RCPilot100>,,
Would this "I manage a test facility with $80 million in capital assets " be a place with a LOT of acreage and have something to do with a company in Highland Park.. Does this test facility have a
33% grade and a 15% grade test area..?

Robby.. <oppss,, srry, off topic>

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

I think it is about time and I support this activity.

Rodney

Still the best buy for the buck you will find anywhere. for those who wonder what the AMA does for you, just do a little research on your own--the benefits are to great to list here.

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

I don't mind the additional $10, but it really does bring to mind some questions about where the money actually goes. I don't think that most of the membership would really care to pour through an annual report along the lines of that required by the SEC of public companies, but that information should be made availible. There's an aire of distrust in this country of accounting proceedures, and it's something to consider. Is our organization spending the money we provide it with responsibly? Can the money be accounted for, and can the spending be justified? I'd like to know.

They've got the accountants, they've got the auditors, and they've got the website. All they gotta do is format the reports that land on Joyce's desk for the rest of us, and stick them online. That's not so tough.

Capgains

My Feedback: (4)

Hey this is kind of interesting:

I started flying in 1990, and the annual fees then were $40 per year. The change in price this year represents a 20% rate increase over last year. The total accumulative rate from when I started in 1990 to present is 45% increase.

However if you break that 45% over a period of 12 years you get 3.15% increase average per year. which is really close to the annual figure used by economists for average inflation rate. Albeit strange that they really had to ramp up the last year to catch up to that average. Maybe they have some high powered accountants on staff that figured this out. Aren't they planning on moving the headquarters to the Cayman Islands?

It is still far cheaper than golf, and it sucks justs as bad when you put your plane in a water hazard.

Dan

vegas mossie

I don't know about the rest of the country, but $58.00 for a round of golf in Las Vegas is really cheap!! Unless you want to play in the dead heat of the day. (110 F) or worse. I will gladly pay the money, its cheap piece of mind. (especially the way I fly LOL) Loren

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

Robby - yeah - it used to have something to do with Highland Park. It is now Auburn Hills. How would you know?

To all - right after I read the first post here, I went to the AMA site and read the info. I sent an e-mail to Dave Brown with the same stuff in it as I posted here. No flames or accusations, just some questions. To my surprise I got a response. I haven't asked for permission to post it here, so I won't do that, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Dave gave some honest answers to questions I asked. I was impressed not only with his answering of them but of what Dave and the EC had done. Without going into the specifics, they made a hard business decision, took lots of grief over it, but time has proven it to be a very good one from both a financial and image perspective for AMA - and us the membership benefits. I would label what they did a success story - one that should be shared with all the membership. I am going to suggest that to Dave in further E-mail - the problem is balancing confidential information with the need to get success stories such as this out to the membership. I do the same thing in my shop - get out good and bad information to our employees - let them know what is going on - that decisions affecting them are not done in a vacuum.

Before I was very skeptical of what was going on in the inner circles of the AMA - I am now willing to assume they are a dedicated bunch trying to do the right thing - they just don't know how to let us know about all the success stories they have.

Dan

LORD_RC

My Feedback: (1)

Does the AMA really need a multimillion dollar office building and eleven hundred acres just to run an organization that tends to a hobby? That seems like alot of cash spent for the few who use that facility. It seems like the AMA is forgetting who theyre working for. Sounds like a government ...

Dave Bowles

My Feedback: (7)

Do you think law makers are going to take the AMA seriously if they operate out of a strip mall office or someones garage, Image is just as important as anything in todays politics, isn't that how most are elected. I have no problem with the AMA building a new facility and nice place to fly. AS far as I know is used regularly, does anyone have any Idea just how many visitors they get on avarage. There is always one good way to protest your dislikes, don't Join.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

As far as where the money goes, I view that $58 dollars a year is cheap for insurance for myself and home club as well as the ability to fly anywhere I am invited and have insurance coverage. The coordination of the hobby as well as lobbyist

islandflyer

There is another pretty big thread on this subject: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/ama-...relations.html