STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Good thinkin Kid. Better yet, your membership dues are equal to your weight, divided by 4 and converted into dollars. This will not only encourage growth, but also encourage health and nutrition as well. For you deep south guys that eat a lot of BBQ and fried chicken, we'll let you guys get it divided by 6.

AERORICH73

Hi Fellows: This is an interesting discussion. Here in Oregon an RC pilot with a glow powered model is run off of any soccer, or sport public park field. Yes, the tax payers are footing the parks just for ground sport activities, and any hobbiest needs to find a private place to fly models. If a modeler lives in a state that includes RC flying sites in public parks, you are one of the lucky ones. As it has been brought out, a lot of E-pilots are flying at parks because it cost them nothing. There have been friends of mine from work who would not pay for AMA membership as they thought their home owners insurance protected them; so they flew illegally everywhere, and got told to leave.

Reading the type of plane that this E-membership, some small gliders, rubber powered model flyers would want to get the lower membership fee also. Why should they pay the larger amount. I do not think the E-pilots will want to pay for full membership dues to fly their models at a sanctioned club field.

I would surely vote for this E-Ticket program, IF it would mean that ALL of the electric ads, discussions were removed from the present AMA magazine publication, and just leave us fuel burners alone. As an aircraft mechanic, I have tunnel visition when viewing full scale aircraft, and none of them have electric motors turning the props, or turbine blades to carry passengers.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Similar to the discussion KE had about non AMA at chartered clubs.
AMA doesn't tell a club what type of plane flies there. This is a good program to get beginners in and keep the members who are downsizing and relocating to small fields in.
They will get my full dues + voluntary contribution and a vote for acceptance.[sm=49_49.gif]
I will also continue to get a magazine I like to read once a month.[8D]

OVSS Boss

Personnally this is just a plan to kiss the arse of folks that do not want to join the AMA anyway, or any organization for that matter.

My feeling is that everyone is in the pot, jet, electric, soaring, control line, IMAC or indoor FF, JMO.

KidEpoxy

Vic-
where do you stand on the HalfMembers getting HalfInsurance coverage facet?

rcuman

I used to fly rockets when I was younger. I did not subscribe to the AMA because I lived out in the country and had wide open spaces. I am wondering how many rocketeers subscribe to the AMA? The e-ticket is somewhat the same thing if you think about it and in kind of the same situation or will be. It is basically going to turn into another an off-shoot that AMA will offer protection for. I would think they should consider this in their final proposal because if the numbers are not there in the rocket community then there may not be with the e-ticket either. I would give it a 50-50 chance of success.

KidEpoxy

isnt that what an insurance company salesman says?

If we dont offer them anything but insurance in our sales pitches, wont that make us an insurance company? We can offer them to fly at the Zeros of eFields we have (some are bound to pop up if enough of you guys sign up for nothing to begin with). We can offer them a magazine (or 1/2 a magzaine, or not a magazine, or their own magazine... what are we giving them this week?)

What do they want, and can we give it to them.
Cause right now, if the HalfInsurance cant fly at REAL clubs, we cant even give them a place to fly yet.

rcuman

Does AMA offer the Rocketeers their own magazine or anything else other than insurance? Do they have their own fields? I am asking because I do not know. Examples would be good instead of pulling something out of the air also.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Sure they can. There are plenty of e-field already out there that are under the full AMA charter. They can simply convert. That's a starter.

Also did you expect this program to take off quickly? Yet another liberal point of view, if it doesn't happen fast, then we don't want it.

Yes Kid it may take a little time, so what. It might even take work too .... boo.

ira d

At one time I was for two tier membership but have since changed
my mind, IMO haveing sites just for park flyers while banning them
from the regular sites is not a good idea.

I think the best approach is to offer first time members a steep discount
to join the AMA and let them fly what they want and where they want.
Im sure those that get hooked on the hobby will have no problem
paying the full dues the next year, as far as the discount I say charge
the new first time AMA member $10.00 to join up.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Wow! All this hate and discontent about what AMA should do or not do. I thought we have established that the AMA can do as they wish and we should just accept it or join another similar organization to fill our needs of hobby services such as those AMA provides us with now.

If you can’t just post here with praise…don’t!

I am making a list of AMA haters and all of you guys are going to be put on it and a dossier will be kept and updated so that I will know who to exclude should I ever get in a position to do so.

Now, I am confident the AMA will divine the perfect solution for assimilating the parkflyers as they have us. End of discussion…please lock thread now.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

It is all explained on your web site FAQ

Q. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET STARTED MAKING MONEY?
A. You will be able to start instantly driving income from parties, events, camps and workshops as soon as we finish setting up your location. For after school enrichment classes you will start making money within 5 weeks after the programs begins in the schools.

Q. ARE THERE UPFRONT FEES PAID TO THE HOBBY QUEST?
A. No, their is no license or trademark use fee. The average franchise fee in the USA is $25,000! The average FUNchise fee is $0.00. The only invesment you make is for your own equipment to run the operations which comes to about $6,000.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

What's your point Red, you can get right to it, I can handle it, I'm a big boy. I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have in regards to opening your own THQ Funchise. I'm rather proud of that particular company.

It's very rewarding to own your own business where you are not only giving children a chance to try their hand at aeromodeling and hobbies, but also make a living for yourself at the same time.

May I ask what noble job you have or held? Send me an email and I'll have an application sent over to you ASAP, but be warned, that question will be on the application. We don't accept most applications for a Funchise, you have to want to build a business and be successful. It's not all just fun and games on the field, there is a lot of business administration on your end to make it all work. Do you have that drive? Afterall the kids depend on it.

But what I still can't understand is what does this have to do with the e-ticket???

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

I am retired after 43 years in Engineering capacity, the last 28 of which was in the battery business.
No noble jobs, only providing the only hobby related web site for batteries, moderating the RCU Battery & Charger forum and the Battery/Charge forum on Whattflyer. Writing a semi monthly column on batteries and chargers in MA for which I make about 37 cents an hour. Serving on the AMA Electronic Technolgy Committee trying to keep modelers from burning down their homes or crashing each other's models with faulty equipment or misunderstanding existing good equipment. Keeping the local modelers in N. Florida out of trouble with their batteries and chargers. None of which has netted me anything other than personal satisfaction in serving my fellow hobbyist in repayment for the years I have enjoyed the hobby.

Thanks for your offer of my own THQ Funchise, but I raised my children and gave a modest amount of time to 6 grandchildren, two at Georga Tech, two in the USAF one a C130 pilot and the other a fire/rescue technican and two in the process of figuring out what they want to do after highschool. I will leave training children to those that feel they can offer help to others in raising theirs.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Good stuff and congrats for all you've done, sonds like you've done rather well for yourself.

Personally I don't think creating THQ is a noble job either. Even the instructors who teach the kids get paid a fair amount of money too for their hard work and commitment. But the best part is we don't force the program on anyone, we just make it available to them.

But I dare anyone to try to capture over 20,000 children and have them get a taste of aeromodeling, free of charge. Now that would be a sight to see. I mean our overhead alone in a year is what most people make in a lifetime.

Good stuff.

decay

Let em try the E-ticket. When it does'nt work(lack of members)
we won't have to hear about it anymore. I'm tired of hearing
about it. But I do oppose it. The E-ticket cometh & the E-ticket goeth!!

Stickbuilder

Vicman,

Sorry about taking so long to reply to what you had to say. I can see one major difference. That difference is that Gliders, Free Flight Control Liners etc. are full fleged AMA members. They all pay their full freight. Radio Control is but one diciplines involved in this hobby. While it's true that we are now in the majority, this was not always the case. I well remember when a Radio Controlled model airplane was a curiosity. What I believe that we are offering here is a limited membership (and one without all the privilidges that are included with the full membership). As such there would be no discrimination involved. We do not allow R.C. Cars to operate at our flying fields, nor do we allow R.C Boats. This is not discrimination, it is just an incompatable venue. We do not dislike the guys who pursue those parts of the R.C. hobby, we have just found that we and they get along far better if we operate at different places.

Bill, AMA 4720

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

That's the same kind of talk towns here when the new Walmart comes to town. And those same people who do most of the pre-boycotting are the first ones in the door opening day.

The more the regular members that say they don't want to be part of the new program, is actually beneficial to the AMA. It only confirms that current members are happy with what they currently have. What you're going to quit the AMA because other people whom want to just stick to parkflyers are going to have their own designated flying sites and price point? Don't forget they'll also have their own limited AMA options and magazine subscription as well.

KidEpoxy

Stick-
I dont see the exclusion to having PPD(PayPerDay) guys run cars in the club parkinglot wednesday nights. How do you see We Dont Allow that? What 'we' are you talking, your particular club or the AMA?


Of course there will be discrimination.
I'm already working on demeaning slurs of the HalfMembers, like
Standard Members & SubStandard Members
Full Members & HardlyMembers
Real Members & Kinda Members
... its so hard to chose just one to institute.

but as long as the ama insurance thing keeps ~the wrong kind of folks~ off our $58 guy fields it wont be a problem, right?

I'm just doing this to show a point. The guys at CabagePatch know how I realy feel about PFs & electrics.... but then, they probably dont know who I really am (or was, havent flown there for years)

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

I'm with Red and Kid on this one (can't believe I said that either) Let them try the e ticket.. I think there will be very limited interest, that they'll find that there's not enough interest in it to keep offering it. There will probably be a couple of other problems as well. There will be some who purchase the ticket thinking that it will allow them to fly at regular ama fields. When they go to fly there the club will tell them no and they'll probably get pretty mad about it (even though it's stated by the ama that they can't use it at a regular field).. I'm sure they'll let their fellow e fliers know...

I'm glad the ama didn't make the regular fields the 'police' on this one. Making everyone show their cards and watching to make sure they didn't bring a model to fly that they weren't covered for putting the field in jeopardy...

Stickbuilder

Has it occurred to anyone that this may give us an infusion of new blood? It just may bridge the gap between the traditional, "Wet flyer", and the newcomers. Let's allow the Executive branch of the AMA to try something new for a change, and let's stop trying to cross bridges that we have not even come to.

Bill, AMA 4720

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Well, the whole thread starts of on the wrong premise. Nuff said.

KidEpoxy

Stick-
Let me ask you this way:
If enough folks get riled up about the partial insurance being a problem that the AMA changes it to Standard Insurance & the PF Members are allowed to fly at all fields with all other AMA memers with all other types of air toys (yes, even our misunderstood rocket friends).... wouldnt that be a good thing?

Whole can of 1/2 insurance worms can be avoided by having standard insurance, and how much additional money would that really be that would change the PF Dues? Just a few bucks, and if they trimmed $29 of fat from the $58, find $3 more to trim & give them standard insurance. Bury it in MA E-ventListing Fees, or E-vent Sanctions are a couple bucks more to keep e-dues down. Something to give them full insurance so they will be welcome at regular clubs too

Stickbuilder

No comment will be made in response to any post from this individual.

Bill, AMA 4720

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

I'm e-mailing my comments which are (short version): if this passes it will fundementally change AMA for the worse. Let them start their own orgainization if they feel they must be part of a group.
BRG,
Jon (quote)


John, and a lot of others, I agree with ya. The E ticket is a disaster waiting to happen.
And at least for the ones I know, they (Park Fliers) don't want to start their own org, heck most of them don't even want to join the AMA.

My thinking only, but the AMA would be better off in time and money spent in doing more to get the word out to the non members, promote the benefits, and make em all full fledged and paying members, instead of the second class at best memebers the e ticket proposes.

One last thing, over on the E side here, was a post on a flight school possiblity by a school teacher. Like an adult education night thing. I think this could become a great way of building up the AMA and getting the word out, if the AMA could do something with this with multiple schools.

Just a possibility, but you want to hit a core group of fliers. Schools would be a good place to start, and tying them to AMA helped/sponsored/assisited, programs might be a better offering.