spitfire66

Well here we go.

I am wondering why do I need to have AMA. I figured just for the insurance and liability. I have recently just bought a home. I have homeowners insurance. I verified with my homeowners insurance that I am covered up to $300,000 in liablitiy in case of an accident with a person, house, or auto minus the deductable. I have the option of raising that number to $1,000,000 coverage. If I am covered under my homeowners than why do I need the liability coverage of the ama (primary reason for having it)? The ama will only pay a claim after homeowners insurance has paid there amount.

Hossfly

Try a little searching in these forums. That question comes faster than a politician's promises. AMA is more than 8 times your $300,000. I have a neighbor that just recently underwent severe medical expenses to the tune of 2,000,000+ yankee dollars. If you create such a liability, you won't have the homeowners long, if for no other reason that you won't even have the house. Now, if you can't figure it all out, then maybe you don't need AMA insurance.

b.bixel

My Feedback: (123)

Oh man... Not again![sm=tired.gif]

vpresley

My Feedback: (162)

Ditto[X(][:-]

cj_rumley

AMA is not about insurance and we've all heard that countless times. but when somebody asks about it the reply is invariably a scare story about some incident involving a claim above what HO would cover but conveniently within the limits of excess coverage provided by AMA.
Buy into AMA if you are required to as a condition for gaining access to a flying site controlled by an AMA chartered club. Buy additional liability insurance from your HO provider, or buy a PUP for whatever limit you feel comfortable with considering the greatest liability risk you are exposed to in your chosen activities. It isn't very likely to involve flying a model airplane.

K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

Whatever you do, make sure you only base your decision on the insurance aspect of AMA. Please do not consider joining because you are willing to support the only national aeromodeling representation that exists in the U. S.. Do not join just because you want to support the museum, national flying site, education facilities, flying site retention program, or any of the other myriad of benefits AMAprovides to the hobby. Please only consider yourself and your immediate needs. Weigh the benefits of membership only as to how they can benefit you.Chant "me, me, me ,me ......"as you decide. You could save enough money to buy a small LiPo pack.

There you go,thechoice is simple.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

If you had of said: Do not join just because you want to support the museum, national flying site, education facilities, flying site retention program, or any of the other myriad of benefits AMA provides to its members... I would have given your post a big thumbs-up. As for as I can tell the benefits to the hobby beyond the membership is purely incidental...I am not aware of a single flying site that AMA retains or makes available for anyone other than the members...

Jim Thomerson

But K-Bob, he may want to fly in AMA sanctioned contests. One can chant "me, me, me . . . . " and still want to do that for the personal satisfaction accrued.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

If nothing else you're donating to the organization that works diligently to keep the FAA and Homeland Security from slapping blanket regulations on you whether or not you join the AMA.

phlpsfrnk

spitfire66,
• Do you plan on flying in competition?
• Do you plan on joining an AMA chartered club?
• Do you plan on flying in any AMA sanctioned events?
• Would you like the full deductable of your home owners insurance paid in a model related claim?
• Would you like to receive a monthly magazine?

If the answer to all the above is no then I guess you don’t need AMA.

Regards
Frank

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

A thought for the "Me-Me-Me" folks. Say what you will but I can assure you at our long term successful small town club with a wonderful field built by us (eighteen years) and the first year I did not truck on down to the Kingman Municiple Airport Authority without that primary insurance certificate naming them we would be out on our butts in short order.

Forget the me, me folks that primary insurance that comes with a club charter at a ridiculously cheap price is the only reason we can even exist and I suspect the applies to a very high percentage of the fields around the country.

So to the Me, Me crowd great do as you and do as you will but don,t even attempt to destroy our house. And thats exactly what you are doing in any attempt to get rid of the AMA. Our field as many others cannot exist without ama.

John

cj_rumley

I agree with that observation. The popular mantra chiding folks for expecting some value aka personal benefit from AMA membership is silly. AMA is not a charity. The notion that AMA can even survive, much less grow, based on response to the 'Ask not what AMA can for you.......' appeal to altruism of others would be futile if the US were populated entirely by clones of Mother Teresa.

804

My Feedback: (1)

Heh-heh. "Well here we go." tells me you been down this road before, and you just made a bunch of Pavlov's dogs bark. Congrats.

spitfire66

Hello again. It's great that I all got the responses in a short amount of time. I see that a lot are passionate about the AMA and I too believe in promoting the hobby, but with my activity it seems I hear of little of what my money is going to and more just for liability. I should have asked the question differently. I have renewed my ama for this year, but had a hard time convincing myself at the time that I need it. A lot of you guys brought out some very good points I have overlooked such as working with the FAA and flying site retention, and keeping us under seperate rules from uav type aircraft. It would sure be a bad day if I needed them and they weren't there. Even worse Regulation on the hobby. [:@] Thanks for the education, I will continue to renew ama.

Live Wire

Take time to read your HOME OWNERS policy You could get a surprise
Then make a claim on AMA and get another SURPRISE

phlpsfrnk

Care to elaborate on these "surprises"?

Frank

Live Wire

No thanks I have been here before.

Jim Thomerson

At the 1980 Nats, I had a timer failure, so the fuselage and screaming Fox Combat 35 come down from way up and stick through a car hood. My homeowners paid for it.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

This may be true but is it not a very sad truth? What good is insurance in the first place if you are just going to lose it when you file a big claim? This really gets me going. I remember my auto agent told me one time when I did some damage to my car that it would be best to NOT claim it if possible so that would keep my rates down and less risk of ever losing the policy (my paraphrase).

I don't know about everyone else, but I buy insurance FOR insurance not because I don't need it. I buy it and pay MONEY for a service. Does this not make anyone else mad that it is such a thin line with this stuff? They even hire people to "negotiate" a price with you when you file a claim so they can pay you LESS money than what you paid a premium for!

We had a small tornado one time and it did damage to my vehicles and property and the insurance companies set up stations where agents/appraisers "negotiate" with the insured what prices to pay for the damaged vehicles. It came my turn to go up and get my quote and it was horrendous. I stopped for a moment and I told the agents, if any ONE of you can go with me right now and replace my vehilce for the price you are offering me then let us go and get it. The agents knew they were not giving us enough for our vehicles and we simply could not replace them. One of them even admitted to me he knew it was not enough. I refused to settle and finally recieved replacement cost for my vehicle but others settled so they lost. I wonder if we could "negotiate" our premiums when we purchase insurance.

OK, rant over now. Man, the world is so screwed up! [X(]

timd1

Hi, new here to the whole rc airplane thing. I just finished my first build and will fly her for the first time this weekend ( with an instructor). I have already joined the AMA and look forward to all the benefits this organization has to offer. The club I am joining requires an AMA membership so done! but go to the web site and see what all is offered much more than insurance.

Hossfly

So it should. The man stated he had a $300,000.00 liability policy. Well I have 2 Homeowner's policies, with liability insurance, auto policies with 5 times the state required liability. I also have umbrella liability insurance, and all that may not be enough.
And of course AMA sits on top of those policies.

Heaven forbid such, but if I created some incident that caused some person to become a wheel-chair case for the rest of their life, hurt a young person, resulting in a permanent problem, or the loss of some family's member, all the money I could get for them would not ease my pain for their plight if I caused it, and that is selfish on my part as their life is forever changed/lessened because I was in error. AMA is a cheap price for an aeromodeler to have some $$$ to assist for what could happen to a fellow aeromodeler.

In the post you quote from, and that portion quoted, I tried to illustrate that the guy would lose the house as his liability would far extend to well more than $300,000.00 so all would be gone maybe in a flash.

For you young fellows, in this day and age, $300,000 yankee dollars is not a significant sum, especially in the courts. [sm=greedy.gif]

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Over and over we are told how AMA is not just about the insurance but most if not all discussion is rendered to that one aspect.

KidEpoxy

LCS
Well sure there is more to AMA than the insurance-

see, its not about insurance
but becoming AMA club let those folks that have been flying at that site
to meet themselves and fly where they already fly.
But most importantly, they get exempted from the Universal RC Fun Ban by becoming AMA club
and now the same folks at the same site can have fun (with their new self inflicted glow ban)

And to me, getting around the Fun Ban is a far better reason to join than the insurance.
Think of the fun if 20 kids with AirHogs showed up at Tyler each saturday
.... or at Prado, 20 more pilots waiting to fly each saturday is what that club needs, right
or turned away from some of those closed membership clubs. Guess its Fun Ban for them 20 Airhog kids turned away, regardless of insurance


"Why do I need AMA" : To have fun, flying where you already fly, with the folks you already fly with..... and insurance

Hossfly

Yep, you be right! That is simply because that is the only real selling point available for clubs to sell the club and prospective new members a reason for joining AMA. The rest is really just "fluff," and has no importance to the average sport flier just seeking to drive his new toy around the sky until he/she tires of it and goes for additional thrills.

Of course the pylon racing thing could work, but the racers have developed their event far too much for the sport flier. "When sex, alcohol, and drugs just don't thrill enough anymore, try RC PYLON RACING!"

Every since the land-owner insurance came into being, the AMA charter club has had one and only one point for their sales pitch. Hasn't changed much!

Well, I am taking a "vacation". No computer or phone for next 4 weeks +/-. Meanwhile check out the 09 AMA Audit Report. You know where to look for it. Just got some RED HOT news about something concerning AMA fundings. Next month!!! [sm=49_49.gif]

crash99

My Feedback: (3)

Please do not keep saying its not about insurance when, if they did not have the insurance that every club accepts as a standard many would not be a member. I am glad the AMA is around but if they closed their doors nothing would change. All the Venders would protect the hobby.

Yes the old timers will jump all over this. but that is just the plan facts. If the AMA dropped the insurance the a\AMA should except a 70% drop in membership.

Crash99