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-   -   Flying at the AMA Muncie site. (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/ama-discussions-74/6763873-flying-ama-muncie-site.html)

Mode One 12-16-2007 09:52 AM

Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
In the R/C Scale Aircraft topic, under a thread entitled "Where are all the R/C Scale Contests" is this post by a gentleman named Timothy Thompson:

"well i went to muncie to fly my 1/5 corsair. I had business in the area and took the plane . I went to the field and flew. All of a sudden three guys come running out saying i have no right to fl;there. i showed them my ama card and was told get off its private prop. that was 4 years ago and i have not renewed ama and have found my own private land. I thought muncie was for all well its not"!

My guess is there is more to this then what he has stated above. However, does this sound possible? At the AMA website it is clearly stated the Muncie site is open for all member's use, unless a contest or other AMA activity is going on!

jlkonn 12-16-2007 10:09 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
I flew the Nats this year at Muncie so I got to have a good look around and talk to a lot of folks.
Don't know about 4 years ago but the site is very open now.
There are no attendants at the gate booth and you are free to just drive in.
Of course if there is an event going on you would probably be denied permission to fly at that particular time but I don't think you would be denied permission to the grounds.
Not sure.
I think it would be just good sense to check in at the headquarters receptionist before flying.
I do know that the roads around the flying sites are open to the public and are used by local walkers and bicyclists.
As far as the headquarters building is concerened I thought it was very well done.
Nice but modest...no guilding the lily or palacial offices.
The museum was nice too but VERY crowded...just so much stuff...and I'm sure there is many times what was on display stored away.
Overall I was very impressed and proud of what AMA has accomplished.
The one really bad thing, and I don't know what can ever be done about it, is that it's a long drive for some folks to ever go see it.
JLK

timothy thompson 12-16-2007 11:34 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
hi the story is true! I got a flight in and was rudely told to leave. Now why I have no idea and I truly hope things have changed. I was flying responsibly just doing scale maneuvers when i landed and taxied in these 3 men came running out and told me to leave.
Were they disgruntled members of another club IDK I was so mad I didnt stop at headquarters to ask I just left and drove home.
i did write a letter to AMA and never heard a thing I called and was put on hold and got disconnected.

i hope this was an isolated incident. I brought the plane because I know they had an open policy. There were no activities in fact i was the only one there flying

Hossfly 12-16-2007 01:50 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Site rules are found at: http://www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx, and IIRC it's number 106, or at least up close to top of list.

Did you not check in at the headquartes station? Not required, but would you go to any club's site and just start flying without checking with the locals? How could you have any idea whether some special event is in progress or not if you don't ask.

Were you there after the flying hours, which incidentally I think are absolutely absurd, especially when late evening flying is -- to me -- the preferred time period, yet those hours are in the rules and if you just go in and start flying, well, expect to get called on it.

If you are so thin-skinned that you will not stand up and find out why you are being yelled at, well YOU have a problem that you might give some thought to.

To harber and foster such a grudge, without getting definite answers is -- IMO -- somewhat childish. In addition if you send AMA any form of communication, best you make it a certified, return receipt, letter. Otherwise I will bet you 5 to 1 that it will GET LOST, even if it contains a check. With me AMA is, historically, very good at losing mail. [:@]

So with all their faults, it's UP TO YOU to explore and find out why you were mistreated. Now you might think about the fact that there are many non-member fliers that try to go there and fly free. OUR MONIES BUILT AND MAINTAIN THAT FACILITY. So I am glad to hear they do try to protect it from those that could be a trespasser.

Possibly those 3 guys could have been trspassers since you obviously did not stand up and find out just who they were and by what authority they wanted you to leave. YOU TOO can KICK BUTT! :)

timothy thompson 12-16-2007 03:42 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
realize i was in muncie for a teachers workshop and it was a quick detour. Noone was in site and i flew a good 20 minutes! I just got a pm from someone from ama saying they were sorry. Its not a big deal since I will not be downthere. I cant travel much due to my wifes disability. You are correct these guys could have been anyone. I didnt make a big deal about it because I was done flying and was on my way home anyway. its a nice place to fly though

Mode One 12-16-2007 06:36 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Well, you sorta did make a big deal about it, you've posted here talking about it and dropped membership in the AMA and have not rejoined because of this one strange event. You are pointing your finger at the AMA aluding to your being ill treated by them, when some responsibility really was due on your part. Your own due diligence here, might have spared you the bad feelings you have over the matter.

You want to drop the AMA, that's fine and your choice. No ill will meant on my part and Good luck!

abel_pranger 12-16-2007 07:40 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Yeah, Tim. Did you think it was your site just because of the money you've poured into it? I guess you've been told what for.

Next time follow the established protocol. Go to HQ and kiss JC's behind. And stay the heck away from the lawnmowers.

Abel

timothy thompson 12-16-2007 09:08 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
see there was no one around and not being in any clubs ( i have my own field) i went ahead and flew. I probably will rejoin AMA and shuld have gone and asked what all the fuss was about. They did apologize and I didnt know the proper criterea for flying

KidEpoxy 12-17-2007 02:25 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
While Tim may not have gotten to the bottom of things while in Muncie,
he did say he made a call & even sent a letter.

Just how many letters was he supposed to send?

I see plenty of due diligence on Tims part to see what was up in the call & the letter sending. Just getting a call dropped & giving up would be pretty thin, but the combo of call & letter seems reasonable.

But as many have pointed out already,
this was probably just some miscomunication on the part of the guys kicking you out.

kid chuckles 12-17-2007 06:44 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
1 Attachment(s)
Seems to me no matter whoses AMA field your were at that at least one of the men would have tried finding out if you had registered or whatever anyone requires before asking or telling you to leave. I am kinda like Hoss that would have perturbed me and I would have made a stink about it probabaly then and there. But had the same thing happen to me when I rented a race track for the day to practice for upcoming race and had a heck of a deal with the owner whom did not know that I had HIS track rented. Tried hard to make me load up and leave but ended up winning out that time. Had reciets from his office. But sure made enough of a rucuss to spoil what I was doing. Won the race by the way.

Mode One 12-17-2007 06:54 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
SpinPoxy, You don't think walking into the HQ building and asking if he could fly previous, or walking in after the insidence, to find out why he had been ask to leave, wouldn't have been far better due diligence?

gzkpez 12-17-2007 11:09 AM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Document 106 says flying to sundown for open flying. Maybe it had changed.

timothy thompson 12-17-2007 12:37 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
it was evening but remember 4 years ago. Im sure things changed this wasnt even put on the ama section i made a comment to someone and they stuck it here. Im not mad complaining ect. I have my own field and will rejion . I did get a apology email

KidEpoxy 12-17-2007 01:58 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Mode-
Surely you dont excuse them for not ansering his letter or taking his call, because they found out he didnt gripe about it at the time?

Could this have had a happy ending if he asked the guys (That apparently kicked without explaining anything??) whom Tim should talk to about fighting the ejection. Or maybe even had gotten a WHY from the guys ejecting him. Or had stopped by the office on his way out.

But it seems Tim didnt resolve it at the time,
instead he went home & just called to find out why......

and sent a letter to find out what the deal was....

and the AMA couldnt be bothered to respond to his letter or not drop his call.


I do not lay the blame on him for the staffers dropping the ball bigtime in the arena of answering calls & reading member letters. Why is it acceptable for a business in todays world to just not take calls or letters from its members, and then blame the member for calling & writing.

Sure, the AMA would not have tottally dropped the ball & look bad had Tim gone in & asked in person, but for a national org to not take calls or letters and defend that by blaming the sender is wrong.

And to illustrate that point:
Tim said he just got a PM from someone at AMA apologizing for the problem.
That is how the AMA should have (and I figure probably would have) acted on the call or in a letter reply. The AMA is admitting they could have done better, they are not blaming Tim for them not taking calls & losing mail.... just some of the posters hear are doing that.

The AMA had a hiccup with Tim at the field, but they really blew it with their inability to communicate in standard business channels.... and it seems they recently accepted that & said Sorry to Tim. When the AMA admits they did something wrong, maybe crusaders should stop defending the wrong actions.


But in other news,
Looks like a sweet 22hi 22low for the MoneyPit today,
who's up for a 18hour drive on the ice to get some muncie field flying in?

Mode One 12-17-2007 05:36 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
SpinPoxy, once again you are spinning what has been said by myself and others into something to further your own cause, which is AMA BAD, SpinPoxy Good!

I'm not proud of how the AMA handled this situation. Big impersonal organizations are always capable of falling flat on their faces. However, I would never have considered I simply had the right to go to Muncie and fly on the property, without clearing it with the staff there.

I really have nothing further to say to you, except you can stop lecturing me on what your convoluted ideas of common courtesy and protocol are!

Timothy, This is a non-issue now, I'm gald it has been cleared up to what ever extent you want it cleared up to.

Mode One 12-17-2007 10:02 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
From my point of view I would not walk onto any R/C flying field and expect to be welcome to fly, without prior arrangements being made with the controlling party. I feel I could only expect to do this at a club field where I am a member. And, although I am a member of the AMA, I don't consider Muncie to be my club field as it may be in use for contests or any other use which the organization may deem it usable for. I do not condone what happened to Timothy Thompson with the instance which he alludes to. I don't know who the people where who chased him off the premises and I don't know if what he describes is what actually happened.

The above explaination of my expectations are feelings of how I should conduct myself. However, I think most of us would only consider them as fair and courteous.

crash99 12-20-2007 03:54 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Don't let these guys get under your skin. You should be able to fly at the money pit .............. I mean the AMA Fields. Alot of folks forgot the reason we are here.

Flying is fun! Flying is our hobby! Yes reading the threads here many has their hobby is the club and not flying. How to create rules and how to take the fun out of RC. Its not like that here. We love to fly and so we fly.

I understand the AMA will have a Profile Brotherhood Fly this summer. So the AMA is getting better.

Crash99

KidEpoxy 12-20-2007 04:21 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 

From Hoss:
Did you not check in at the headquartes station? Not required, but would you go to any club's site and just start flying without checking with the locals? How could you have any idea whether some special event is in progress or not if you don't ask.
I think many of us would wonder if anything was going on while driving to the field,
or at least many of us wouldnt know the CheckIn was not required & ask if one was.... which would turn out to be checking in anyway.

But it seems plainly odd that the folks running him off (for not checking in ???) didnt know no check-in was req. Even odder that he didnt get a clear explaination of why he has to leave (event??), and how to do it right next visit. Why the heck didnt they say what was going on & why he couldnt fly. Do all staffers need a little card in their wallet as to the right way to ask some identified member to stop flying?

I wouldnt dream of flying on some private AMA chartered club field without talking to that club,
but this is the AMA MoneyPit we are talking about. Tim was a member of that club, and no check-in was req. One would figure if there was an Event, the folks kicking Tim off would have mentioned that.

Anyhoo,
Tim says he got a nice Email from them, so the thread has actually gotten a positive outcome:
Identify a problem & it might get fixed,
Ignore problems & they continue to be problems.... till something breaks

Kanain 01-05-2008 02:03 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
Living less than five hours away and being a competition pilot, I have flown at the national site many times. The folks at the HQ and the museum have always been extremely friendly and helpful. I have met AMA members with single and low double digit AMA numbers all the way to young kids giving RC or FF a try for the first time. We have camped out and flown to sundown on numerous occassions and have never been mistreated in any way. My girlfriend and I like to camp out at the primitive camp site while at Muncie for the Nats and we take the telescope to stargaze after the sun goes down. The site always opens up the showers and bathrooms behind the museum for us - so its not so primitive. After the stress of competition flights all day, its nice to relax in a quiet setting with no TV or phones or hordes of people around. On the way home from the 2005 Scale Aerobatic Nats, my girlfriend realized that she left a set of clothes and personal items behind at the showers. We called and the folks from AMA boxed up her stuff and mailed it out to us the same day - NO CHARGE (for those that thing AMA is all about money).

Tim - I am glad you got things sorted out and hope you take the time to go fly there again someday. Unfortunately, you will also find that many of the nay-sayers or profits of doom and gloom have never even been there!

timothy thompson 01-05-2008 05:25 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 
thanks i rejoined AMA i got a huge apology and found out it was people from the community who were harrasing me. There is a small group that doesnt like the noise (aww poor babies) so no AMA folks caused the problem. Ill be back when we have out teaching meeting down there, im lobbying for a weekend meeting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STLPilot 01-05-2008 06:04 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 


ORIGINAL: Kule Kanain

Living less than five hours away and being a competition pilot, I have flown at the national site many times. The folks at the HQ and the museum have always been extremely friendly and helpful. I have met AMA members with single and low double digit AMA numbers all the way to young kids giving RC or FF a try for the first time. We have camped out and flown to sundown on numerous occassions and have never been mistreated in any way. My girlfriend and I like to camp out at the primitive camp site while at Muncie for the Nats and we take the telescope to stargaze after the sun goes down. The site always opens up the showers and bathrooms behind the museum for us - so its not so primitive. After the stress of competition flights all day, its nice to relax in a quiet setting with no TV or phones or hordes of people around. On the way home from the 2005 Scale Aerobatic Nats, my girlfriend realized that she left a set of clothes and personal items behind at the showers. We called and the folks from AMA boxed up her stuff and mailed it out to us the same day - NO CHARGE (for those that thing AMA is all about money).

Tim - I am glad you got things sorted out and hope you take the time to go fly there again someday. Unfortunately, you will also find that many of the nay-sayers or profits of doom and gloom have never even been there!
And now you can get that benefit for half the price! Hey maybe it's worth signing up for the e-ticket if your an RV or small aircraft owner. For $29 you get a campsite and shower for the nite located right near the populous center of America. Does anyone know if there is a light airport witin walking distance? I've been there by car but never by small aircraft.

iflyj3 01-05-2008 06:38 PM

RE: Flying at the AMA Muncie site.
 


ORIGINAL: STLPilot
[Does anyone know if there is a light airport witin walking distance? I've been there by car but never by small aircraft.
There is a general aviation airport that joins the AMA site on the south side.


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