ORIGINAL: Oberst
ORIGINAL: jester_s1
Oberst- I don't think you realize what a flying site really costs. Sure, if a landowner is willing to let you take a patch of his property to be your private runway without paying for it then more power to you, but I haven't found one yet who is willing to own property and pay taxes on it then not use it. Personally, I couldn't keep a grass runway mowed for $75 a year, let alone pay for the land lease. And it's not like our hobby lends itself well to dual land use like flying in a cow pasture.
Well, the owner of any private property will pay the same amount of tax if they have a field for us to use or not. It doesn't take me more than $40 to cut the grass and maintain a grass runway because I donate my time and equipment. Not to say if fuel prices keep going up, then I'll one day have to retract that statement.
But when prices go up higher than $50 then I think clubs are taking advantage of people. At times I feel like I'm just throwing my money in the wind because not once have I needed to claim anything from the AMA, but I'm required to keep my AMA membership up to date just to be able to fly anywhere. Add that to club cost and it's a price of another kit or ARF!
Unless a club has about 4 picnics a year, door & cash prizes for its own members when they have shows, then it's just taking advantage because they all think we're made of money. Because one becomes disabled or becomes unemployed, they shouldn't be pushed out of enjoying this hobby. I don't think seniors or students should be the only ones to get discounts, but that's another subject.
To be fair, the owner of the private field should only charge to cover the tax on that part of that field, not to cover his whole property! The more members of a club, the more the cost for all its members should come down. I haven't seen one club ever have a problem with someone wanting to donate equipment or time to make the flying area nice. This is my opinion and I'm entitled to share.
Another thing, since the AMA refuses to give discounts for safe flying, or eliminate the magazine for a additional discounts- I think it's up to the president or owners of flying fields to give us a little slack and keep the prices around $40 or less.
In this economy we all have to tighten our belts, why not clubs and the AMA? I thought club and the AMA like promoting this hobby? Can't do it by ripping us off so we can't enjoy flying are planes. To me $140 is a chunk a change for just to be able to fly his models. Not everyone can afford it without sacrificing something. I'm just thinking of the guy who's having a rough time, got a wife and kids and likes to fly his planes a few times a month, just so he can enjoy aviation and relax- or get away from it all for a while.
Pete