ORIGINAL: scale only 4 me
Ira, you could have and still can drive to Whitter Narrows or Sepulveda Basin,, neither require AMA to fly.. pretty long drive for you though, Used to be Mile Square Park over the Orange curtain too, but that field is long gone, that was made into another Golf Course shortly after you got into the hobby.
Actually Los Angeles County Parks Department now requires AMA membership to fly at Whittier. But they do give you free park entry as an AMA member, so you get a break there.
The Basin is still wide open for anyone.