ORIGINAL: littlecrankshaf
Come on guys...whether someone belongs to AMA or not isn’t an issue but as AMA members our goal should be to help and educate anyone interested in model aviation however or wherever they chose to participate. Inviting them to join our clubs and hang out with us is cool but to demean them for not drinking the Kool-aid is bad form IMO...If you find someone flying at another venue, take a moment and see if you can be of any help... really simple.
Wow , that was very well written. Like I mentioned, about 14 of my 33 years in the hobby were at non-AMA sites. And I still fly at non-AMA sites on rare occasions. I have met hundreds of pilots during that time. After 33 years I can count on one hand the number of pilots that did not belong to the AMA. And those were flying smaller electric park flyers or electric helis. Is it possible that there are people out there flying without AMA memberships? Certainly, but when a person decides the hobby is something they could enjoy long term, they generally join the AMA. The idea that the AMA is missing out by not persuing the short term enthusiest might be true. But is that really worth persuing? Is it realistic to demand that every pilot join the AMA immediately? Well, that could be the practical outcome of the FAA's non-CBO, default rules for RC, (we will wait and see).