Originally Posted by
porcia83
I think there is only so much the AMA can do, I don't think we're the big players in all this, I think it's commercial and defense. It looks like they did what they thought was best, even so far as getting involved in litigation, not sure what else they could have done. It's always a crap-shoot dealing with politicians and govt agencies. Not familiar with the two lost fields, and what/if anything the AMA could have done about that. There are tons of reasons for that happening, many of which AMA is powerless to stop. I've read some reports of them helping to get fields up and running, but don't have stats one way or another. Not sure how them being at the Delaware event is relevant to what they do, could they have done anything to avoid what happened? The whole EC was at the Jet event in Maine this year, if there was a terrible crash there, should they share some blame for that somehow, or try to hide the fact they were there?
I completely get the "what am I getting for my money" thought process. So in my case I would ask the question of my local leader members, and district officers, or even national ones. I think that's everyone's prerogative as well, to let those in a position of authority know how we feel about important issues such as this, and ask for specifics as to how they are going to go about serving the membership. I note this as I'm looking at my renewal notice as well.
The AMA VP was at the event when a large WWI aircraft veered over the crowd and crashed in the tents, narrowly missing people. Yet that same VP did nothing to change the standoffs, the crowd location, the flight pattern, nor the "no earlier than liftoff point" to ensure that if there was a wayward aircraft in the future, save a >90 turn, that the velocity vector would be away from the spectators. So, since nothing was done, when the B29 continued it's takeoff despite a clear lack of directional cotrol on the ground, that 100lb aircraft narrowly missed the crowd on a flight path similar to the earlier one. Then, in the MA the next month, that same VP bragged about being there and not one word on the near miss...a very dangerous one.
I'm just not seeing the value for the dollar. I get a magazine that becoming increasingly forgettable, a museum I'll never visit, competitions that are more and more won by sponsored pilots who get $100+ servos by the box, and now completely ineffective government lobbying on behalf of my interests.