Originally Posted by
franklin_m
(1) If they didn't want people to ask for money for projects, the program would not exist. Since the program is funded at least in part by dues, then yes indeed it is a members' right to ask.
Right...and they do have programs and do have people ask for funds, and they most certainly do in fact honor some of those requests. They can't fulfill all of them.
(2) At the time, AMA was talking about establishing new fields. Our group came up with the hardest part of it, the land, but AMA wasn't interested in providing assistance because it would not have been open to every AMA member, yet they're well aware that already exists in AMA and they allow it. Why they drew a line in this case, we'll never know. Now, it's their right to say no, which they did, and in the end they not only didn't get a field free of encroachment, noise complaints, etc., they lost the field they had. Now, if that's acceptable to them, losing another field when they had the opportunity to get a great replacement, then so be it.
Why they drew a line in the sand.....perhaps it was the whole DOD involvement that might have been the sticky wicket in that situation. Even you have to admit that is not something they have probably come up against 99.99 percent of the time, and the lack of ability for people outside that base to use it was clearly the reason (well..perhaps the reason).
(3) Yes, I spoke about their cash on hand, but that was in the context of an overall financial health discussion and, you'll note, it's a trend that post dates the request.
Pre or post..if they just grant every request they end up having less money on hand, are less healthy financially, and then get hammered for being poor planners etc etc. Another no win for them.
(4) And someone below indicated that if weather during the summer was an issue, the what about spring / fall. Fair question. Unfortunately, the transition seasons & winter brought strong, gusty and variable winds, and when it wasn't windy, dense fog. Not to say their couldn't be a day here and there to fly, but the prime flying weather (except for heat) is in Jun-Aug.