Originally Posted by
Red Raider
The purpose of this thread was to discuss the future of model aviation and impact that the EC has had on that future. embracing the drones, for whatever reason seems to have turned out bad for all of us. Are we going to be able to correct the "taxation without representation" that our EC has perpetrated on us, or do we as a membership have to rise up and take the organization in a different direction.
Good idea, back on track to discuss the issues, but hope you can stay true to that as well as not go personal when the opinions expressed don't comport with yours.
The premise that the AMA embraced drones and then perpetrated some type of taxation on us is without merit. If you don't know the difference between drone and MR by the way, you should investigate that. They "embraced" MR because they should have, just like they did Helis years ago. How you left the FAA out of the equation further calls into question to veracity of the premise.
As of this point, based on what we have been presented with by the FAA, the future of the hobby doesn't appear to be the dystopian nightmare some have predicted, almost with longing it seems. Yes, some changes noted, but for the overwhelming majority of AMA members, they register and they fly. And that's how it will go, there will be no "rise up". I say that based on the fact that the registration isn't enough to start an uprising. Even looking at a couple of different websites, the outrage is already waning, and the letters and petitions etc have all but stalled. I'm not saying they weren't well meaning and had good points, but one has less than 700 sigs, and about double that for another one started offline. Hardly an uprising. All is not for nothing though. You are right that we collectively can try to take the organization in a different direction, but I'm sorry, just saying that is only part of the picture.
What's the big picture? Great, an uprising takes hold, and new leadership is installed. Then what? Specifics please, something, anything. Are we looking for change for the sake of change, or change with purpose and direction. What do these new leaders do. Leave off the banning of anything, that's not a viable solution that will make any difference now. Leave off changing the FAAs mind about a registration process, that's done, it won't be rolled back. I get the desire for something new, but if you are going to call for a rising up of people to change the organization, at the same time blaming the current admin of the organization, isn't it fair to come to the table with something specific, rather than a "lets have change" call to arms?
I didn't even go into who the new leaders are, that's a whole different conversation. I just assumed there were tons of people clamoring for the jobs, notwithstanding the fact that there were only two people who rose to the challenge of running for district VPs.