Originally Posted by franklin_m

It's great that you have that kind of time. I don't. If that makes me a casual member, so what? You went to three flying clubs. I spent an hour and got in six flights at the park first thing in the morning, then went to the range to sight in two rifles before deer season, went to a baseball practice with my son, and took my daughter for some school supplies. Not looking for any sympathy, just pointing out that not everyone has the time to do all this volunteering you keep trying to push on me. I guess I'm of less interest to AMA since I can't devote that kind of time.

My point is this. If having successful club fields takes sizeable numbers of folks like you, ones who devote considerable time, can the whole club field model survive? Without quality facilities close to where people reside, work, and live the rest of their lives (schools, sports, etc.), are there enough members who are willing to drive an hour or more just to fly? I honestly don't think so.

What made McDonalds successful? It's not the great food. It's the consistency. The "user experience" is the same whether you stop at a store in Virginia, or California, or in one city, or the next. Contrast that with AMA club fields. I think there's a large variation in the "user experience" and that could prove to be a weakness in the business model. Quite simply, w/o quality clubs close, why should people join?

I wish I lived close to a vibrant club like yours. Within the limits of my work schedule and other commitments, I'd probably even volunteer. But I don't. I only have so much time to devote to the hobby, which means that there's a limit to how far I'm willing to drive. That probably makes me less of a member in your eyes. But the reality is there's a lot of folks like me. Folks who don't have the luxury or desire to devote entire days to flying most weekends. If AMA's model depends on folks like you, does it not run the risk of collapsing (figuratively) to select pockets around the country? These pockets being Goldilocks zones if you will, where there's just the right amount of members, of the right demographic with time to devote, and not too much urban encroachment?