Originally Posted by
jester_s1
It was a big swing and a miss, for sure. And I agree that pushing for the government to require AMA membership for all RC pilots was the big misstep that cost them much of the goodwill they had early on. It's not like it was a bad suggestion though. It just didn't gain the support it needed to become law.
However, if it had worked, it would have solved most of the problems that we are talking about. We are talking about the AMA going broke, which they wouldn't be now had all RC pilots (drone and otherwise) been required to buy AMA membership. And I think the AMA could have done for drones what it did for planes and helicopters 40 years ago- organized the hobby, developed competitions, and established safety procedures that work. Interestingly enough, drone pilots wound up creating their own organizations that did that anyway. That plan honestly could have worked out pretty well for everybody involved had the FAA and congress been willing to require that extra financial investment to be a hobby pilot.
To me, just my opinion mind you, trying to mandate membership through government regulation was more than a misstep, it was highly unethical, unconstitutional, and contrary to how an organization of people in any hobby should operate. Imagine if the ARRL tried to make it mandatory for Ham radio operators to join their organization to be allowed to operate on Ham frequencies. Or the NRA said you had to be a member to own a gun. You can't drive a motorcycle unless you belong to the American Motorcycle Association (another "AMA"). Imagine needing to be a member of a boating organization in order to take your boat out on the water?
So what should a hobby organization do to attract members? There should be some value add in membership that makes it worth becoming a member in order to join. For many of us there is value. I enjoy flying at the local club I belong to with a great group of guys, so for me there is value. But to attempt to force membership through regulation is just not right. Then to further advocate that anyone not joining our hobby association should be prosecuted as a criminal by the government, well that was just way out of line. Again, all just my opinion.