Originally Posted by BaltimoreBomber

WOW.
Now the nostalgia is really flowing. I stumbled onto this thread after wondering if the AMA experience I had as a kid, that chased me out of the hobby 30 years ago, was just a fluke, Apparently not. All those old men in the late 80's passed on the traits I saw back then very well to the current group of people in control. I was actually researching clubs (quite gingerly) for the spring as I have returned to the hobby. But I will cease and desist after reading this thread.

If anyone cares, here is my bad experience with the local AMA club which no longer exists.
I had very good building skills for my age. Built and flew 2 glow planes in the late 80's, around my preteens. I joined the local club, they gave me the runaround for a full 8 months (of paying dues and doing countless hours of free labor, which nobody else showed up for.)
I was never allowed to get my gear out of the car. every weekend I showed up, ran and talked to the "elders" they said no, I stayed and sent my gear back home with my parents.. FOR 8 MONTHS. stayed 6-8 hours every day i was there because i was gullible and told someone would come with a buddy box and give me stick time, or somebody would be introduced to me that would at least maiden my plane (even though I had been flying a year already.) They took total advantage of me. At the end it was heated, nasty arguments when my parents dropped me off or picked me up and i said nope not this time either.
Finallymy father put his foot down. "maiden his plane at least".So after all that, two weekends later and right before winter, they got someone to "check out andmaiden" my plane. a
pt-40 with an enya .40 they made me get, as an official trainer can only be used for training. I had put over a hundred flights on it. It looked like an old lawn mower brown stained on top from gallons of nitro and green on the bottom from my back yard.
They go over it for an hour. Check and recheck. fires right up. taxis around. Guy1 takes it up. flies beautifully. no adjustments. touch and goes, even some slow rolls and inverted, empties the tank in the air and brings it in dead engine. Now i dont like whats happening. They are talking and here comes pop pop senior man on the ground. Hes talking it down cause its dirty. We cant have dirty old planes in this club he said. I said "ive been flying it all summer. I only got it to join this club because you guys told me to..." I could see the red creep up his neck.
He said to the guy that flew it first "let me check it out". HEs the boss. guy1 says refuel it so he can check it out. So i do. No problem. get it running and everything. fresh battery.
Pop pop senior takes it straight up. proceeds to wide open throttle "3D acrobatic" stunt my plane as hard as it will go. less than 2 minutes later he stalls it doing some trick, doesnt make it back to the runway, smashes it into low trees at the end of the property. Sets my radio down without a word and walks to his car and eats a sandwich like nothing happened.
It was FOR SURE out of spite. Last time i ever had any dealings with the AMA until I read this thread.