Flyboy

The Audited Financial Statement is on the AMA web site in the Member's Only section. Any member can see where the money goes.

In the last statement, the magazine cost the members about $7 per adult, after revenues (including advertising) and expenses. Pretty cheap for a newletter that is required by the IRS. I doubt most club newsletters are put out for less.

The AMA Convention (trade show) actually makes a buck or two (very few) and is not a drain on dues.

Many things that the average member is not aware of are happening. BPL (broadband over power lines) has the potential of making our frequencies unusable. The AMA has input to the FCC and is monitoring the testing going on in that area right now.

Homeland Security, in a couple of it's many forms, has been in contact with the AMA. A new rule prohibiting autonomous flight, and input to the TSA about the transport of models on airlines are part of the ongoing dialogue there.

One of the members of this forum is making a presentation of a working spreadspectrum radio on 2.4 GHz within days to the AMA technical services.

These are just a few of the things the average member never sees. He only sees the results. And, of course, these are in addition to the normal functioning of the AMA that includes sactioning events. Not just competitive events, but fun-flys and the like, that allow clubs to raise money for their own purposes.

I guess one of my pet peeves is the image of the EC sitting in thier plush offices in Muncie, feet on the desk, thinking up new ways to ruin our fun. The truth is that they are UNPAID elected volunteers. Dave Brown did have an office in Muncie. That lasted about 3 months until the AMA staff needed the room. Now he has none. The rest of the EC (all 14 of them) shares one small office with two chairs, a desk and a computer. They are only in town for a few days a year. Most have businesses to run. Most are putting out upwards of $10,000 a year from their own pocket for the privelige of taking heat from an uninformed membership and trying to serve us.