Btw, the AMA was self-insured at one point. But things being what they are, it became less expensive to stop doing it that way, and purchase insurance instead. (I don't know when that was done, just that it was done. The self insurance was back around 1990, plus or minus a couple of years).

The insurance is a non-issue for most of us, but they have paid out some big settlements a few times over the years, so it has done something for someone. They tend to be really secretive about what they pay out, and with information on the accidents, which is a shame.

The AMA, like any big organizations is far from perfect. I don't agree with everything they do, and I certainly have heard enough about the actions of certain specific people who hold office to know that not everyone running the AMA is a saint. There are some we'd be better off with out. But on the whole, the AMA has more going for it than not. If nothing else, the AMA is a big part in helping us keep our frequencies.

But the bottom line is that many clubs and flying sites require it, and just about all the competitions and flyins do as well.