VF-101 Guy, technically the AMA does not issue a !QUOT!license!QUOT! that authorizes you to fly a model or a turbine model. The AMA membership !QUOT!license!QUOT! card grants you associate membership in the NAA which is sanctioning body for all things aviation related. The license opens the door to competition. The side benefit to the sport flyer is camaraderie, an organization big enough to lobby, and secondary insurance coverage. Through and effort to keep safety preeminent in the turbine world the AMA and the turbine flyers in the organization have developed a lot of help and documentation to minimize dangers and reduce the learning curve.

That is your principle benefit of joining the AMA

You state that you want to fly turbines off an old airfield. Do you know how to fly RC now? Are the folks flying off this airfield organized as a club? If they are and they are an AMA club then you must have the AMA membership.

If the idea is just you out at an old airfield, then the issue is if the airfield is still active in anyway (does it show up on a sectional) then you should have the land owners permission, and you must respect and avoid the full scale aviation going on there.

Lastly if you don't know how to fly RC, AND you intend to fly this turbine by yourself, FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY SAKE DON'T do it without qualified help. Since you're apparently proud of your heritage, please remember not ONE pilot in VF-101 STARTED in an F-14, They ALL started in a T-34 or T-28 TRAINER. The same goes for model aviation YOU need to start with a trainer.

Maj Tom USAFR ret
AMA 8026