Before people start jumping the gun, let's sit back and look at the situation. I, for one, never said that the RC flyer didn't need the AMA. I thank the AMA for getting channels secured for me to fly on. I thank them for giving scholarships to students. There are a few things I can think of right off the top of my head that the AMA does for people/modelers. The problem I'm seeing, along with others, is that the AMA has become a "monster". It has gotten too big, and too powerful. It's become political, way too political. It's become a "money" organization. Yes, it has, it has become money hungry, and everyone knows it. Muncie didn't "need" that nice new building! They EC "wanted" it! I feel quite positive that the old facility suited things just fine. Muncie didn't "need" that nice new corparate flying site. The EC "wanted" it! How many of us flyers will acutually use the site, or evert get the oportunity to fly at it? Probably never! Sure, it's there for us if we ever want to use it, but everyone knows that they'll never get the chance, because of personal reasons. So, yes, the AMA is money hungry! Look at all of those dollars that were spent, our dollars, on something we will never use. I think it's pretty sickening!

The AMA has left a bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths. If they would have kept things the way they were, it wouldn't be as bad right now, as what it is. They need to get back to promoting the hobby. Use the money to help struggling clubs. Use the money to put in "small" regional facilities, secure ones that the area politicians and higher-ups can't shut down/run off.
Use the money to privide "different types of insurance", for people with different needs. Get rid of that god-awful magazine. Use the money they spend on that for more "important" things. There's tons of things I can sit and think of that they could do to cut back at the corparate level and focus on us, the modelers.

If they don't watch out, someone will cut their throat. Someone can, and will, come out with a better organization. If they'll straighten up, and focus on the basics, things will get back to normal. If they'll do that, we won't be voicing our negative opinions about them, like we are.

John