On this forum there have been all kinds of discussions about AMA ups and downs, and many topics around, about, cussin' and discussin' any and all AMA related topics with the Park Flier issue getting considerable attention.

In the '70s I owned a hobby shop, Aero Sports, Inc. on Northwest Highway in Mt. Prospect, Il. I closed that shop due to a number of reasons, (mostly because I was flying for UAL, and commuting to fly with the AF Reserve in Pittsburgh). I had too little time to do my lazy things.
I maintained a "dealership" with a couple distributors that are also now "gone west" all gobbled up by GP and Horizon. For sometime I got Dealer's rights at some trade-shows. Sometime in the late '80s I remember being sent a questionnaire from the Hobby Industry Association. I filled out the regular questions, maybe fudging my "annual business" a bit and then there was a write-in. It was to the effect of 'What would you suggest to really build up the model airplane hobby?' I remember answering with quite a few statements which paraphrased were that the HIA should develop a small model airplane, power system of very quiet proportions, and a small radio system that could be flown at the school yards by father-son or small boys.
While I never heard about that idea, I now wonder if I actually planted a seed in someone's brain-storming. Oh yes, I am certain they were flooded with the same idea from many in one way or another.[:-]

Now, let's do some more thinking. IN MY OPINION, our beloved Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), in its search for more control over individuals and clubs, with its search for a more profitable (for whom?) insurance package, and a pursuit of developing a publication far beyond the levels so required by the AMA's basic purposes, has greatly neglected the Bylaws requirements reference to promoting model aviation in its entirety. This neglect by AMA, has reduced the ability of the Model Airplane Clubs to function as serious groups engaged in a most scientific, pleasurable, educational, and recreational activity. This reduction of the Clubs' ability to function as described, is extremely harmful to those Clubs in their efforts to locate, acquire, and develop those potential flying sites. Without a flying site, the club simply cannot function.

Again in my opinion, the popularity of the so called Park Fliers does evidence that there is still that desire within the person to experiment with that age-old desire to simply FLY! Therefore the problem that really exists is the lack of flying facilities that people can get to and use with reasonable effort whenever there is some small amount of time to use. Of course a facility for 40-percenters cannot be in the heart of each housing development, however there are many possibilities for model aviation in some form that have yet to be explored.

In my opinion the AMA has been derelict in their primary responsibility. I don't mean just token attention, and collections of case histories, but deep and heavy promotion of the sport/hobby through the free media available. I mean establishing a base for the Clubs to be recognized when they approach those with the ability to provide flying facilities.

I mean reducing the in-house magazine operation to a smaller profitable item that has promotion of the AMA and model aviation as a primary objective, not simply a member-funded bureaucracy of its own. I want AMA's magazine to NOT be a competitor with the other modeling media. I want to see all the other magazines supporting AMA and taking the AMA vision outside the choir to all their readers. AMA's MA would exist simply to keep the choir in tune.

I mean providing simply a member liability secondary insurance program along with the primary site-owner insurance, all just a lean mean liability program. I don't mean throwing away more member $$ in the chasing of captive insurance companies that promise some rainbow's end while the real pot of gold sets in the paid-up membership. Any insurance program has some restrictions, but AMA's need not be so restricted that even those on staff have little idea how it works. It definitely does not need such a restriction list that we now must endure.

Now THINK again about this. You married guys may think of yourself as the HEAD of household. However little 'wifey' has always been the neck and can turn you whichever direction she so chooses, plus she usually controls the budget. In big business, most corporate directions are a result of the chief "BEAN-COUNTERS" those that control the money. That is why AMA really needs a new Executive Vice President, known as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
AMA needs a CFO that knows where the REAL RETURNS ON INVESTMENT ARE. The real returns are on obtaining MORE NEW MEMBERS as well as retaining the ones we have. 50 grand in a CD scheme, a couple hundred grand in stock investments are peanuts when talking about the loss of 5000 members ($290,000.00) a loss which exceeds the *grandiose* scheme forecasts now employed by AMA . Retaining that 5000 plus adding another 5000 is 10,000 members worth $580,000. Now better that the next year with a 5% (estimated 7750) increase and you have $449,500 providing a 2nd year of over a million Yankee Dollars to the better. MEMBERSHIP is the answer, not just counting the pencils and paper-clips, plus pulling in a tight self-supporting bureaucracy.

So Gents, if you want real flying site support, recognition, less rules/restrictions, an informative magazine, yet support from all the model aviation media and complete knowledge where your AMA $$ go, then nominate and elect a new EVP (CFO) that will do his utmost to provide such. It's the purse strings that determines the direction the head turns. I have both the ability and determination to redirect AMA from its current downsliding course.

Please check the nomination procedures, March. '05 issue, Model Aviation, Page 149.

I'm at your service. I can't get there if YOU don't write the tickets.

Edited: punctuation