Matt, this is a great post, and must reading for any folks who are still in denial at the AMA about the future. Technology is going to change this hobby just as it has many other life-styles. People are going to want the most fun for the least money, and all the Internet pontificating in the world is not going to change that. Technology is going to deliver safe and quiet models at the performance and price points of .40 size glow power models, thus meeting the needs of the majority of AMA members. When that happens, who is going to need a 400 foot paved runway? Who is going to need a field dedicated to a small number of flyers? Who is going to need a noise buffer from residences? Who is going to need Safety Officers? Who is going to need frequency control when the engineers solve that problem? Who is going to need extra insurance for their hobby?

The answer is, probably, "Not many folks." My guess is that it will become impossible to keep the insurance business afloat, and that the folks who fly really big models are going to have to consolidate into some very isolated fields where spectators assume some of the risk. If I were king for day, and I wanted the AMA to last into the future, I think that rather than trying to keep the insurance program viable, I'd be trying to get out of the insurance business. Otherwise, it's just waiting around for the next big claim that wipes out the organization. (Google "nspi bankruptcy" for an example.)