ORIGINAL: HeaterMan

Matt, I think your observations are accurate for So. Cal, So. Fla or most of the USA. Unfortunatley, the only thing the AMA has hung its hat on the last many years is the availability of insurance. As long as a club required you to join the AMA (and the main reason you wanted to join that club was to get access to a flying site) they pretty much had a monopoly, because you had to join the AMA in order to have a place to fly. With Park Flyers/Electrics, a "flying site" is not quite the same as it used to be. Now it is not necessary to join the AMA just to get access to a "flying site". I can go down to the school soccer field, football field, etc. No noise and nobody pays much attention. Except the next generation of "Park Flyers"! And they just want to know where you bought the plane. Until the AMA finds something that entices the Park Flyers to pay an annual dues, they are not going to attract many flyers. And paying annual dues to get a magazine and membership card is not going to do it. Being in this hobby off and on for over 40 years, I've been a AMA member during the times I have been active. But other than Insurance and a discount on a dorm room at the Lake Charles nats sometime in the early 70's, I'm not sure what the AMA has provided me.

Hugh

AMA 825815
LSF 2298
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