I have seen several issues that seem to me (given my limited background in flying) good points to discuss at an official level. Rather than a lot of AMA members standing around saying "Yep, thats broken. AMA ought to change that". We ought to be saying it to our elected reps within AMA. A prime example is with regards to training. When someone first gets into this hobby, you can easily be out 500 to 600 dollars. Even before you decide whether you actually want this as a hobby. We then tell these people that before we will train them on a buddy box, where we, an AMA member can take control at any time, they must spend another 10% to become an AMA member and maybe more to become a club member.

It gets even worse with small electrics. Someone buys a RTF for $150 and shows up at our field wanting someone to teach them to fly. Because of the current AMA rules, we have to tell them "Sorry, I can't help you unless you spend another $60 and join AMA. This is another 40% on top of what they have spent. So instead they go to the park and try to teach themselves. Quickly crashing there plane and them dropping out of the hobby without ever really getting into it. All this and the chance for interference as well.

I know AMA has a couple of different programs to cover non AMA flyers. The first being the one time flight and the second being the instructor pilot program. The problem with either one of these is they are too short and/or cumbersome. Why not modify these to allow a 3 or 4 month instructor program with a buddy box? You wouldn't allow someone to solo at an AMA chartered field without being a member of AMA but you could allow them to be a student pilot on a buddy box.

Anywhere else they sucker you in with a low introductory rate the first year and raise it the next year. Once your hooked on this hobby, you don't mind spending the extra. It's when you first start out that you don't want to spend too much money.

Granted, there are those that don't want anything to do with AMA and you won't be able to satisfy them. However we as AMA members need to be more active in expressing our opinions to our organization rather than just each other.