ORIGINAL: macr0t0r
@ptulmer:
Will you accept that there are more people flying today than in the past? It's pretty obvious that Park Flyers has caused something of an explosion lately. You would think that AMA would be able to skim a few additional members from this explosion. However, when they presented the e-ticket proposal (which I still think is a bad idea), they displayed a cahrt showing the membership trend. I have a copy of the powerpoint file. It reads:
2002: 173,000
2003: 168,000
2004: 164,000
2005: 161,000
You can "not accept" it all you like, but the bottom line is that AMA is shrinking even though there are more modelers. They are simply trying to fit into the new market. Growing pains are to be expected.
I'm a bit of an annoying optimist. I still believe that AMA will eventually get back on its feet with both gas and electric in its ranks.
I wonder has anyone done the demographics on the average age of the AMA member? It looks to me like the reason for the drop in the membership rolls might be due to normal attrition. We (old phartes) are dying off at a fairly steady rate. There have been several just this year that have been reported here. Just imagine how many more have passed on, who were relative nobodies, and no one noticed. As the Baby Boomers start to thin out (they are pretty much the last large group of members) there will be an even more profound decrease in membership. I dare say that there will not bee too many members from Generation X or the other gen's. who will join anyway. I would almost bet money that the average age of the AMA open membership is at least 50 years of age. Anybody got any other ideas?
Bill, AMA 4720