This e-ticket will mainly just give many of the current park flyer members a discount (if they never use sanctioned fields). This is certainly not the "boost" AMA is looking for.
I guess you didn't read Joyce's email in it's entirety. You missed a few things.
That is specifically aimed at addressing the needs of the park flyer pilots. We have defined these "park flyer modelers" as having models that weigh 2 pounds or less, do not exceed 60 mph, and do not fly higher than 200 feet. This proposed program would have less insurance coverage, be limited to non-sanctioned events, and include a bimonthly magazine focusing on electric-powered aircraft. Additionally, we view this new membership group as establishing electric-power flying fields in urban areas and not being part of existing clubs. We have priced this program at $29.95 per year.
Sorry but I like to keep facts as the facts, didn't mean anything by it. Price was not the main focus of the e-ticket, in fact it was the last point mentioned in the proposal.
However, the Sport Flyer license works because people still have to go through the "gate" of schools to be allowed to fly. The students still come to them.
Sorry but you don't need to go through a single school get your Sport ticket or even Private ticket. In fact most people don't go anywhere near a school to get a sport or private tickets, that's just if you want to accelerate the process or just need that extra re-assurance. They simply rent a plane and hire a CFI, read some books, take a written then practical test, done deal. Typically after sport or private one will seek out a school for further ratings after that level. The AMA could only wish they could propose such a successfully running program to get new, not as rich and health restricted pilots either up, or back up, in the air.
What AMA should be talking about is how to get their name into the parks. Right now, the only way a Park Flyer discovers AMA is by having a member approach him. Do you think a special discount will inspire more members to approach Park Flyers, especially when the membership won't be valid at their flying site? Probably NOT.
What the AMA needs to do is setup their policy to be molded for the park flyers, let even take the price out of the equation for right now, although no matter what you think, lower price always sells more, Walmart is living proof, you know the worlds largest company. The best way for the AMA to attract AMA parkflyers is to actually make a proposal like they've already pitched, smaller planes and slower speeds. Something designed just for them and this is what the AMA IS working on right now.
If the purpose is to "get them hooked" with a lower price, then the junior membership and Introductory membership already does that. Price is not the issue...insufficient publicity is.
It's not working, obviously, otherwise they would have never made the pitch and the numbers are STILL falling. Reason why intro membership won't work is because it's a "one hit wonder" and those never work. The kids membership is the bait onto a larger AMA which also must not be working either otherwise the average AMA members age would be much lower. What will work? Who knows, but what is the fear of trying. It seems everyone is for the intro program, for the kids program, GREAT! Now lets try something else which actually MAY show actual results designed off the FASTEST growing niche in RC RIGHT NOW. Each day they wait, they are only missing the boat as it sails by.
Why does the AMA need PF's like the thread says? Because they are not stupid. It's the members and the EC that slow the AMA down. This is why the AMA should switch over to a for profit or IPO before it goes to crap. The EC are lost in their own little clueless world and they are taking their own ship down, like a bunch of holes in a boat.