To me my check to AMA is the same as my check to State Farm for my car insurance. I hate writting both but I have to. IMO AMA membership is nothing more than an insurance policy I'm forced to carry to fly.

I don't care about a new headquarters that a tiny % of the membership will ever see. I don't care about national competitions. There should be a cheaper no-frills insurance policy, oops membership for average flyers. I'll skip the magazine and don't give access to the headquarters complex.

I could be way off but I think most people are like me when it comes to flying. I just want to go flying sunday mornings (or any morning) and hang out with other fliers for a couple hours or so and fly. I have no dreams of a national championship and I'm not saving my vacation to visit the AMA headquarters.