Originally posted by akpilot
I'm sorry but, can people quit using the analogy of comparing r/c to golf. Someone may pay through the nose for golf, but they physically see something for their "green's fees" - property in the form of a manicured golf course, club house, etc. And the money is locally spent.
As for the cost of r/c compared to other hobbies - some of us choose to invest only $200-$300 others, into the thousands of dollars. So why compare $800 clubs, when a person can still golf on a set of $95 Wilsons?
I'll be the first to admit that I compared the AMA to AOPA. Maybe it is apples and oranges, but it's still an avaition entity aimed at general aviation, not the pros. My point was, that lower fees can be done. Sure we don't have the population base as general aviation, but then respectively limit our scope. Forgive me for not knowing, but has the AMA ever come in with full guns (and congress) to keep an r/c airfield open; like Megis?
My honest opinion, is we just don't see anything tangible for a $58 a year AMA membership. Again, the insurance benefit is a secondary policy, not my primary. I don't like having to write my car insurance and homeowners checks out, but they are my primary policy. I don't carry a second homeowners policy or car insurance, just in case my primary doesn't cover it.
As for the magazine, make it self-sufficient. If it's coming from the HQs of r/c aviation, why shouldn't/couldn't it compete against RCM or MAN? Advertising from our favorite sources would obviously be there.
I would rather see the local clubs be responsible for the property and liability insurance and see AMA be concerned with national issues such as ensuring security of our frequencies and promoting/supporting (not forcing) the hobby on a national level.
Again, I'll still pay AMA because I'm required. But, comeon let's not hide behind the secondary insurance policy. Besides, when the AMA had good years on their investments, did the dues go down?
Let's try and look at this an issue at a time.
Personally, I don't like the golf analogy. However, it is not all that far out of line. Both use a rather large piece of property for the activity that they are designed for. The flying field needs several acres of land as over-fly area and as a buffer for noise. Land is expensive in most areas where flying takes place, as it is for a golf course. In both cases, you can participate with a minimum investment and you can participate with quite a large investment. In both cases, spending the money on equipment may or may not improve your game. Both sites may be government owned, meaning less fees to play, or privately owned, normally meaning that fees are higher. You can continue the analogy ad nausem and make a pretty fair comparison.
The AMA is prohibited from outright lobbing because it is a non-profit organization. It's political activities are limited by this fact. The efforts to keep fields open is one that the AMA spends a good deal on. Several people at HQ are dedicated to that endeavor. Part of the problem is that the membership does not care about the function of keeping a field UNTIL their field is under attack. If the club would immediately contact the AMA there is a much higher chance of maintaining the field. Normally, the club officers try to respond to the attack and make errors. Sometimes the errors are irreversible. I have been watching a local club get hammered in City Council Meetings that they thought they could handle. They brought in a trainer to support their position. The questions quickly became "well, how big CAN they get, how fast CAN they fly?" and the rout was on. By the time they contacted the AMA, it was time for the attorneys to take part. If they had immediately contacted the AMA, they could have had expert representation in the early part of the process, where things are easier and cheaper.
The secondary insurance issue is one that is very much like taking something out of context to make a point. The club insurance and the landlord's insurance are primary. THIS is the reason so many clubs choose to charter with the AMA. Where else are you going to get two $2,500,000 liability policies for about $100? The $58 that you pay covers that as well as the secondary personal liability insurance. The requirement in the club charter of all members being AMA members is there for this reason as well as the fact that not everyone has a homeowners or renters policy. Although you may not be concerned about the damage YOU can do, what about the damage the guy next to you can do? It gives YOU a certain amount of security to know that if you, or your car, or a spectator are struck by someone else, that the person that is liable has coverage.
The magazine may or may not be to the liking of members. It serves as a newsletter that the AMA needs to send to the membership to maintain their non-profit status. It currently costs about $7 per member. Can you put out a newsletter for less than that and mail it? The magazine covers about half of it's own costs. It could be put on news stands, and might or might not be worth the effort of doing so. The content of the magazine has changed through the years, but, it's basic newsletter format has remained.
The clubs are responsible for obtaining the property on which they fly. The AMA has taken on the responsibility of the insurance. The fact that so many clubs have availed themselves of the setup would seem to indicate that they are comfortable with it. There is certainly no rule that says your club must charter with the AMA and avail themselves of the insurance. I suspect that the cost of a liability policy might be considerable and have something to do with that decision.
If you never understood the facts surrounding the requirement to be an AMA member, maybe you now have a better idea. Normally, no one at the club makes it clear why an AMA membership is required when you join. The secondary insurance policy is not the major reason. In a lot of cases, I think that the club officers are no longer sure why they are chartered with the AMA. Someone, years ago, knew, but they may or may not still be active in the club and the process just continues 'because we have always done it'. In this case there is a good reason for that.
Is the AMA super efficient and perfect? Nope! But, then again, it ain't as bad as some believe, either.
JR