ORIGINAL: Gasdaysaregone
The reason the AMA is not growing is because of electrics and also because of the recent drop in price. Big companies like Apex have prices for half what thier competition wants for LIpos. Another large company buys LIpo cells from overseas and makes up thier own packs once in the states, once again thier price is half of what you see at the LHS or Poly sites. Lipos are not expensive anymore unless you buy the ones that put out 80--100 amps. Sport flyers dont need 25--40C batteries. The wait is over check out some 11.1v batteries on ebay really cheap now a 37 amp battery is fine.
Also Ive never had a park flyer or foamie my first electric was 62 inches and 3 and half pounds. Has fiberglass fuse and sheeted wings it beats gas ugly sticks like thier standing still turns a 10X8 prop apc type not a plastic park flyer one.
A drop in price for lipo and electric won't necessarily impact AMA membership, as many AMA members fly electrics on the field too, just as much as gas. Membership is declining mostly due to lack of time and interest by the public, and member's unwillingness to promote the hobby. Sure, electrics can out sell gas 5 to 1, and they do. Most of those, however, are park flyers that people buy because a big field is not necessary to fly them in. Any school or shopping center parking lot will do, thank you very much. So, what happens when model airplanes go commercial and people fly for profit instead of recreation? It will happen, bet on it! There's money and profit involved here. Unfortunately, more commercialization will result in more regulation, making it increasingly difficult for even the park flyers to get started in the hobby. Who's going to chance flying their $99.00 electric in a school parking lot in a county where R/C is illegal when a cop might see it? Take a look at Orange County, California.
These days, cars and trains are a big thing. I know of one hobby shop that had only a few R/C aircraft and boats stocked, but gobs of model cars (nitro and electric) of every variety one could think of a couple years ago. The shop even had a car track right next to the business. No field required, no lake required, no parking lot needed, no insurance expense, no dues, just buy the model, charge it up, and go. There's a convenience and time factor involved here, folks. People will do whatever recreation is most easily accessible, both in convenience and price. I know of a few other hobby shops that sell nothing but trains, and they are all very profitable. Sure you can "crash" an O-27 guage locomotive that costed $400.00, but then you can put it right back on the track and run it again. No fuss, no muss, no risk.
NorfolkSouthern