This is incorrect. If your club is chartered with the AMA, all flyers, members and guests, are required by the club charter with the AMA to be members of the AMA. In the event that something would happen, the club's insurance is invalid if the incident involves a non-AMA member. If the AMA is not a monopoly, why did it go to such extremes to put the old Sport Flyers association out of business a few years ago? As I have said many times before, most clubs can not afford to purchase liability insurance on their own for their flying sites, therefore they charter with the AMA. The AMA had a captive audience until park flyers came along. Maybe now we don't need them as much!
Not exactly....
Under current AMA administration, the intro pilot program allows NON-AMA members to fly at a AMA sanctioned clubs field provided that they do so under the intro pilot program. While under the intro-pilot program they are covered by the AMA.
Also, non-flying spectators do not have to have a AMA membership to participate, view, or be a guest in AMA sanctioned club field events, provided that they do not fly. Non-flying non-members that are spectators are also covered by the AMA insurance.
Parkflyers need the AMA too. Without it how are you to protect your field, field owner, or others that may be present. The AMA offers landowners 5 million in coverage, in addition to the 2.5 million that each AMA member carries on themselves.