Great discussion guys! And civil!


It seems that in the past, before electrics, helicopters, and big birds we had more in common with each other. We were forced to build our own planes. Those that could build helped those that couldn't. Those that could paint helped those that couldn't. Those that could tinker with radios and get them to work helped those that couldn't. etc, etc, etc. We joined forces just to obtain a minimum of success. Usually it was a lot of fun to share a difficult task and the resulting success or failure. Of course it helped that we were all working on very similar projects, not nearly the vast array of different modeling activities then. I miss the shared effort and remember the triumphs as well as the failures, all with a smile. This part of the hobby is likely gone forever.


I realize that we can't turn back the clock to "the good old days", (and I wouldn't want to) but do you think that as we have improved the quality of hobby equipment while reducing the cost, and increasing the diversity of products available, we have become more isolated as modelers? Is it possible that things are so easy now we don't need each other? Ready to fly electric planes and helicopters! Plug and play glow planes! Who needs an instructor or a club or the AMA or even friends?

When I was young control line was cool! Everyone flew Ucontrol just about everywhere. Schoolyards, football fields, parking lots and vacant lots were busy with planes buzzing about. Kmart and Walgreens sold fuel! Yet most were NOT members of the AMA. When RC caught on everyone was forced to join in order to fly at the club field. The AMA heralded a great increase in membership when in fact all the new members were just control line guys changing over to RC. The AMA was able to count a greater percentage of the existing modelers as members.

Today we are in a similar situation except substitute park flyers instead of control line.

Do we need the AMA anymore? Certainly those that fly at club fields do. But there are very many modelers in this area that do not fly at club fields and are not members of any club or the AMA.

Wouldn't we have more of a voice if we could count these people as members? Is it possible for the AMA to cast a wider net and to serve a greater percentage of modelers despite the diversity?