ORIGINAL: STLPilot
No thanks Stick, I believe the Park Pilots WANT their own tier as much as you don't want them to have one. I don't think they want to be controlled any more than you obviously want to control them. There are very obvious reasons why this organization needs to be a 2 party system. If you can't see them you must be swimming in a river in Egypt. But the reasons are right here on this board every day and at the field it's not a whole lot better. Prolly lots of skid marks leaving many RC parking lots around this country.
Call us anything you want, but come Jan of 08, you can call me Mr. Park Pilot member.
Dion,
I won't have to call you anything. You won't be flying at the same place as do I. You won't be coming to fly at the same competitions as do I. You will cease to be a factor in the part of the hobby that I have chosen to enjoy. There will be a wedge driven more firmly between the different parts of the hobby, rather than binding them more closely together. Your chosen part of the hobby will have become more of a, "Toy factor", than a viable part of the Model Airplane experience. All to save a mere $18.00. I spend more than that every week on fuel to fly and to drive to one of the 3 fields at which I fly. Currently, I spend $363.00 per year to belong to the AMA, and to the 3 clubs. $18.00 represents a small percentage of that total. Exactly how much are you willing to lose, and how much BANG are you going to get for your few dollars? I hope that all this has been thought through. I suspect that it has not. By the way, exactly where is it that the new group expects to fly? The various municipalaties are accustomed to having the assurance that the insurance is in effect for a certain amount. How receptive will they be toward the allowance of flying model aircraft with a lesser amount of coverage? Will the mainstream club fields recognize the lower coverage? It may be true that AMA liability insurance is secondary, but it is all about perception. The City Governments see 2.5 mil. on one hand versus .5 mil. on the other. Being knee-jerk reactionists, as they mostly are, how will you overcome that objection? They may not actually have a higher exposure, but you have an uphill battle on your hands to present a convincing argument to them. Best of luck. See Ya.
Bill, AMA 4720