I finally opened the envelope and removed my AMA card the other day so that I could put it with my field equipment. My third card! I’ve been flying now for a little over a year! I love this hobby. In just over a year I’ve built a 60 size Citabria, a 90 size Sukhoi (both from kits) and have accumulated two ARF’s and three slope gliders. Life is good and I’m having fun!

In the process of opening that envelope I happened to glance at the “Guide to Membership Services” booklet and noticed - "The worlds largest sport aviation organization, representing a membership of more then 155,000 from every walk of life ...” Wow, I never realized just how small of an organization that I’d joined. Compared to the number of golfers in the U.S. or the number of people who play slow pitch softball, or even the number of certified divers in the U.S. the AMA is a small group.

Then I remembered reading in my last issue of AOPA magazine (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) that AOPA is lobbying the FAA to place tighter restrictions on remotely piloted vehicles over 15 lbs.

It makes me wonder just where this hobby/sport is going. How much longer will flying RC models be a viable sport? Flying fields are closing at an alarming rate. We have the government, other aviation enthusiasts and even the general public against us. We number so few and have almost no political presence.

I'm not active in the AMA, like I said I've only been a member for a little over a year. But, faced with what I'm seeing I have to ask; What can I do?

Am I just looking at this wrong or are we facing some rather tough times ahead?