ORIGINAL: frankp
Your observation is right on the mark. The IMAA did a wonderful job in promoting giant scale modeling. We held great events that were well attended at which we shared information and flew our aircraft in a non-competitive enviorment. The problem is that the IMAA did such a great job that many people no longer feel a need to join. Some of todays giant scale flyers do not even know what the IMAA is.
The reality of the membership problem is that membership directly equates to mony. Today, the IMAA budget is higher or equal to budgets when the membership was around 10,000. The cash reserves that were built up over the years are being spent to pay current bills. The past issue of High Flight had 42 advertisers listed. This is about half the number of advertisers that could be found in the magazing just a few years ago.
Yes, the IMAA has done a great job in promoting giant scale but the question remains, what is it's function today?
Frank
Not to overstate the obvious but to highlight a point you have already made; IMAA is paying bills to stay in business to collect money to pay bills so they can continue to collect money to pay bills…seems sorta like real life…
. Anyway it seems we are getting to the part of the movie where they light up the cigarettes...
But wait maybe there is a second wind…maybe the goal just needs to be a little higher. How about 35% scale 110" or greater wingspan minimums and/or 55# or greater weight…these are the new big birds. I know these are already included but it is the distinction of class that gave IMAA the gas in the first place.
AMA has essentially absorbed the previous big bird and their events.
It just may be time to push the envelope.