JR,
Bob keeps confusing the AMA with the FAA. He's been trying for years to get different "classes" of license. I have a copy of his original letter to AMA where you have to be a TOC competitor to meet his flight requirements for all but the basic rating. Don't fly pattern-sorry, you just aren't good enough, according to Bob. He wants pilots to keep log books, have a minimum number of flights/ month, be subject to unannounced check flights, etc. The AMA has no legislative or regulatory powers, other than to deny insurance coverage. If you/Bob want the AMA to turn into the FAA, fine-I don't.
You keep brining up the jet that crashed in the pits to show how inherently dangerous jets are and the need for the waiver system. I've seen plenty of prop planes crash in/near the pits and there were no waivers at all. The waiver doesn't guarantee that a waiver holder will never crash or do anything stupid, it just establishes a minimum competency level that the AMA has determined is necessary for insurance coverage.
The point ira D was making about the buddy box is that no one can fly a turbine powered model, even on a buddy box, until he has a wavier. It would seem to make more sense to allow a waiver applicant to get some turbine experience on the buddy box BEFORE he gets his waiver. Oh Well....
I'm pretty sure that there are forces working behind the scenes to implement the type of "ratings" Bob so desperately wants, and not just for turbines, but AMA wide. All this is going to do is set up a "class" system within AMA that will do model aviation and modeling no good.
Regards,
Jon