ORIGINAL: Sentry4
wow, I just read for about an hour trying to find a no kidding answer for wha the AMA does for me. No answer. It seems the AMA did great things in the past, for which I am greatful. I know for a fact that if I wreck my little 6 lb airplane into a house/cow/car I will just pay out of pocket the 2 or 3 hundred bucks it costs to replace/repair, or file a claim on my home owner's policy. I primarily fly at a field that is privately owned and no AMA is required. Sometimes I fly at a AMA required type field, but rarley. So anyway here I am with the AMA about to expire, wondering what does AMA actually do for me. Like I said b4, I know that AMA paved the way for a lot of things in the past, but the fact is that the insurance will never get used, the magazine I don't have time to read, and as far as I know, that is all its good for. Will someone please forego all the history and big wig politics, and tell me if there is something that the AMA can/will do for me that has something to do with flying freakin airplanes!?!?!!
Read more carefully and you'll see that you can fly because of what they do every day for you. When you take your 6-lb plane and your skills have improved to the point where you decide to go fly it elsewhere, your card will be needed.
Insurance is something folks like to play down. I've never understood why. If you've never had an accident with your car then I suppose you haven't confronted liability firsthand. I've owned companies and when an employee has an accident, insurance becomes VERY important. People will take what you have and never look back. Some are just that way. It's as simple as that. AMA stands between you and somebody taking your home and belongings just because of a dumb-thumb moment or a radio or equipment failure. If you fly regularly, you've seen all three of these occur.
I don't know if you fly at an AMA field or not, if you don't then I do not know the extent of coverage, I think conditions matter in that case. That's personal choice.
Almost everybody is pretty much neutral on the magazine issue. It gives us contest dates and news and some bathroom reading.
Not to influence you one way or the other, those are just the basic facts that apply.
Jimbo