ORIGINAL: TexasSkyPilot
I rarely weigh in to these threads about AMA anymore, because little is ever actually said. The AMA threads are, unfortunately a magnet for the recreational arguers in RCU. The good news is, it keeps them HERE (mostly) so that few others even notice them.
I have a thing or two to say, and I'll let you weigh out your own answers.
I'm a long-time AMA member, and I've known several folks who collected on AMA insurance. I see you are challenging somebody to show you somebody who did collect, and that's not necessary, as folks DO collect from them. I guess I'll challenge you to read through these interminable AMA threads and you'll read of many who have.
I also challenge you to find just 20 people who have the USAMA insurance, and to find just 4 people who have collected anything from them.
The USAMA "Bashers", as we are called, have researched the company in question. They do not respond to any questions we ask. They do not come in here and talk about what they have to offer. Their address is linked to a very well publicized list of scam companies for the past 6 years minimum. We're not digging for these facts, they are there for you to go and see for yourself. None of this is made-up or contrived, I have offered them the opportunity to come in here and tell us about themselves.
NOTHING.
That is their response for any and every query.
You'll also want to ask the fellas here that bash the AMA whether they have the USAMA coverage. You get a lot of responses like "Are you calling me a liar?!?" and other diversionary tactics. They'll also say things like "I am simply advocating the use of alternatives to the AMA!" Which translates to; "I'm just trying to see if I can con these guys into buying the USAMA so I can see what happens!" They may even have AMA.
I'll say this much. USAMA is just 20 bucks, and I'd like to see you join and see what happens too. Because after all, it's YOUR 20 bucks and YOUR butt on the line when your plane breaches the windshield of that Lexus or Mercedes over there. Not mine.
I just bought two propellers and a little pilot and they cost me 58 dollars. It's not a cheap hobby. It never has been. Fussing about it and stirring things up won't change that either. But when I go flying, I know that my dues are paid with AMA, so if somebody breaks into my car while I'm in the bathroom of the gas station and takes my plane and my TX, I'm covered. Or if I fly my plane through the windshield of my wife's car because of a surprise wind gust on approach. Two pay-outs to me right there.
Up north, when I lived in Maine, most of us guys didn't renew until spring, because hey, we weren't flying, right? Right around St. Patrick's Day 2 years ago, somebody with a big truck backed up to my house and relieved me of all my planes and lot of household items. AMA coverage ends on January 1st, even if you bought it in June. You got, it, I hadn't renewed and I wasn't covered. All the guys in my clubs now renew in December each year, and ME? I've got my AMA through 2011, no more lapses for me. By the end of this year I'll be renewed through 2012.
Your time, your planes, your physical health, they are all worth far more than 58 bucks a year. You may not even have to pay for it! My wife often gives me a gift certificate from my local Hobby Shop. You can lay out the AMA form, all filled out and ready, and do the same thing you do when you want you wife to buy you a plane. Who among us has not circled a plane in a catalog and talked about it in front of her? Do we ever do it otherwise? No, she doesn't give a jump about planes. We do it because Christmas is coming.
Look through the AMA threads, you'll see names over and over again. Go a while back and you'll see me, arguing with them. They rarely have anything new to say, they're just lifetime members of the Bash-the-AMA club.
No bank is perfect, you find the one that has the least number of funny quirks, one that fits your lifestyle and spending habits. No restaurant is perfect, you look until you find one or two that have the kind of service you like, the best menu. No insurance company is perfect, you look for the one that offers the best coverage for your needs.
Read how much these guys have written. For 58 dollars a year, these guys have literally spent WEEKS in front of their computer, arguing with all comers against the AMA. It just doesn't add up. Do they have lives of their own? With all the time they spend there arguing, who would care about AMA? They couldn't possibly find any time to go and fly.
Use your head, be suspicious of these guys. AMA isn't some giant corporation, they are an entity that was created to support our hobby, and we all have the option of using them or not using them. When 90 percent of us do not go and see the beautiful facilities there, that means that about 15,000 of us DO make the trip. The truth is, that closer to 25 percent of us go there, many of us multiple times. They are careful about giving away money Willy-Nilly without the requirements being met. They do that to protect all of us. Any insurance company does that.
Anybody who makes such a fuss about 58 dollars a year really...and I mean REALLY...needs to go and find a cheaper hobby.