RE: AMA Magazine -Whould you buy it?
Model Aviation may not be perfect, rarely in life is anything perfect. But I consider the price of AMA membership plus the magazine to be a reasonable bargain. Heck I just spent more than that on one lipoly battery.
I'll admit I am biased - I have written several articles for the magazine covering contests and events and some reviews. I write them in an effort to try to make the magazine better. The very small author's pay does help offset my need to buy more modeling goodies, all the time, but on an hourly basis it turns out to be about 10 cents an hour - maybe less. No one would write anything for a modeling magazine to get rich, it is basically for the fun (and glory:-) of it.
The bottom line though is - if you don't care for the magazine try to contribute something to it to make it better. I personally read it from cover to cover and, although I don't fly control line and free flight, I usually learn something in the process. I have been a modeler since 1950 and a member of the AMA since around 1965 or thereabouts. I can't remember the exact time I joined the AMA. I have seen the magazine change and other magazines come and go in that time. Model Aviation is worth the effort to make it a great tool for exchanging information and entertainment.
Good flying,
Ben Lanterman