Over the past few months there has been a significant number of negative posts on "AMA discussions". Somehow negative posts attract more negative posts. The old saying that “people always remember the negative things but never remember the positive things” appears to be pretty true. Maybe it’s time to put a little “positive” in a forum thread for a change. The key words in this thread are "GOOD THINGS". Many of you have experienced that “warm, fuzzy feeling” when you soloed a new pilot, or built a club parade float, or “buddy boxed thirty Boy Scouts. Or, how about how AMA extending a helping hand to the LA club to rebuild their field after Katrina, or the outpouring of money from the modelers for the family of the girl who suffered injuries from the heli accident in FL this spring?

I’m sure there’s a large number of modelers reading this thread that have “good” stories. Share them with us! Let's see if we can get more participation in "good" posts on this thread than the negative posts on other threads.

I know you’re out there!

And to kick this off, here’s a story I’ll share.

In the June 1997 issue of MA there was an article called “Priceless Fun” written by Paul Billings. It featured a simple egg carton glider that consisted of the top of a styrofoam “egg carton”, a pair of scissors, a penny and the full size pattern and instructions provided in the magazine article. My 7 year old grandson and I built several of these. I made several copies of the full size pattern and the instruction sheet and put them in a folder. Several years later I took them down to the local hobby shop where I worked. One day a young schoolteacher walked in to the hobby shop. She was a little “frazzled”, having driven 120 miles to reach the hobby shop, and not quite knowing what she wanted. Her objective was to teach her 2nd grade class of thirty kids about “airplanes”. We went over the available balsa gliders, etc. One particular glider caught her eye. After figuring out the cost she confessed that she had a “very limited” budget to work with. I concluded that “very limited” meant she was paying for this “out of pocket”. I then thought of the “egg carton glider”. I dug out the envelope, blew off the dust and showed her the article. We talked about how the glider could be individually “customized” with stickers or felt tip markers. Within moments she was giggling and excited about the project. I gave her copies of the full size pattern; instructions and she left, smiling, out the door. Several months later I recognized the teacher as she walked through the door. She immediately walked up and thanked me for the “great idea”, and said there was no way she could describe the reaction of the kids and their “airplanes”.

The AMA provides so much to the aeromodeling community that we take for granted. Just a few, in no particular order:

1) Insurance (members, clubs, and site owners) is a big one - many flying fields never have been possible without this.
2) Information - to the individual member, club officers, competitors, and those who wish to form clubs and/or establish flying sites
3) Representation - to government and it's various agencies
4) Communication - Model Aviation, www.modelaircraft.org , annual meeting
5) Preservation of history - the Museum, the plans service, the reprints in MA

The AMA is not perfect, just like the USA is not perfect. Just as there is no country I'd rather live in, there is no aeromodeling organization that I believe does a better job representing it's membership than the AMA. I intend to join the Sport Flyers as well, but will not leave the AMA.

I've only been a member for about 6 years now, but I have to admit I've never regretted joining the AMA. I think one of the best experiences I've had has been with the introductory pilot program and the TAG program. Three years ago, our club was invited to demonstrate at a local festival. Before accepting the invite, I went to the site with the landowner, explained the layout of the field, I explained what we would be able to do within the confines of the field, where we would need to put up safety barricades, and we moved forward. Over the course of that weekend, we used the club trainers that had been provided to the club through the TAG program. We would give anybody that wanted to try it a few minutes on a buddy box with one of our three club introductory pilots. We also used my aerial video plane to give people "rides", viewing through the video goggles. Kids would try it, then go running off and a few minutes later drag their parents over. We could hear them yelling as they were approaching "You gotta try this!". It was such a hit, we were invited back the next year. Unfortunately this year the event has grown to large and there is no longer room for us to fly, but I hope we sparked an interest in at least some of those that flew.

Brad

Judging by the EC minutes Hossfly recently brought up, the Museum may become a seperate entity.
IMHO, the "representation" has been minimal esp. regarding the new FCC Part95 rules.
So it comes down to insurance and a magazine. Not bad for $58, I just don't think they are that important to the hobby any more.

I did not see hossfly post any thing on this thread yet sisco but already in four posts you have already tried to go off topic. Please if you have nothing to say about what ama does good for its members and others just leave . If you want a thread of what evel things that the ama has done to you, go start one. ! bye sisco

please don't feed the bears

My experiences with the AMA first hand are simply this.....ANY time I have contacted them about ANYTHING modeling related, the staff has gone out of their way to find the answers for me. They have ALL been pleasant and helpful, and I even had one in the education department, her last name was Hathaway I believe, call me back a day or two later with more information about the education materials the AMA provides. The only other thing I have first hand experience with the AMA concerned getting my original AMA number back several years ago. When I first got married back in 1971, I stopped flying for a year and dropped my AMA. The following year at the Toledo show I went to the AMA booth and asked about my old number. The lady there took the time to look up my old number, found it wasn't in use, and reissued it to me. With all the negatives I read about the AMA on these forums I find it hard to believe I have never ran into the problems some post about here. You could say that I'm just lucky, but judging how much I loose at the Casinos, luck isn't the reason for the great service....

MY edit,

Thank You RC-Ken for editing out the post I HAD referred to in my opening statement of this post!!! I am removing THAT portion of my post

Don

In addition to the many things listed in the preceding posts, I would like to add that AMA makes competitive flying events possible all across the nation. Thanks to the AMA and AMA chartered clubs, I am able to travel and fly at many different venues and know that each will be safe and the contest rules consistent.

In my mind that is one of the prime directives of AMA but one the least cited...why is that???

... and by extension, AMA is the vehicle we use for international competition as well.

Mine is a little different story than most here .When i was 17 i had been in alot of trouble as i was mad at the world and nothing any one said or did could change it. I was in trouble with the law and my parents too. My dad knew i loved air planes so one day he said that if behaved my self when our crops came in he would buy me a plane at the hobby shop. My first plane was a tide water pronto ,great little plane btw. I found the local club and joind the ama to learn how to fly my spanking new plane. Some old hats took me under their wing and taught me how to fly it and how to talk to people with out being a smart ***** . I then learned fast and with in a few years i was flying pattern and pylon a little combat with local clubs too,just for fun.lol I was president of that club for 2 terms and and instructer there for 20 years . I moved to another town and joind the club that i am in now and iam a instructer there too for 10 years. If more kids would get into our great hobby and a ama club i think that there would be less of them standing on the street corners and in jail. Back to the topic,so if it werent for the club the ama and some old hats i am real sure i would have went to jail . I can never repay that dept but i try. joe

Great story but we need to remember an AMA club is just but one of many ways to make a differance in a young persons future...I would hazard to say some great fishing trips with grandpa would do much for many young guys out there as well...I think we could cite many other ways as well.

Maybe the lack of significan numbers involved?It's certainly not for everyone. It can be easy to take the fun out of the hobby if you get too serious.

GAP-RCU: Yes it is. My bad for omitting that aspect of competition. A very important one too.

In my case and others one trip with my grandfather fishing was not going to be enough,trust me. joe

Of course only you would know but my intent wasn't to make that my only catch-all example but to show AMA isn't the only way for everyone...but for you it may have been...If you say so, I'll accept that at face value tho.

It would have been if he would have held you underwater long enough.

My dad broke his toe from kicking my rear once and i laughed at him for a week.I have paid him back for my bad youth by building him and mom a new farm house a couple years ago. lol

It should be so that each of us can decide for ourselves if we want the AMA or not. I was not as fortunate because each club I visited required AMA before I could fly, so I had to choose AMA and it was the only way. Whether I would have or not is was really not the question for me because I never had any other options and I do believe many are out there just like me in their quest to fly RC planes.

Interesting that you should post the "international competition" aspect. I have been wondering why there has been no mention of the AMA/FAI relationship that permits us to compete in world record attempts and qualify for world competition events.

Ok guys, let's keep this thread on topic please. Lately some of relished in dragging threads off topic for whatever reason. It's time for that activity to stop. This thread is about good things the AMA or members have done. Any other issues need to be discussed elsewhere

Ken

Personally, I don't compete with my models. I don't even care to compete in the local fun-fly events. That's kind of odd for me, since I embrace competition in nearly every other aspect of my life, in business, and in athletics. It is what it is, however, and I get what I want out of my hobby.

I do fully support AMA's work with competition, both at home and abroad, and am happy to see a portion of my dues used for such. I consider this to be one of the great things the AMA does. In the long run, the guys who compete help to make my toys a bit cooler in the future!

In regard to the egg carton airplane mentioned in the fist post. We used them with a bunch of young kids. We had a competition for trying to fly them through a hula hoop. It worked very well. This was sponsored by the Stanzel Museum. Stanzel got all the egg cartons for us to use. A few days before, I bought a carton of eggs where I don't usually shop, and realized it was not suitable for making an airplane. Called Stanzel, and, sure enough, they had the wrong kind. That was corrected. Just a matter of luck, I suppose, as I didn't know there were different kinds of egg cartons. I think there was a later article about making a different kind of airplane out of egg cartons.

I have never been a part of AMA, up here we have MAAC.
They are very helpful as well - but the best thing the AMA for me was the Model Aviation magazine.
I have no idea why anyone complains about it: I have read and re-read every issue from 1978 to 1984, aquired in a box at a library sale. It is great! Because of these issues, I learned almost all I knew before learning to fly myself. Most importantly, the Magazine, along with similarily dated RCM&E, enthused me enough to pursue this hobby!

Granted, the info was way outdated, no ARF's, computer radios, etc, but it taught me about building, free flight, and control line, all aspects of the hobby I would have not been exposed to today, which is unfortunate.

Thank you AMA!

Good to hear a perspective from our cousins to the North, eh?

You are right. MA is an excellent magazine and covers a wide variety of topcs and disciplines.

Down here we get it for free.

Where is it free?
Open members pay $18 per year for it (mandatory subscription bundled with dues).