Good one Red, I had to look it up. It explains a lot about some of the attitudes and is very appropriate.

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/.../d0001029.html

Regards
Frank

As opposed to being "smug?"

Why did you not include one of the main purposes of the AMA? Competition?

"Official national body for model aviation in the United States. AMA sanctions more than 2,000 model competitions throughout the country each year, and certifies official model flying records on a national and international level.

Organizer of the annual National Aeromodeling Championships, the world's largest model airplane competition.


Regards
Frank

Why should I have to pay a monthly fee to play with my toy airplanes? Explain that one.


I can understand why someone would want to join, given that there's got to be some people who enjoy the politics and magazine, but I don't see the point. It's an annual fee to play with something that shouldn't require an annual fee.


I know I don't want any of that. I just want to fly. I'll join if I have to but if I can get away with it I won't. Once I'm proficient enough at flying I can use my aunt's back lot, won't need AMA, I'll only need it while learning to fly.


They, along with the entire sport, aren't worth watching. I am curious as to who's gonna win the Paris Dakar this year, though.

I don't know,, but I'm off to Cali for LAB2V ;-)

You do not have to pay a penny nor do you have to be a member of anything. Just get a farmer that allows you to use the land, find a suitable spot and play with your toy plane as long as you want...

Now if you want to be a member of an organized RC club, it is a different story they have the right to ask you whatever they want. They even might ask you to help at the field, cut the grass from time to time or whatever. Again, they are even allowed to force you to attend meetings, etc. Private clubs, that is what they are. They can charge yearly fees, and they can charge you just to become a member. They even can limit the number of members. Heck, they can do a lot of stuff.

But you do not need that to play with your toys... all you need is toys and a place to play with them.

Gerry

Does anyone have contact info for a legitimate alternative to AMA? (please, just the facts ma'am)

Kurt

Thanks Frank for giving me understanding about those I don't understand. You could not be more correct in your analysis. Just think without organization there is only chaos and AMA provides organization to what would other wise be complete chaos. In adddition they also provide protection against money hungry leaches willing to attempt to obscond all your possessions, including toys. All this for only fifty US dollars per year. Sounds like a real deal to me, but than again, opinions are like a certain body part, everybody has one. And it could not be more obvious than here. How bout that Tebo!!!

Right, and I'm going to ask my trainer to drive sixty or seventy miles out to my aunt's place in order to buddy box me. Yeah. makes sense.

Fact of the matter is you have to join the AMA to fly these days, especially if you're a beginner like me who needs to buddy box and get some practice in. I don't like it and see it as a major annoyance, one I won't be dealing with once I'm proficient enough, but I've no choice.


I will be getting my money's worth out of the one year I am a member though, get plenty of practice in and make sure I know how to fly properly before I start flying from my aunt's back 40.

Before joining an AMA club or any orginization it is up to the person that wants to join to find out what the club is all about. If you hate cutting grass, but members are required in the by-laws to cut grass once a year (or whatever) then you would know this before you joined. IF you are to lazy to ask questions or read a bit, then don't cry. And to say just go and find a farmer that will let you play in his/her field is not an easy thing to do. Thats why I like the AMA and its flying fields. Just my opinion.

At first I joined so I could fly at a field. Then I saw it was for my protection and those around me. I tried flying at school yards and parks. But that is no way to fly safely. You never know when someone will run out in front of your plane. What or who you might hit when you lose control. Our toys can be deadly. And flying at a certified AMA field is the only responsible thing to do.

I first joined, many years ago, because i wanted to compete ( same reason I have been a member at various times, of the AMA, NRA, and RCA). Now I don't compete, and don't belong to a club, but I still enjoy the magazine.

I also want others to have the opportunity to compete or fly at club fields if they so choose. Perhaps my small contribution of dues will help further the cause.

jess

I simply joined cause its the right thing to do!simple as that. Not to fond of those who dont like to join ordont like clubs. Would hate the idea of flying alone too.

Actually, I think 378 has a reasonable point of view. He sees that a year of membership will be beneficial to him, so that is what he will do. He thinks given the benefits of that year of membership, he will be able to enjoy flying his airplanes as he wants to, with no value to further membership. I would just suggest that he become the typical friendly, interested, helpful AMA member and enjoy it to the fullest for that year.

To join a club with a great group of guys and fly with others who share the same passion. either that or fly in developing subdivisions with one or two "out laws" ive heard stories about those guys

Third Party Pay insurance...

I joined the AMA because it was required to join the club I am in. I don't have any problem with that. It isn't any diiferent than having to get a fishing or hunting license to do those things. A few years ago my club found ourselves looking for a new field. We were able to get an old land fill. And the sole reason the county let us use it is because of the liability insurance we get from the AMA. Everything else we presented to them to get the field meant pretty much nothing.

I know alot of people out there like the MA magazine. I am just a guy who goes out on sunday flies my planes and chats with the guys. I am not interested in competing or even reading about it. The MA magazine is of no interest to me. Why won't they let me opt out of it. That's my only complaint.

I joined the AMA because its the only major national organization that supports/represents our hobby and our hobby intrests with regards to government intervention .

I dont hear of any OTHER group sitting down and dealing with the FAA for us , , , , Am I correct ?

If your a firearm hobbiest , you join the NRA .

If your a Ham radio hobbiest , ya join the ARRL

If your a model plane hobbiest and you DONT join the AMA your not doing your part to insure our hobby gets the respect and representation that only "strength in numbers" can accheive ....

Anything beyond the above statement is just the smokescreen that people who dont want to do their fair share tword protecting our hobby are putting out to cover their guilty feelings of letting OTHERS do all the "heavy lifting" .


AMA 80274 .......... Proudly ...

this is why internet discussions are so difficult:
we get one guy posting that AMA had the ONLY model voice at the ARC,
while we had another [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9801603/mpage_4/key_/tm.htm#9964130]guy[/link] posting as fact that "The AMA rep had ZERO voice in the ARC discussions. The closest modeling had to a voice was with Fred Marks, .."
... while both of them are saying it to protect/defend muncie in whatever topic de jour at hand

INSURANCE! You should have had thiis as a reason.

Makmov, you made me realize how lucky I am. I started flying a year ago in a small club here, which call themselves an outlaw club but are AMA members. Outlaw, because the rules are kept to an absolute minimum but safety rules still apply. The people are just the opposite of what you described in the snob club. If it wasn't for these people, I would not be near where I am in the RCsport right now. This could be good or bad depending if you ask my wife. LOL I now have 8 airplanes ranging from a 40 size Stearman biplane to a 30% Extra 260 with a DLE55. I started the sport to fly 3D and done pretty well but these peoplehave also got me into pylon racing which is absolutely great fun and other activities!!! I guess if it were not for these people, I would still be crashing foam planes in the park orhave quit altogether from frustration. My point is that these people educated me and helped me love this sport more than I ever expected. Oh, and my instructor sold me a warbird as my second plane which I still fly, P-51 and our club does not have a porta-potty either. LOL

I joined the AMA for the insurance, plain and simple. It was recommended by my instructor, and I was glad I did when I was teaching my Dad to fly at a different airfield which required an AMA membership (they would not have let me use the field if I was not). The magazine was a great surprise of the membership. I love it. But something I really like about the AMA which I had never considered, is the protecting of my rights as a modeler similar to the NRA and guns. Our wonderful government continues to want to takeour rights away from us in the name of national security and the AMA helps protect us from this. That is more important to me than the insurance, magazine or whether I can fly on another club's field, because without protection, I truly feel we would all have to be RENEGADE pilots as makmov statedexcept it would beillegal.

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Flying alone was my plan. Learn to fly and fly alone. I had been around a few snob clubs, and had no interest in hanging around one. However, I found this local club which one of the senior members taught me to fly. After hanging around this group of great guys, I also would hate the idea of flying alone!!! I think that would be the day I no longer progressed in RC flying. It would also be very boring.

I didn't join AMA till after I learned to fly. I found a club, and the club trainer taught me to fly without joining or having AMA. I am not sure what AMA's rules are but it made a lot of sense to me to figure out if you're going to like the hobby before shelling out dues if you're no good at it.

Same here. I thinkthe person be taught to fly is actually covered under theinstructors AMA number since he has control of the plane.At least, that is what I was told when teaching my dad to fly. And basically, the AMA rules are don't fly your plane in a way that may injure or kill others or damage property if something goes wrong. You can see how important this is if you have ever seen a radio malfunction and a plane screams full speed to the ground. No matter your skill, you ain't going to stop it when you don't have control.

If you get tired of the MA mags, grab a few next time you go to the dentist or docs office. Drop them off and let others read them.