makmov

My Feedback: (1)

Just out of curiosity.

Hossfly

Not any really good choices for me so I said to promote hobby. I do not remember when I first joined but was while in grade school around 1945-6. I don't recall the years until I was in high school around '52 when I joined because it was the thing to do. I do know that in 1956, after graduating from USAF Aviation Cadets. I was a member and have been there every since. It's just like buying a fishing license, I do it in case I need it. I have been an AMA Life Member for a long time, around 10-12 years now.

jester_s1

The choices seem a bit loaded for me. My honest answer was that I had to in order to have a flying site because that is the initial reason I joined. But I am not one of those guys who complains about it or thinks he's being ripped off by it. For all they do to promote the hobby, it's money well spent.

pettit

My Feedback: (23)

There are a number of reasons listed that I could check, not just one.

And they're ALL POSITIVE!





OH, just tried to check more than one and I could!

Stickbuilder

My answer is not one of the options. I wanted to compete, and AMA membership was required to do so. This was way back in the early 50's, and I joined as a Junior member. I wound up changing over to an open membership the next year.

phlpsfrnk

Like stickbuilder I originally joined in order to compete. You are aware that the AMA is the governing authority for model aviation records and competition in the US and you would require an FAI stamp through the AMA membership to compete internationally.

Regards
Frank

MajorTomski

My Dad first joined the AMA in 1968 (AMA 10220, he still holds that #). Back then I think the family was covered under the one number. I got my own number in 1977 (80026). Back then it was just the thing to do. You didn't have park flyers, so you had to go to a field and most clubs just expected you to be an AMA member.

The insurance, although it was always there, never became an issue until the 1980's when it seemed that everyone was suing everybody over everything. So it was nice to know you had some protection.

I became much more active in the hobby in the mid 90's becoming a CD (now AMA 8026) and a Large Model Aircraft Inspector.

I make a living in aviation, and I see the benefits of modeling introducing young people into aviation both for fun, for learning advanced principles and as a potential carreer.

So I started out in the it was just the thing to do category, I now maintain my membership to promote and protect the hobby.

makmov

My Feedback: (1)

</p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">Since that seems to be a common answer for some long time members I have added it was just a thing to do category.

The reason for the poll was someone asked the question and Ididn't have the answer. Iam just trying to understand the dynamic better.

I have been an AMAmember previously, but let it laps some years ago. Mainly because I had a lot of other things going on and just wasn't flying any more. Back then Ididn't question it Ijust was a member. I had some good experiences and bad ones, and Iam not sure that the AMA was a direct responsible for the bad ones. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">When I started flying in 1993 I was an AMA member; however, I didn&rsquo;t belong to a club. I just ran with a couple renegade fliers who flew on dead end streets in a subdivision development. It was great. I could just focus on learning to fly and having fun doing it. No drama, no audience, no politics. Inevitably, after two years started building houses there and that ended that. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">By that time, we were involved in developing a publicly owned field that had been forgotten about and they were just about to turn it into something else. No paved runways no facilities, no club affiliations, just an unmaintained grassy area that we had to beg them to come out and cut it down, which they did. It wasn&rsquo;t a bad place to fly. It was just a little cramped and had no amenities. Not even a port a potty. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">I joined a club because I was getting more serious about flying, and flying bigger Warbirds and that little public place wasn&rsquo;t going to cut it. The club who will remain nameless was VERY AMA pro AMA proactive, seemed very well organized and was the biggest club around. It also had money. It was the absolute worst club I ever belong too. High and mighty, pompous, unfriendly and unhelpful, I wanted to fly Warbirds and all they did was telling me I can&rsquo;t. I can&rsquo;t do this, I can&rsquo;t do that. I don&rsquo;t have enough money, equipment, stick time, I need to progress through 45 different airplanes, (I get it, I get the progress concept, but I don&rsquo;t how ridiculous they were trying to make it) pretty much Warbirds were for a small group of elitist snobs and wanted to keep it that way. There were some other things going there that just made the whole experience miserable. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">I continued to fly here and there but other life events over took flying and I didn&rsquo;t for years. I visited several fields and would get put up on some ones trainer and hang out for a day or two. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">The interesting thing I discovered, was the clubs that were most pro AMA, AMA this AMA that had the worst attitudes about things, and the more laid back a club was the more helpful and inviting they were. Or that was the trend I experienced from the half dozen clubs or so I visited. I will get involved again, but I don&rsquo;t want to get into another miserable experience. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 8pt">Perhaps some of my venom for the AMA is displaced by some of the local charter clubs representing them. </span></div>

MajorTomski

Interesting point, I wonder if we could interview those folks, how many of them could actually state what the AMA is/does. I've found the guys/ clubs like this want the AMA to be an all powerful ruling authortiy, which it isn't.

ira d

When I got in the Hobby back in 1994 I was told you have to belong to the AMA to be able to fly at all theclub sites that I was aware of.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Ira, you could have and still can drive to Whitter Narrows or Sepulveda Basin,, neither require AMA to fly.. pretty long drive for you though, Used to be Mile Square Park over the Orange curtain too, but that field is long gone, that was made into another Golf Course shortly after you got into the hobby.

Silent-AV8R

The proper chain of events is that if a club wants an AMA Charter, then the AMA requires that all their members also join the AMA. If a club does not wish to be an AMA chartered club, then there is no requirement to join the AMA. So the rationale is that if you want to enjoy the benefits of membership, then the AMA wants you to be a member. One primary benefit is that the AMA provides clubs with site owner insurance making it easier for clubs to obtain flying sites. But as has been made clear in another thread, some clubs can get their own insurance and therefore AMA membership is not required.

Another benefit of membership is the ability to compete in AMA sanctioned contests and events. Again, in order to do so the AMA requires that you be a member.

I just fail to see what the big deal is.

Silent-AV8R

Actually Los Angeles County Parks Department now requires AMA membership to fly at Whittier. But they do give you free park entry as an AMA member, so you get a break there.

The Basin is still wide open for anyone.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Thanks,, I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure. I've been gone for 6 yeas now,, time flys

Why does discussing why people join constitute a "Big Deal" in your mind,, should be good food for thought, aren't you curious why people choose to join?

drube

I joined so I can join clubs plus to have some kind of insurance. I also like the magazine but would like to see more glow and gas planes. Tired of reading about rubberband and electric flight.

Silent-AV8R

That is not what I was referring to. I was more commenting on the attitude that people have that they were "forced" to join. Given the benefits I cannot understand why anyone would not want to be a member.

makmov

My Feedback: (1)

Exactly nothing wrong with some good healthy discussion about it and finding out some answers perhaps.

It's the "if you don't like it don't join" attitude that I don't get. Blindly following with out questioning anything. Seems like a dangerous postion to me.

I am not saying AMA is broken or bad or needs fixed, however, I am sure it's not perfect.

I am just asking is the a better way, better answer, a new way of thinking about it?

Or has it just become too big to do anything about it. I wonder what the Rocketry folks think about it. I also build RP and AMA never even comes up - ever. So clearly the RC people is the biggest part of their memebership. At least I suspect so.

rcguy59

My Feedback: (8)

I joined back in the 70's as a junior so that I could join the local CL club. I still have my original # (51400). Having the insurance is nice and the magazine is great for mixing epoxy on.

Airplanes400

My Feedback: (349)

I only joined AMA because I had to in order to fly planes at my field. Otherwise, I would not have joined the AMA. The fee is excessive, the magazine is useless and boring most of the time... How about giving us a choice of R/C related magazines, huh? I'm tired of the same old articles being re-hashed every year. And just once, I'd like to see an honest review of a plane that tells us it's not worth buying, or the plane has major design flaws, or the provided hardware should not be used. I have seen several bad products that got good reviews in MA. What were those writers in MA thinking!?? Were they paid off to write favorable reviews? It seemed that way to me on a few articles.

Wish there were other choices than the AMA and their magazine. I basically use the magazine as a cutting board. Works pretty well for that!

How about if I just claim that I'm self insured?

makmov

My Feedback: (1)

You could do that.... as long as you had an account or assets againts what you claim that you are issured for.

HunkaJunk

I couldn't vote because the reason I joined is not on the list,  I joined for the insurance,  I have personal liability insurance already, but the additional insurance is why I joined, $58 is no bargain for supplemental insurance, but I'm not sure how much the magazine i never read anymore is worth.

In this day and age, when you can be sued for even the slightest error,  I prefer to CMOA!

Airplanes400

My Feedback: (349)

I simply enjoy flying my planes. I don't want to compete, and don't have any interest in watching the competitions either. I don't even show up for the events simply because I don't like to fly with lots of planes and people around. I even avoid weekends at the field when I can ... Especially Saturdays.

I really have little or no need for the AMA. I definitely have no use for the AMA competition benefits. For those that do, great.

But there should not be a monopoly on the insurance provider (AMA). That's not healthy for individuals.

ira d

Not a big deal I was just answering the question that was asked.

ira d

While i'm not saying the AMA is bad the fact is plane and simple they get most of their members because they tell clubs to only let AMA members fly at their sites.
I'm not here argue the why and why not of the AMA doing this just stateing a fact, In the USAI would say that 98% of the estabilished clubs require AMA to fly
at their sites.

Jim Thomerson

I joined to compete and judge in sanctioned contests and associate with people like me at those same contests. Anything else is gravy.