ltc

My Feedback: (3)

Speechless...absolutely speechless

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...rone-Education

ccostant

My Feedback: (38)

Nice spin using education as the reason for teaming up with Best Buy. I think it's more about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Hold on...lets say for the sake of arguments it's totally and completely about "the money". The AMA isn't for profit, so why the greed factor is noted is curious.With "the money" comes new members...but fine, it's all about the money. What is wrong with the AMA trying to educate new consumers...AMA members or not, about safe and responsible flying? Aren't the other threads filled with people complaining about all the big box companies selling these to anyone, with no warnings etc etc. Aren't the threads filled with people wanting the AMA to do a better job communicating their position to the public? Here you have Best Buy employees required to take an online training course. I'm sure that will be soundly discounted, but still, more than any other retailer I know of. Sam's club has them on an end cap for anyone to buy.

MR/Drones are here and will be here in the future, no arguing or complaining about is going to change where we are now. If that is accepted, isn't it better to have this happening than having these things sold at kiosks at every mall across the country?

ccostant

My Feedback: (38)

I believe that aligning with Best Buy and trying to educate new consumers, and let's be honest those consumers are exclusively drone operators, the AMA fully embraces drones. Something that Dave Mathewson has public stated that the AMA is not doing. Once that is done, every time there's an incident the AMA will be dragged front and center into that event. Especially if the AMA is claiming to educate these new consumers. NOT GOOD for the existing AMA membership that has been true modelers for decades.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I don't know that there is any evidence to say they are exclusively drone users. I don't think the average person with abolsutely no hobby experience is going in and dropping 1500 on a toy having no experience. But lets say more than half are. I can't claim to have read every article from DM, nor seen every interview with him, but I don't recall him saying the AMA isn't "fully embracing" the drones, whatever fully embracing means. MR and FPV are accepted by the AMA, and have been. Brown is seen holding them in AMA mags and attends FPV racing. They are part of the AMA already.

As for the issues of note with drones over the past year, I've yet to see an article link the ama and rouge pilot as being related. Most often times the AMA might get mentioned at the end, if for no other reason than to differentiate the two.

Also..there is nothing "untrue" about someone who has been part of the ama for the past 5-6 years that has been building and flying MR and FPV. They are as much a "true" modeler as the next guy.

ccostant

My Feedback: (38)

Well IMHO, partnering with Best Buy is fully embracing drones with one goal. That is to increase membership. I just don't understand the risk/reward for the AMA membership other than more $$ to the organization. You can argue "full embracing", I think that is semantics. But it is hard to deny that the AMA is at the very least supporting the drones through the Best Buy partnership?

As for you second point, if the new consumers, i.e. drone operators, do become AMA members then doesn't that open the door for a greater link to the AMA if they were involved in an incident?

And I'm sorry but purchasing a drone at Best Buy ready to be flown doesn't make you a modeler no matter how may years he/she have been doing it. I would consider someone who designs and/or builds a drone from parts a modeler.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I wasnt' trying to argue semantics, I didn't know what "fully embracing" them means. They absolutely accept them, so I guess it's fully embrace (with limitations of course).

I don't see a natural cause and effect on the AMA/drone incident. Do people normally associate criminals caught with guns to the NRA? Or a car that injures someone with Chevy?

We'll agree to disagree on the definition of modeler, to each their own on that one. There are differences of course, case by case. If that person buys a RFT DJI, gets his AMA card, then by one definition he is a modeler. If he more of a modeler if he flies a RTF Super Cub, or kit builds a Telemaster? Perhaps. I suspect there are many different definitions, all perfectly right to each person.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

There's not much sense in arguing/debating this stuff, so instead why don't we just keep score over the long run? The people that feel the AMA should not look to drones as a way to increase membership predicted a few things. Among them were:
-lumping us in with drones will cause problems for traditional flyers whether it's heli, jet, prop or glider. Score 1 - 0.
-AMA will spend a vast amount of money to attract drone flyers. Score, 2-0
-AMA will not increase it's PAYING membership significantly with drone flyers. At this point it has not happened. Score, 3-0
-By representing drone pilots AMA will entangle itself costly legal incidents. Time will tell.\
-AMA will far outspend any increase in membership battling regulations at the federal, state and local level. So far, score 4-0

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

You don't know ? Really ? All of a sudden you are ignorant to the demographic buying and flying the "drones"? Of course the majority of the buyers have never even picked up an RC transmitter before, know nothing about flying models, clubs, the AMA or safety.
Again the AMA is looking a dollar short and a day late, closing the barn door after the horses got out, etc.... trying to "educate" the public now .

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I guess I just don't have the data/proof/evidence that shows that the majority of buyers have never picked up an RC transmitter before. Actually nobody does. Would also like the rationale to show why the AMA is after all this money, seeing as how they are a non profit but....lets just agree to disagree.

mongo

My Feedback: (15)

institutional greed is something for profits and non profits alike suffer from. not for personal gain so much as for "bragging rights".

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

who does the AMA brag to though...they are a in a category of one. Is it just the ego of the EC then?

Gearhead8

My Feedback: (2)

So the AMA does something very awesome, and you have nothing to say about it.

This is great! The AMA has taken steps on a large scale to help educate exactly in the area that has caused us a small amount of greef,.....