franklin_m

If you haven't looked yet, the Flite Test STEM/Education programming is very impressive. A very professional and fully integrated approach. And the content behind them is very well done.

https://www.ftstem.com/

AMA is going to be hard pressed to match this. Flite Test builds programming targeted at the market. AMA builds programming based on what the EC wants to see. AMA STEM offer? A bunch of old dudes from the local club with a box of overpriced rubber band planes. I suppose that's why a Flite Test YouTube video has more views in 2 hours than the last five AMA YouTube releases combined!

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

I have been impressed with the FliteTest guys for quite some time now. There is one big difference between them and the AMA though; At its core, FliteTest is a for profit business, and that motivates them to succeed! They simply can't afford to waste time and money on unproductive strategies and failing initiatives.

But as I also keep saying, the AMA is delivering exactly what the average AMA member wants and even demands, they are doing everything they can to maintain the status quo. They simply are incapable of changing and any quixotic attempt at change will simply fail until the existing membership ages out. And to be fair, most AMA members, myself included, are quite happy with the status quo, at least when it comes to club fields.

franklin_m

Actually, the Flite Test Community Association is a non-profit CBO competitor to the AMA: https://ftca.flitetest.com/

If you click on "Education" in the banner at the top, it takes you to:
https://www.flitetest.com/getting-st...527.1632614789
Compare that to AMA's websites in terms of ease of use, quality, good visuals, etc.

Then if you click "Education" to the right on that, or the FT STEM at the bottom, it takes you to the site in my first post.

I get what you're saying that AMA is producing exactly what the older folks want. That's ok, but then they're playing a losing demographic battle, and it's just a matter of time until they don't have enough revenue to support "Taj-Muncie" and it'll all go on sale.

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

That's understood, but at their core, they are running a business, and that mindset carries over to the FliteTest Community. My understanding is that they only formed FliteTest Community so that they could have an non-profit arm that could apply for CBO status.

And yes, no comparison in terms of the websites and their overall on-line presence. They are a true "digitally native" organization. Their overall presence is anchored in their digital presence whereas a "traditional" organization treats their web presence as just a representation of their physical presence (think Dollar Shave Club vs Gillette).

franklin_m

Don't disagree. I think that business mindset will prove to be a competitive advantage. They realize that time is money if nothing else, and if something doesn't work they don't just hit it harder and hope it works that time.

What's sad is there's no reason AMA couldn't vastly improve their websites. The whole staff is headed by an ED who has extensive marketing experience, then add a "Communications" staff of six, another staff of five in "Creative," four more in "Education," as well as an "E Communications Specialist," and a web programmer - I find it hard to believe the issue isn't related to not spending enough money or not having enough people. They don't hire the right people. Fault with that lies entirely with the ED.

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

Having extensive "old school" marketing experience is probably more of a handicap than an asset. I can tell you from personal experience in the CPG industry, marketing is essential, but the rules have been completely rewritten and the old formulas just don't work anymore. What they probably need is a digital director to set the vision and strategy for a rebranding the AMA's on-line image.

franklin_m

And monkeys might fly! I don't see AMA ever doing that ... until it's too late.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

Please explain how that is any different than the AMA? (and I'm talking in reality, not on papaer....)

Astro

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

As the a non-profit, the AMA has no incentive to earn money. If thy succeed or if they fail, the leadership gets paid the same and their positions are relatively secure. I don't know the financial structure behind FliteTest (privately owned or if they have some sort of investor), but either way, the leadership there ultimately only gets paid if they succeed. If they are privately owned, then loss of revenue means loss of paycheck. If they are backed by some sort of investor, loss of revenue means loss of job. Financial success for the leadership there is contingent directly on financial success of the business. Moreover, more business success will directly relate to more salary. Whereas failure leads to loss of income and/or loss of job. Taken together, that is a very powerful motivator.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

LOL. That is ludicrous! Just about everything the AMA does is incentivized by $$.

Astro

Hydro Junkie

And, while that is true, there is one thing missing. That one thing is repercussions. Since the ED and EC both look at income as number of members, they don't see any repercussions. In fact, those that get paid are shielded from any repercussions by the fact that they are employed and not shareholders. If they were paid as shareholders, every time the treasury went down, they would get less money, something that would directly affect them and, probably, motivate them to do more to make more money.
Consider this, the EC offices are now shareholder positions, along with the ED and Muncie staff. The organization makes a larger profit, they get paid more for that year. The organization makes less, they get paid less for that year. This might encourage the ED and EC to increase yearly dues but, as we all know, with the present inflation levels and such, the membership won't go for it and would probably leave rather than pay more. This would require the ED and EC to come up with other ways to make money and could force the AMA to become relevant to save their jobs

franklin_m

So ... more money to "advocate" for model aviation is not an incentive? More money to enhance facilities at Muncie is not an incentive? More money to hire more staff is not an incentive? More money to improve IT systems is not an incentive? More money to spend on advertising and member recruitment isn't an incentive? More money for lobbying is not an incentive (note 1)? More money to give to AMA foundation (which turns aroudn and gives it right back to AMA) isn't an incentive? Etc. Etc. Point being, AMA has penty of incentive to earn money. Looking only at leadership pay is an incredibly narrow perspective, one that ignores the many other incentives they have to earn money.

IF they fail, then the organization goes away and this thing they say they love so much goes in the dust bin of history. Is that not an incentive to do well?

Flite Test is a commercial operation, but they have a companion organization Flight Test Community Association. And it is a non-profit ... wait for it ... just like the AMA (note 2).

Just like most other commercial operations. But again, as shown above the AMA has just as much incentive to earn money as does a commercial operation. Those incentives are different, but they are no less drivers of decision making than are commercial incentives.

Note 1: "A 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status."
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/lobbying

Note 2: https://ftca.flitetest.com/about/

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

Nope, those are not the same kind of incentive that more money in your own pocket is. Very few people are truly selflessly motivated to pursue some greater good with no personal reward.

True, but you yourself have pointed in the past how they fail to make that connection. At this point that is still some future possibility. Not the same as making this year bonus payout.

FlliteTest Community was formed so they can apply for CBO status. They are not actively developing this as a platform (at least not the same way that they are developing their base operations).

Yes, but only if they make that direct connection, which I do not believe they are YET making. They may know this intellectually at some level, but there is no-one they have to answer to today. No one to directly hold them accountable in a way that says you may be fired at ANY time for not performing. They will get the same pay every year as long as they hold onto their jobs, and the threat of some far off loss of postition is not the same as having to look your boss (or shareholders board of directors) in the eye and answer for why you are not making your numbers and why your should be allowed to remain if your can't.

Yup, I have pointed that out myself here many times when others here have complained that the AMA is not doing enough to lobby. If we want to be effective at lobbying we need a PAC of some sort, but I doubt we could raise enough money to make any kind of impact.

OK