Hello All,
I was wondering if joining the AMA would do anything for me other than lighten my wallet by the large yearly fee they charge. Living on the southern shores of Lake Superior (close to Canada......eh) and nowhere near a flying club or public field.........would the AMA even cover me with their insurance combined with the fact that I'm a self-taught pilot who flies wherever and whenever he can? I fly mostly electrics cause finding an opening in the tree canopy is brutal at best.......and I have to fly in sports fields. Just asking.........so please, don't anyone get their undies in a bundle. Thanks.
XS

Two questions that need to be asked.

1) Are you planning to attend any club's activities/events? If yes, you must have an AMA to participate/join most clubs. Even if you're not a club member and you decide to participate only in a clubs's event, you must have an AMA card.
If you don't plan on doing anything like this, no, don't join. It would be senseless.

2) Are you a homeowner? If not, then joining wouldn't be such a bad idea. If you are a homeowner, don't join. If you are a homeowner, you must have homeowner's insurance. If you are ever involved in an accident, your homewoners is going to have to be the first to pay on a claim, not the AMA. So therefore, if you are a homeowner and still decided to pay to join the AMA, if you ever have an accident and expect the AMA to jump all over the claim, you're very, very wrong. It's your homeowners that must pay first. Pretty crappy huh!

So, should you join? Ask yourself these questions and get back with me.

To add to Yawn Darts statements about the insurance:

1) He is correct that it is secondary to your homeowners insurance, but do you have $2.5 million worth of coverage?

2) After you max out your homeowners then AMA kicks in for up to another $2.5 million.

Try to add 2.5 million to your homeowners for $58 (acutally AMA's insurance cost is quite a bit less)

Despite what you may see debated in this forum it is actually a good investment just from an insurance stand point. You will find that there is some value added to being an AMA member, but it is up to you to decide whether it is for you or not. There is alot of good info at the [link=http://www.modelaircraft.org]AMA Website[/link] take some time to read it and you may find that it is something you wish to invest.

If you do welcome aboard and if you don't welcome aboard anyway.

homeownership has NOTHING to do with it. you can legally have homeowners property insurance without liability, and many of us non-homeowners have property contents/liability insurance also. anyway, just wanted to clear that up! (I worked doing computer stuff for an insurance company for some time, enough to become WAY to familiar with the fun concepts involved...)

For only $58 you can join. Then, in a year you can say authoritatively, "AMA sucks.", AMA is wonderful." or whatever, based on actual experience and knowledge. Just think, for only $58 you can become a credentialed AMA authority!

The magazine is actually pretty good.

Jim

I'm just wondering why you would ask the question. Is someone encouraging you to join? If so, why?

Join, or don't, as you choose. Any benefits that the AMA offer are described in detail on their web page.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

The only reason I belong is cause Sport Flyers went away(thanks AMA).Our field is private property and we need the covarage for our landowner.Our club is a AMA charter club.The club requires insurace. I just pony up the 58 and fly,teach,enjoy the people I meet. I'll never see a AMA Rep at our field nor expect any help from them whatsoever. Yes I have Homeowners and car insurance (someones bound to ask) After being in RC for almost 15 years I have yet to meet a person who thinks that the AMA is guiding light of our sport. Find a club hang out and if this is for you and you want to fly you'll join.

I've enjoyed reading your answers and I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. To answer the question as to why I ask such questions, well there comes a time when coughing up $58 bucks more towards anything stings a little. (Two in college with five more to go.) There's this little thing called the "Law of diminishing returns" that applies to almost everything (at least figuratively) and I'm in the process of pulling in the reigns a little. I do enjoy this hobby immensely and I have future hopes of moving out of the "sticks" and rejoining society so that alone had me asking if being self-taught would prevent me from flying at a field where AMA rules are cited. These aren't deep, philosophical questions with an underlying purpose to incite anger......I'm just asking. Thank you for your thoughts.
XS

Oh..........just a weather report from the other side of the fence (you know......the one that ain't so green) I just got back from flying and it had snowed briefly.........it's almost JUNE and I'm flying with gloves and a chook on! Oh how I long for those sunny, 55 degree T-shirt weather days!
XS

XSDEVOTEE,

If you're flying "in the sticks", and if the chances of causing damage to something, someone, or yourself are pretty slim, there's no need to join. In the future, if you do move in toward society, you may want to consider joining. There's no rule saying that you have to be taught by an instructor in order to join. It would, however, be a good idea to get checked off by a seasoned pilot, simply for safety reasons.

By the way, I'd like to have some of that 55-60 degree weather myself. Here in northern Louisiana the temps are a steady 85-90 degrees with humidity of around 80-90%. It's not that bad, but the mosquitos are hell!

John

Maybe you could be helping some one else along with helping your self, There are a lot of thing AMA does but if you get into problems , contact them. The best sorce of help for the modeler. but MUNCIE $$$??????

insureance--insureance sure its necessary. in populated areas, however how many trees are going to sue. the main thing is companionship, help many ways, building experience, flying help, perfect way to survive a Sunday after church. ask for more and the rest of the fellows will contribute. dick

Yes insurance , but if you do not have it hang on to your wild Ass, You could be in for a real ride. But if you need answers just ask, It takes time to come in off the field to answer questions. I wish I had a flying site in my front yard.

the magazine is worth the membership fee,imho not as good as in the 80s+90s witness the foul up in the article on 2 stroke engines,and where do you think all the rc channels and narrow band came from,do you belive the fcc gave them from the goodness of their heart,and now broadband on powerline ,who is going to fight for us on this, if you own firearms join the nra, if you own model airplanes join the ama ,a united front is stronger than going it alone. rc,controlline,freeflight for 58 years

A seed planted in 1936 Every one wanting to pick the harvest but no one wanting to work in the fields. Things have changed and it is not AMA it is the people running it, That is Us people believe it or not.

sounds like the old question. Where is the Golden Patter? thought it was Free!! dick

The magazine is nice.

Seems to me that the entire premise of this thread is ascew.

You join AMA to GIVE your support to aviation modeling. So, the most important benefit to you, is the knowledge that you have helped support the hobby.

Yes, there are some other benefits such as the secondary insurance, a magazine, comraderie of fellow members, a network of model clubs, etc, etc, etc.

Good to join for most benefits....

IMO they can keep the magazine and save me a few bucks. Yes, they do have a SMALL handfull of good articles spread out across the year, but overall I don't care for it.

I joined because it is required where I fly and flying sites are tough to come by in Seattle area.

Regards,
Bart

b.bixel

How about if we all let them keep the mag and pay $10-$15 more a year in dues? That's the alternative.

for the same reason we join the American Legion, Veterens of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts, on and on. its what you want and what you can give to someone else. suggest yaall quit fishing and get with Model Building. thats the name of our Game. dick

Good idea dicknadine!

JR...
No dues increase. Labor, printing, storage costs, saved!

b.bixel

Saved, and more spent, costing you more. The IRS requires that the AMA, as a 501 (3) c corporation send it's members a newsletter. Model Aviation serves that purpose. MA loses about $1,000,000 a year. That costs each adult member about 60 cents a month. If you have ever put out a simple club newsletter, you know it can not be done for that. If you figure it would cost $1.60 a month to produce a newsletter and mail it, that means an increase of $12 a year in your dues.

I keep hearing about the requirement for a newsletter. I don't think the IRS dictates that said newsletter is monthly...or what form that newsletter takes.

It's been several years since I went through the IRS docs on a 501 (c) 3. It was required, your welcome to research it. All the info is on the IRS site.