I should have my airplane kit done around new years day or so and will likely be flying it by mid to late Jan. Should I begin the AMA application process now? Are there substantial delays in the paperwork process to justify doing it a month or two ahead of time?

Thanks.

Have you ever flown an R/C model? If not it is strongly suggested you get some instruction. In all likelyhood this will be at some club field where AMA membership is required. It takes about 3-4 weeks to process your application.

Red S,
AMA 951

Joining early isn't a problem.. Any time after October and your membership carries through the next year. I joined in October and I'm good to December 2005. All AMA memberships come due in December. Make the leap.. it's $58 no matter when you join.

i've noticed if you renew in an off-time, it will take only a week or two max. any time from now until april or so is probably pretty slow...

Any dues you pay from now until Sept 30, 2005 will be the same. So a month there or there will not make a difference.

Your second year's dues are prorated depending on when you join. If you join now, you're good for all next year. If you join during the second quarter 2005, you get 25% off year 2. If you join in the 3rd quarter, it's 50% off year 2.

This only works for new memberships, though.

OK....thats exactly what I needed to know. I have flown my slow stick a bit, and I fly full-scale, but never a real glow powered airplane. I am going to join my local club (Propbusters in Lakeland, FL - if anyone else is a member) in Jan, so I want to make sure my membership is active when the time comes.

Thanks for the information. I'll get the papers moving really soon then!

I don't know about you, but a club named "PropBusters" sounds kinda dangerous![sm=lol.gif]

Come to Sarasota, We try not to bust props! jk

Join AMA? YESTERDAY!!

Welcome to the SPORT. Now may I advise that before you go out to the club and ask for help, get that "I fly full-scale" chip off each shoulder. That helps with pitch, power, and bank as you understand the relationships. Other than that RC is a foreign skill to learn and like anything else it takes some ego bruises.

When I first got into RC, about '71, I built my Trainer, went out to an outlaw field, no one there so I taxied it around a bit. Then I thought that as a hard core CL/FF modeler of 20+ years plus having been a supersonic jet jockey, I should be well able to handle this toy. Let me just say the the next couple minutes were filled with a display of ground evasive maneuvers that one could ever witness. The last one did not evade!![X(]

When I got it all back together, I asked for help. No buddy boxes back then but only a couple flights with help and I was off on my own. Yet after all these years I still fail to evade the ground now and then.[:'(]

By the way, what is your first machine? Please don't tell me a P-51 with retracts or a gin-u-wine 3D!!

I assure you, there is no chip on the shoulder. I fly full-scale....can't change reality. I am VERY aware, however, that the two have very little to do with each other. I would never try to fly my RC airplane without proper instruction, under the hope that my pilot skills will transfer over. Dont worry about that.

As for my first airplane, its an LT-40 kit. I built the wing back in July and stopped. I've been busy with school and all the other logistics of my life and have been unable to work on it anymore. However, with school ending in 8 days, I am gonna try to finish it over the Christmas holiday.

Thanks for the input!

Bryan

Just make sure you have AMA when you try to fly at a santioned site, other than that you can fly where ever you like but be able to cover your *****! Sue happy people and their Lawer's???

[8D]

Being a scale pilot may sometimes be a disadvantage. I have known a few pilots that have told me that themselves. Actually if I remember some thought it was harder to fly r/c than scale.
But lots of scale pilots also fly r/c so good luck.

The LT-40 is a good starter, get on a buddy box at the club as you plan. You will enjoy I am sure.

I have flow in Land O Lakes area here and there. I used to live in Tampa & when the club I was in closed, I found a few nice spots there in Land O Lakes to get airborne at.

Another thing that helps is to get a r/c flight simulator one dude in our club learned to fly a helicopter that way....... so far he hasn't crashed once...... i was impressed.