Nope, I want the $28 they charge for it.

Reg membership with mag $58
add family/ no mag $30

$28 for the mag, $30 for the ins any way you look at it. I don't care what anybody else says about what it costs. Here are the figures above, straight from ama website


Send me a money order for $28 an I'll be more than glad to have them sent to the school or library of YOUR choice...

The AMA grew when technology moved from rubber band power to IC engines.
The AMA grew when technology moved from silk and dope to prefinished coverings.
The AMA grew when technology moved for free flight to Radio Control.

The AMA's lack of growth can be attributed to the change in the way people look to join groups of like interest. These groups, be they social, technical, veterans, sporting or any other, are all suffering from lack of growth.

Sorry bloke, my math isn't up to Arkansas standards. [sm=bananahead.gif] I'm surprised you didn't go for $57. Regular membership $58, Jr. Membership (without MA) $1. 58-1 = 57

What the heck has that got to do with my figures? Your just trying to weasel out of what you was going to do, an you know it.

I can easily see where someone of your obviously limited intellectual capacity might come up with your rather simple reason to try to avoid writing the ck.

As far as I am concerned, and I must admit that many on here seem agree with me, you are little more than a Blow Fly on the north end of a south bound mule waiting for another free meal to pop out.

Red, you are all mouth an no substance. Either put up or shut up....

Put a DA 150 on one of those, and I'll guarentee it will fly!

Bill, AMA 4720

Ok guys, we all need to calm down here a bit. For quite some time this forum has moved along nicely with the discussion staying civil. However, recently several have started to resort back to the tactics of launching personal insults, attacks, or put downs to those that they don't agree with. As I have stated in here many times in the past, this type of behavior will not be tolerated and will result in the entire post being removed.

As mentioned by some above, I could edit the post to remove the insults or attacks but I'm not going to. If one wants their post, or message, to stand then it needs to be made without the personal attacks or insults in the post. It's just that simple. However, if members in here feel that they want to push the limits and continue insult or attack others then I will take it to the next level and place those members on Moderated Status until they decide that they can participate in a civil and mature manner. I'm sorry that I have to resort to this, but some in here just seen to feel that they can continue with this type of behavior.

This forum has made great strides recently by keeping the discussions civil and informative. And we have seen the results of that change in many new people coming here to participate in the discussions about the AMA. And I'm not going to let a few rotten apples ruin it for everybody else. So if there are those in here that feel they can't participate in the discussions without attacking or insulting others then I would recommend that they refrain from joining the discussions, because if they continue with this type of behavior they will not like the outcome. The choice is entirely up to them.

Ken

Hey, go for it! Open Membership $58, Junior membership without MA $1 58-1=57 [sm=bananahead.gif]

One reason that I joined AMA and the local field was because of the insurance included in the deal... now I question what I have purchased. I have learned that my homeowners policy is the primary source of insurance in case I cause an injury or damage?? I sure hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to my homeowners agent about this. I feel that I would be canceled in a New York second. I am not flying on my property so how can this be part of the coverage I am buying? It has nothing to do with my home. To me, it seems like an auto policy is more applicable or an insurance rider specifically mentioning this activity would be appropriate.

I would sure like to hear from someone that has actually been paid for a claim by the AMA insurance policy.. tell the circumstances and how it worked out for you and the injured.

So now, why am I a member of AMA... the only real reason seems to be so I can fly at the field... I am thinking why bother? And $58 a year is not a lot of money if it would buy complete coverage for an accident.

Heres the deal, your ho ins comes first an then whats left ama pays.
If you are a renter or don't own anything, ama pays the full lug then.

Our $58 membership (if you have ho ins) is subsidizing the renter with no insurance IMO.

Dang! I finally figured it out. Almost a thousand posts complaining abut the AMA and all this time I thought all this sniveling was about the MOTORCYCLE organization I belong to, the AMA! (A medical doctor friend of mine just dropped out of yet another AMA because of their politics).

I belong to the two AMAs because of my interest in their activities, sanctioning of events etc. I also like the magazines. Anyone who doesn't like the organizations can follow the lead of my doctor friend who dropped out of his version of the AMA.

BTW does the AMA (model airplane version) participate in lobbying like the motorcycle and medical versions? If not do modelers have any other advocates?

jess

I work as an airline pilot and I love airplanes. I am 35. I built my first rc when I was 12 and have been flying then on and off since. I don't see any value in AMA. I currently have 17 airplanes, 3 helis, two boats, and three cars in my 'hanger'. (My wife things I'm crazy, the neighborhood kids think I'm cool.) My AMA membership has been spotty , when I was asked for the $60 this year, I declined.

The only two things I see AMA do is:

1. Magazine. I like magazines, but $60 a year is a lot for a subscription. There are better ones out there for the money.

2. Insurance. Don't need it. I lock my car, I've never had anything stolen out of it. I try to fly safely and the chance of me hurting someone is so remote that there are a lot of other things I would insure first.

I felt better about my AMA membership until I got run off of a field by the "Safety Officer" telling me I had to fly somewhere else if I wanted to teach my kids. Sure made the money I spent on dues a waste. I checked with the local police there is nothing -nothing- they can do to get you off of a field. So why have AMA, I just don't need it. I get a little tired of people asking where my AMA card is, and sometimes I lie and say I have it. I guess that would be the biggest reason I would sign up, just so I wouldn't get bothered about it. Not a good way to get customers.

What I think AMA can do to improve it's image:

Tell us what you do! A little transparency, how many insurance claims did you process? Tell me a story about the victum, prove I don't want to be that guy. I doubt that would be enough, but it would help. As it is I don't think they actually DO anything.

I don't care about the mag, and $60 is too much for me. I would sign up without hesitation for $20. Yup, twenty bucks. I would proably still sign up for $30. I don't need the mag or the 'my plane got stolen' insurance. I don't even care about the liability insurance, I would only be paying the twenty to get Bob to leave me alone. More than anything lately I go to the park and fly my foamies. I even bring a trainer box for my kids friends to fly them too. No one bothers me and I save my money. I can get a pretty decent foamie for $60!

This is the perspective of someone the AMA needs to figure out a way to get 'back into the fold'. I am the reason they are losing members. Me and thousands like me.

The two latest technology leaps have been electric flight and 2.4 gig. radio. Both of those are anti- club(therefore AMA); electric because of small aircraft that don't need large flying areas, 2.4 because of no need for frequency control.

The hobby ( at least of flying, if not building) may be growing, but AMA is not.
The reason is simple: More folks are not building model aircraft that require an AMA club atmosphere.

We can go on an on about old fogies, attitudes, young folks attitudes, blah-blah-blah, but until we figure out why interest in larger model flying is not growing, nothing will change. And even if the answer is found, there is probably little anyone can do about it.
Apparently, NOBODY, from AMA down to us knows the answers.

RCKen,

I feel at this time it is important to point out that historically this has been a tried-and-true method of having a thread shut down by the lazy and/or unscrupulous.

Now, if I were lazy (and I'm not) or unscrupulous (also....NOT), this would seem the perfect method to shut down some rather obnoxious individuals who feel that tearing down the AMA is their REAL hobby. And yes, I have been nabbed myself for throwing a barb or two from time to time when it gets heated. But I do not want the thread shut down.

However, to certain individuals it is just another tool in their bag of tricks, and since I stand in their way, having the thread shut down suddenly becomes a very handy Plan B for them. A little flaming, create a second identity and start some heated dialogue...oh, you DID know that somebody in there is TWO somebodys in there, right? As a Mod I'm sure you're keeping a sharp eye on that. Anyway, they've got you ready to shut the thread down now, so it's working.....so far.

If things don't go entirely their way, creating a situation where YOU you shut it down is their easy way out.

And THAT would not help the AMA grow, for sure and for certain.

Jim

TexasSkyPilot,
 This is not a discussion for the open forum, but since you asked here I will answer you here in the open forum. However, any further discussions should be conducted by PM.

I can assure you that this thread is nowhere near being shut down, so I really don't know where you came up with this issue. I am well aware of the tactics used by BOTH the anti-AMA and the pro-AMA members of this forum. If their intent is to get this thread shut down then they are going to be very disappointed as I reserve closing a thread down as the absolute last resort. And having a few personal insults thrown around here doesn't register on the "thread closing meter". So you can rest assure that this is not going to happen.

As I stated above, please direct any further discussion of this to me by PM as it will be off topic for this thread to try and continue the discussion here.

Ken

Around here the larger “gasser� models are ever increasing. So are the smaller electric models. It seems so most everywhere else I go. It seems as if it is the “average sized� models that are decreasing the most...just my opinion, not a fact that I can substantiate.

I'm too busy dusting off and polishing my AMA competition trophies that I've earned over the past 25 years+ to take time out to worry about any "AMA bashing" that anyone might have done here.
What we do have here are truthful, candid, independent opinions about this subject that some can't seem to accept...too bad.
In a thread that INVITES opinions about why the membership is down, the perception offered by all who have posted adds up to the collective reality.

I received an email from Red Scholefield this evening. For those of you who want to communicate with him it will have to be on another site as he has cancelled his membership here on RCU. Based on the timing of his email I see it coincides with a post above that our moderator removed of his for personal attacks. I guess it did not sit to well with him.

EMAIL:
The following will appear at the end of my January 2010 column in Model Aviation.

Note: I have cancelled my membership at RC Universe . If you have battery questions I do monitor the Battery and Charger forum on RC Groups. http://www.rcgroups.com/batteries-and-chargers-129/

Red S.
The R/C Battery Clinic
Model Aviation Magazine

Is this suppose to make me feel bad? If so, It doesn't. He started it by making the offer, an then I countered with my offer. He then talks about my stupid Arkansas math. ( I live in MO.) and it went from there. But as far as feeling bad about red, he needs to either keep quiet, or change the subject or post or something else. It would have been just as easy for him to say no, I won't pay that price an let it go at that. If he would have said that, I would have said tough luck red an off I would have went on my merry way.

LCS, when I say larger models, I simply mean any size that requires more than a backyard, schoolyard, etc., to fly.
There are 3 AMA clubs within a 10 mile radius of my home, all at about 50-60 members, and none have grown in the last 10 years. The two I'm not a member of have lost membership.
I agree with you on the larger gassers. Our club has seen a surge in interest in 50 and 100cc models.

Red is an honest guy, and like AMA, he has done more for this hobby than any 10 of us will ever do or could ever imagine.

Yeah, Toolman, it's supposed to make you feel bad. As is your behavior sometimes. Those of us not from the little imaginary town of Arkansas, Missouri or wherever it is you're also not from call it CONSCIENCE. It's something that's supposed to be a stronger influence than the imagined facelessness SOME posters feel they are hiding behind in here. Something that is supposed to control our actions and the very thing that tells us the difference between right and wrong, my friend.

Faceless is something I do not intend for Red to be. I want you to take a good look at somebody who has loved this hobby for MUCH longer than many of us have been alive. I don't think it needs to be stated which of you I hold in higher esteem.

In the second photo, Red is the one standing.

Jim

Never said I lived in Arkansas, Mo. you and red have assumed that I guess.
I live at The Lake of The Ozarks in Mo.


Heres where you can find red if you like him that much - http://www.rcgroups.com/batteries-and-chargers-129/

Happy Trails [8D]

removed by the author .

Well shucks, I'm sorry to see Red go. He was definitely an asset to this forum. Another breath of fresh air if you will. I guess the personal attacks and innuendos finally got the best of him. I don't blame him though. It does get old after a while.

Frank

Well considering how he bashes RCU elsewhere and derides its members it is not at all surprising...actually I thought it might happen the other way around… Once again it shows that RCU's admins are the bigger persons.

Dan,

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree with asking him to come back. Red was constantly in the cross hairs for personal attacks for a long time. No reason he should have to come back here and take that kind of abuse.

Frank