OK folks time for the originator of this thread to chime in again.

Currently the thread has 1034 post, how many of you posting in this thread have made their fellings known to the AMA? Although AMA Headquartes may have someone reading RCU on occasion I don't believe they read this thread like we do.

My original letter was to AMA expressing what I thought was a very valid reason "Why the AMA is not growing", and that was the AMA members themselves. Many a fine point have been raised from a cross-section of America, but these fine points have to be delivered to AMA Headquarters, not just swapped back and forth between the readers of this thread.

I am sorry that Red left RCU because of this thread but it only proves the original point, the AMA is not growing because of its own members.

Continue the thread but also contact the AMA and let AMA know your feelings. Will the information you send fall on deaf ears, maybe, maybe not, but at the very least the AMA will know the fellings of many of its members.

tpes
Ed Dupaquier
AMA 20236
Houston, Texas

Ed,

I have indeed contacted the AMA. As a matter of fact I was so ready to take action a year ago that I put my money where my mouth is and I got involved as an AVP in District 1. So for me I not only have an opinion about how to make things grow but I also have presented some ideas in this thread for making that happen that have worked for our club here in northern VT for several years. I also got involved as a CD, leader member, intro pilot instructor and now an AVP. I learned about the programs ( the tools) and then I used them. I deal with a lot of rural clubs who dont always have a lot of interaction with other clubs. I have tried to improve our club to club communication and have tried to be a conduit for clubs here in Northern NH and VT to share ideas. We are making progress.

I would love to see less BS and more ideas. Less demonizing of the AMA and more solutions from folks who have actually gotten involved and tried to make a change. Less hypothetical from the guys who live in front of their PC's and more solutions from the guys who have worked through issues at their field with their club members. I think folks should stop whinning about what they think is broken and start sharing what they did in their area to fix their problems. Many of our problems are cut from the same cloth. We would all learn from those experiences being shared...............

103/17

Thanks for your support by contacting the AMA and becoming more active in the hobby, let's see how many others can say the same?

You do realize 103/17 we will probably get blasted for supporting the AMA.

First off, I didn't ask anything. Secondly and more importantly, I was talking about sanctioned events where modelers could bring their planes and fly with everyone else...not on a buddy box. I think most of the others here understood what I meant.

Pretty much looked like you were asking a "what if" to me. I guess you were making a statement. Sorry.

BTW / Does your insurance company let you drive legally without paying a premium? Mine doesnt. Insurance is a pay to play game from what I understand.


103/17

I'm a freshly minted 2009 AMA member. Just started the hobby this year in the Spring with a Nexstar, and now have (2) electrics, (2) glow, and (2) 50cc gassers. The AMA license and magazine are worth every penny, as is the club I belong to, where every member is extremely helpful. The knowledge and insight provided by my local club has been invalueable, and I would not expect to receive this type of support w/out being a member, both locally and nationally.

Our club hosts Training Days where the general public is invited in to fly-for-free, and 4-6 new members have already joined this year.

The $85 spent in "dues" each year is easily recovered thru the knowledge gained, time spent in fellowship w/ other modelers, and thru participation in the various club events.

Welcome to the sport of R/C aviation and welcome to the AMA. Good to have you. We grew by at least 1 member this summer..........LOL

103/17

My insurance company doesn't care but the state of Texas does. If I don't have Geico insurance then Geico simply wouldn't pay for an accident.

So you are telling me your insurance company will give you coverage without you paying the premium? Thats what you are asking the AMA to do in the scenario you just painted. That was my question. To use your words. [i]I think most of the others here understood what I meant.


103/17

Mr. Mugen, I have no idea why RCU listed my post as a reply to your post. I thought I was making a straight post to RCU not referencing to any particular post.

But it does give me the opportunity to add another bit of information.

Who out there remembers the Comic Strip "Pogo" drawn by Walt Kelley that ran from 1948 to 1975. The main character in the strip was Pogo and his favorite saying was,

"We have met the enemy and he is us"

Maybe we can adopt that as the new slogan for the AMA.

If this post is attribuated as a reply to any other post that is a mistake, this should be a straight post on RCU, not a reply!

Out of the drop off of tens of thousands of members in a fairly short period of time, are we back now to saying that the main reason for the decline is the GOM?

It's plausible to believe that GOM account for a trickle, but not more.
The leading factors were outlined pretty well by RCU Admin a few posts back.

That's what it sounds like, at least from the originator of this thread.
I still wanna know from tpes why AMA needs to grow, and by how much.

Wrong

Look at my previous post where I said;"The small "cost" of insuring that modeler's participation would be added to the event's entry fee."

Couldn't be much clearer or at least I don't know how to make it more clear.

BTW I thought NH was one of the few states that do not require motorists to have liability insurance. You know "Live free or die". My favorite State motto!!!

Yes, combatpigg as demonstrated in this thread there are GOM and GYM and GMAM that run prospective flyers off the fields and out of the hobby.

As for 804, the original post was dated I believe in 2004 when the Park Flyers were just hitting stride, the AMA was on the slow decline, they had elimated Nationals traveling around the country so they could pound their chest about that complex in Muncie, older flyers were disappering either due to age and/or money, AMA was stalled in the mud and muck of past history and at the same time this entire new group of possible members were being run off by the GOM.

So, why does it have to grow? There is strength in numbers and charisma and if you need more proof just check out the current national leadership of the United States.

IMO we as a nation are being pushed down a path that some consider, right now today, is at the doorstep of socialism.

My ins co. lets anybody I want with a license drive my vehicle, even if THEY do not have ins of thier own.. And it doesn't cost anymore than if I insure myself an wife as the only drivers.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tr><td valign="top" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-TOP: 0in"><div id="yiv1643528680"><div align="right"><table border="0" width="576" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="WIDTH: 6in" class="MsoNormalTable"><tr><td width="29%" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.25pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.25pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5.25pt; WIDTH: 29%; PADDING-TOP: 5.25pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">Contact: L Kerness, President

</p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">[email protected]

</p></span></p></div></td><td width="27%" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.25pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.25pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5.25pt; WIDTH: 27%; PADDING-TOP: 5.25pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><address><street><address><stree t><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">P O Box</span></street><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/></address></street> 27740</address><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

</p></span></p></div><div><span id="lw_1254148608_0"><p class="MsoNormal"><place><city><place><city><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Las Vegas</span></span></city><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/></span></place></city>, <state><state>NV</state> <postalcode&gt;<postalcode&gt;89127</postalcode&gt;</postalcode&gt;</state></place><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

</p></span></p></span></div></td><td bgcolor="#000000" width="44%" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.25pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.25pt; BACKGROUND: black; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5.25pt; WIDTH: 44%; PADDING-TOP: 5.25pt"><p align="center" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">The U S Aero - Modeler's

</p></span></p><p align="center" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">Association, Inc.

</p></span></p><p align="center" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">  </span>

</p></p></td></tr></table></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 36pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Press Release

</p></span></p></div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">The U S Aero - Modeler's Association, Inc. announces the launch of a new, member friendly, organization structured to support the recreational model aviation community.

</p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1254148608_1"><span id="lw_1249606084_1">model aviation industry</span></span></span> and participants recognize the need for rejuvenated support and representation of recreational <span class="yshortcuts"><span style="CURSOR: hand" id="lw_1254148608_2"><span style="CURSOR: hand" id="lw_1249606084_2">model aircraft</span></span></span> building and flying, therefore the formation of The U S Aero - Modeler's Association, Inc.

</p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><place><city><place><city><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">Las Vegas</span></city><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black"/></place></city>, <state><state>NV</state></state></place><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black">, Sept 28, 2009:

</p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The U S Aero - Modeler's Association, Inc. (US AMA) will be offering a new refreshing choice of affiliations for those who build and fly model aircraft simply for pure pleasure and enjoyment.

</p></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Memberships is available immediately. Structured to serve its members with minimal hassle and maximum benefits the US AMA is poised to present the type of membership package the modern modeler desires and deserves.

</p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #7f7f7f; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The list of offerings is impressive and will be continually reviewed and modified to effectively fulfill the needs of its members.

</p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Please review the US AMA Summary at your convenience for an initial list of future benefits and how your model aircraft building and flying will be enhanced by becoming a new US AMA member. Learn more and sign up by going to the Website <font color="#800080">www.sportfliers.com</font>

</p></span></p></div></div></td></tr></table>

US Aero Modelers...maximum dry aircraft weight of 12 pounds? Might attract the electric fliers...

I think I will start a Model Aviation Association, you send me $10.00 and for that you get nothing. No magazine, no newsletter, but most of all no BS, all for just $10.00.

I will have full control over the $10.00 you send to spend as I see fit, that is any model airplane that will 'fit' in my Suburban.

This is a thread about the AMA, not the US AMA.

i totally agree all the old school guys think there better than everyone else because their plane is worth a few thousand dollars... well thats their probly for spening thousands of dollars and some kid comes over with his 150$ plane that can do the same thing as the thousand dollar plane and they end up getting kicked off the field or yelled at ect... its just rediculous dont be jealous that a 150$ plane has more capabilities than your hole in the pocket plane.

Untrue, at best it's not even a 1/2 truth.
Stick to the facts that will pass the test instead of "amplifying" your version of the truth just to make a point.

The purpose of this thread is to account for a 20,000 man drop in membership, or roughly 1 out of 7 who are not interested in signing up and who have no use for the AMA to participate in this sport....to suggest that 20,000 have been run off by GOM is like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

How is this related? It makes no sense to me but who am I.

to make this short, as usual this hobby shop owner is only looking at one point, profit.what happens to a club that lets an uninsured person fly buddy box or not? just so happens our club has a training night and instructors that took ama course making them allowed to put these folks and their model in the air without these guests not needing an ama membership. seem to me the ama has already addressed this problem

It's almost impossible to argue with this statement without resorting to ridicule, so I think it's best to just let this one air out on it's own.
Next time you see a car on the interstate cutting across 4 lanes at the last second to reach an exit, or see a car run a full red light, think back to this quoted post and it will all start making sense to you.

Correct, You need no auto insurance whatsoever to drive in the state of NH unless A. You have a loan on your vehicle and your bank requires it. B. You have a drinking problem and have been busted. C. You have been busted for a " serious" vehicular offence like a high speed get away........

I only have comp and liability ( Moose hitting insurance in northern NH ) Its about $340 per year for my VW Golf. Much less than my insurance was in the Independent Peoples Socialist Republic of New York was when I lived there for three years. You can have that state and all of its INSANE insurance laws.

We pay no state income tax
We do not have to wear helmets on motorcycles
We do not have sales tax ( except preprepared food and hotel rooms, thats to get the tourists)
We can freely hunt on state land
We can go to town hall meeting and voice our opinions
We do not have an adult seat belt law.
Etc Etc Etc

Live Free or Die is indeed our state motto.............

103/17