bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

WHOA WHOA...

Now I didnt say I didnt like the AMA...I just think the magazine needs a little more work, especially if they want to make it profitable.

I flew outlaw for over a year...and realized that the outlaw cries of "its just insurance" dont fly. Its much more than insurance, and while the AMA isnt perfect, there is so much more to it than just insurance....but that's delving into a topic better suited for the AMA discussion forums.

I will admit the magazine is getting a little better. The articles are still outdated, but at least the advertising has improved.

Edit...whoops...they did move this to the AMA forum...well...on that note...lets keep it in line with the usual and start some fireworks.

Im out.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

hehe Oh well. I despise the coverage in MA because of the lackluster appearance, the lame articles, etc.. But you have to remember, most AMA members are around 60+ years old. This is what they care about and by the time I'm 60, they'll probably have heli articles, and 3D flying articles in it as well.(if they haven't realized that the internet sites{RCU, RCG, FG, HG, TFC, Pro Bro, etc} are where it all is and that they really are just providing toilet paper.)


Go Fly!
50%

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Guys...I just can't understand your references to MA pages and Toilet paper! MA pages are too slick and not very absorbent. Get a life! or maybe Charman!

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Plenty of bluster and blubber in this forum.

You want articles on a particular subject in MA?

Write one and submit it!

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Nah, Charmin is too soft........

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

All kidding aside, I do agree that MA doesn't always represent all aspects evenly but I still enjoy reading about other aspects that I do not participate in. In the end I guess I enjoy reading about some things and doing others.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

If MA was worth a darn, they wouldn't need to force the subscription on us. They know it sucks and they fixed it by making us buy it. End of story. Time for new business.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Ding Ding Ding!! We have a winner!!

I was able to opt out of the magazine in 1999 and 2000 for some strange reason. They had an option to just pay for the coverage and get a $12 discount without the magazine. I did it. Now, that option is not available anymore.

I do understand the complaints about the magazine. I have my own agenda, and would rather see more Giant Scale aerobatic coverage. Anything 40--50cc and up thats a scale aerobat. I used to really enjoy Mike Hurleys articles, but haven't seen them as of late.

I've said it before-- Too much grey hair and rubber bands in the magazine for my taste. I don't give two flips about indoor rubber free-flight. Don't care about outdoor free-flight either. Or rockets, or helis, or electrics of any size, or, or , or, or...........

We all have our focused area of interest. What you have to do is find a different source of information. I view the MA magazine as garbage. Takes me all of 30 seconds to flip through it and say, "Yeah, more electric trainers. More Free Flight BS. More rubber band crud. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. More advertisements. Where's that trashcan?" My MA magazine literally hits the trashcan less than 5 minutes ater I receive it. Only occasionally will I find an articel worth taking a second look. I'll set that issue aside and read the article later. But, as soon as I'm done with it--trashcan.

Maybe we should all get together and start a campaign to force AMA to at least let us opt out of it again and take a small discount in our yearly dues. I'm not much of a politician and I don't have the time to organize such a large undertaking. But, if someone could put together a package and a plan -- maybe we could distribute a petition in every district and get people to sign it. I'd get actively involved in that if someone else could do the initial groundwork. I just don't know how and don't have the time to figure it out. But, come up with a plan and I'll push it as far as I can in my local area.

The way I see it, we have 2 options:

1 - Force AMA to let us opt out of the magazine and take a disounted rate on our dues

2 - Get the format of the magazine changed. Only way to do that is if more guys will submit articles about current interests, and force the old articles about the Daddy Rabbit to the back burner and eventually to the trashcan where they belong.

highK

RC - why don't just call the AMA magazine staff and tell them that if they don't do as you say you will have them all fired?

InIt4MyBoys

There's nothing quite like an open mind, now is there?

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Just like airplanes, some are built up from kits, some are arfs. There's alot less CA and alot more locktite involved though.

There's also scale ones, they take alot more work and money and are similar to building a scale model.

See my gallery for several examples of pod and boom and my scale helicopter.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Nope.

I read other magazines. Magazines that pertain to the specific aspect of the hobby that I want to participate in.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

I'm not the type of person to make idle threats when I know I can't make it happen.

But, if enough of us get together and demand different content in the magazine, we'd have a lot better chance of getting the format changed.

theradioflyer

Screw the magazine, how about real help from the body in which most modelers contribute to! My club has now lost our field, something which the local represenitives from the AMA did nothing about, even though we ask. Many calls and emails were left unanswered, but we still have to pay and be members and have to have there OK on our flying sites. AMA is a Joke. It is just a long standing buisness collecting our money with very little benifit. I fly heli's in a park now and carefully watch for anyone who aproaches my area. Yeah, tell me that's safer than a flying site with gates and fences. Screw the AMA[:'(]

shag555

All in all, I have 3 planes 25 - 27 percent scale... I just started flying helis, and am going to have to fight to be allowed to fly at the club field with the heli... Maybe it's easier to drop AMA all together and fly park fliers and my helis out in the backyard. I don't have the crap that goes with the AMA, sending me "reminders" to pay for that POS DVD they sent out early this year.

All in all AMA is worse than the NRA. At least NRA has a decent magazine, and they also have some pretty good lobbying power. Speaking of which, all these superfund sites around the country don't all seem to be turning into RC Fields either do they??? BECAUSE - there's probably no one from AMA dedicating the time to get the fed & state govs interacting for plans on RC fields.

john68

The term "liscence" is used, only for lack of a better term. I shall call it "membership" in all posts here-after.

The fact that the AMA is not allowed to "liscence" anyone is undisputed. completely... That is not the point. What the AMA is allowed to do is prohibit you from flying your model rocket on any AMA chartered flying field, if you do not possess AMA membership. It's the same principle. If you don't have the AMA, you are not allowed to operate your model. Perhaps using the terms "liscence," and "operate" in the same paragraph may have confused my point, but the fact remains true. Anyone who does not possess an AMA membership, is not allowed to operate any equipment on an AMA flying field.

I assumed I wrote clear enough the first time to have that understood.

I think that's the last I will add to this thread. The original rant of thhis thread was my frustration over an experience at a local flying field. It was later explained to me that the member of that flying field was completely out of line in how he treated me, and what he told me. There are, in all aspects of life, some very grouchy and rude people. They are not just in AMA, but everywhere. I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to have my first dealing with that member, and no one else present protested his statements to me. Therefore I assumed that was the general concensus of the flying club, and was immediately turned sour to the whole field.


I have since returned to that field, not feeling as an unwelcomed guests. This is/was due 100% to the actions of an RCU member who cleared everything up for me, and welcomed me and my unruly helicopters to the flying field.

I still argue that helicopters do not receive their fair share of the spotlight, but, I will work on that in a way that is helpful to the cause. Seeing lots of support here, makes me more confident that my shouts did not land on deaf ears, nor that I am alone in my thinking.

Does anyone have the January 2006 issue of MA? PM me if you want to get rid of it. I had elapsed membership in january, and did not get to see the helicopters. I would be most interested in seeing what they did for that part of the hobby. (hopefully it's not a balsa/ rubber band powered free flight helicopter article! LOL just kidding)

John

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Unfortunately, an all too common misconception. Not hard to understand why though. It seems AMA is happy to perpetuate that belief...So are most clubs.

john68

Ok, I don't understand. Are you saying you ARE alowed to fly at AMA chartered fields, without having AMA membership? Could you explain that, or site a reference that shows that in print? I can show in print, on a public flying field, where it clearly states that an AMA membership is required.

Maybe I am misreading. it is late.

John

KidEpoxy

John-
That is a point in the AMA Monopoly thread. The AMA chitchat is to not allow non-ama to fly, but the written policy/rule is that they Strongly Encourage clubs to not let non-ama fly. I call it anti-competitive practice to put out disinformation about non-members access to fields, others dont see it as a problem, it is just a secret.

check the last page or two of the AMA Monopoly thread for more info... or IIR posts # 90-105 was talking about it too.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

John,

The AMA orchestrates every word to insure everyone believes "only AMA members" or employs other strategies to insure exclusion of "non-AMA types". It is a skillful and concerted word-smithing by many in the AMA to intimidate others into joining. We see it in this forum over and over again. The most orated and errant rationale is that everyone in the hobby/sport should share in the expense associated in the protection and promotion of the hobby/sport.



Until our constitution morphs into something that allows the government to require membership with only a certain private organization such as AMA or by extension their clubs we as citizens of USA will maintain choice. When it comes to AMA like organizations, there isn't a choice...only one exists.

Since proving a negative is impossible...nowhere does AMA come out and say non AMAers can fly at their club’s field...I can offer for consideration the fact that many club fields are on public land such as a parks.

One well known example to support my assertion is Sepulveda basin.

Believe me there are many more.

KidEpoxy

Of course, the other side from Supulveda is the public land up in SanJose/MorganHill ,CA... public land requiring you to pay a private club (not insurance company as AMA keeps shouting) to fly.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Kid,

Of course, you a right on. A club can acquire an exclusive lease on public land but for all intents and purposes it is private land as long as the lease is valid and as such the club can mandate as it wishes...erect fences and gates with locks and keep other hobbyists or potential enthusiasts excluded unless they “pay up” …till their heart is content. Of course it is self serving and exclusionary… does very little to promote the hobby/sport IMO. Hmmm…could that be a reason AMA is declining? Maybe even the root problem?? I wonder.

GMONEY1

My Feedback: (5)

Guys as far as the Mag goes. You all realize that you can make contributions? Start small with local happenings then maybe a build thread. I dont care what you are into if they have twenty articles about giant scale they will run it. The same goes for any SIG. The problem I see is the stuff you see is what they are getting. Take the time write and article and submit it. It cant hurt. I was invloved with a SIG and constantly wrote little tid bits and most were mentioned. I lved the hurley build thread I still hear guys talking about that. Maybe its time for another three part anything.

KidEpoxy

A 3part 1/2A Build?

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

ROFLMHO!!!!!