In my area model flying is expanding rapidly out side the domain of AMA. Frankly i think that in a few years AMA will become irrelevant to all except in those areas where a sanctioned field is the only place to fly. Call it a victim of the times or technology, maybe a little of both. I join AMA because i want catastrophic insurance and i like flying at the same site week after week. I have flown out side the realm of a club and lets face it, you just get nice facilities when people ban together, get a peice of property and AMA helps this to happen with insurance to the landowner and liability protection. I sometimes fly electrics in my back yard, but to fly my 1/5 scale jug, i need 40 acres, no trees.

Jugflier

you just made the point that I have been makeing for some time now, yes a lot of
people are flying small electrics in their yards and in parks or schoolyards, but
for larger planes you need a lot more space and some type of maintained runway.

In most cases you only find the latter in a organized club and the vast marjority of
clubs require AMA membership, so unless a lot of flyers are going to switch to
small planes only the AMA does not have much to worry about as far as declining
membership.

Maybe smaller planes are in the future...ebb and tide.