I finally opened the envelope and removed my AMA card the other day so that I could put it with my field equipment. My third card! I’ve been flying now for a little over a year! I love this hobby. In just over a year I’ve built a 60 size Citabria, a 90 size Sukhoi (both from kits) and have accumulated two ARF’s and three slope gliders. Life is good and I’m having fun!

In the process of opening that envelope I happened to glance at the “Guide to Membership Services” booklet and noticed - "The worlds largest sport aviation organization, representing a membership of more then 155,000 from every walk of life ...” Wow, I never realized just how small of an organization that I’d joined. Compared to the number of golfers in the U.S. or the number of people who play slow pitch softball, or even the number of certified divers in the U.S. the AMA is a small group.

Then I remembered reading in my last issue of AOPA magazine (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) that AOPA is lobbying the FAA to place tighter restrictions on remotely piloted vehicles over 15 lbs.

It makes me wonder just where this hobby/sport is going. How much longer will flying RC models be a viable sport? Flying fields are closing at an alarming rate. We have the government, other aviation enthusiasts and even the general public against us. We number so few and have almost no political presence.

I'm not active in the AMA, like I said I've only been a member for a little over a year. But, faced with what I'm seeing I have to ask; What can I do?

Am I just looking at this wrong or are we facing some rather tough times ahead?

johndou
Look in your parks, school yards, back yards,and streets and you will see there are more than 155.000 people playing with their Toys. AMA is just a drop in the bucket
The FAA is not worried about the planes when they know where they are flying. Its the one they do not have a clue of where they are that bothers them.

Interesting resolution of a flap between AOPA and a NC Police Dept over UAV operation that was refereed by FAA. The local authorities agreed to operate by the provisions of Advisory Circular 91-57, "Model Aircraft Operating Standards." More [link=http://www.runryder.com/helicopter/t236158p1/]HERE[/link]

Abel

How do you think we compare in membership with the National Jump Rope Association? I'm sure you have seen their competitions on ESPN and the Disney Channel.

Well, in the big picture you can do lots of things:
a) Sit back & do nothing: Pay the $58 & dont bother worrying about anything (very popular)
b) Join the choir of status quo, let Muncie worry about stuff & we follow whatever comes of it
c) Identify areas we could do better or new opportunities to benefit the org, and let folks know what you came up with. You can send your ideas on improving the AMA to your DistrictVP, or walk around telling folks on the street your ideas on improving the AMA, or you can post a thread here to tell thousands of RC Flyers your ideas on improving the AMA & use the piwer of the internet to gather up like minded folks

You already did the most important part of doing something for the AMA,
you decided you want to do something,
and from there your choices of involvement are wide open.

Even something as simple as putting a 8x10 pic of you & a bud holding their planes up on your desk at work may perk some interest in coworkers, then invite them to the club for some buddybox or Sim time

Removed by HossFly due to being advisory informational. Possibly social and applied to AMA disciplines outside RC.

true

I think that for the most part, model airplane hobby enthusiasts don't know where we are going, simply because they don't have a clue as to where we have been. If you wonder why a lot of us are very happy with what we now have, it's simply because we remember when we did not have any of these things. If you all will go back and do a little history study concerning this hobby/sport, you might get a little better understanding of the progress that has been made within the hobby in general and with the AMA. Some of you are only interested in what can be done for you right now, but there are still members who enjoy the older diciplines of the hobby (rubber, indoor, free flight, control line etc), and you don't speak for them.

To repeat myself a little, You will never know where you are going, if you don't know where you have been.

Bill, AMA 4720

Where are we going?

Without a doubt there is a changing of the guard coming soon. Similar to WW2 vets., the folks who started with single channel, galloping ghost, pulse proportional, reeds etc. are dying off at an alarming rate! These are the folks that have guided the R/C hobby for a long, long time and it is time for them to step down. Having been a member during this era I am thankful for all that has been accomplished! We who have been there, know what was done and recognize the hard work that has accompanied it.

So, it's time for a younger generation to take over control and determine the direction the AMA shall head. Whether they will listen to people of experience, pay heed to the foibles of the past and recognize the hard work of their predecessors, as well as plot course for the future, remains to be seen.

Down through the ages there has always been friction between the generations. Until recently, it's seemed the younger generations have always tended to grow to understand the points of view and experience, and ended up with appreciation for the older generation. The older generations have appreciated the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work of the younger generation.

Will this continue, or (as I fear) will life only be about youth? I only hope I am provin wrong while I can still comprehend it!

I work for a large corporation, but in the area that I work - about 2 dozen people - about four of us are into R/C airplanes. The only one who’s a member of any club is me. The rest fly in those parks, school yards, back yards and streets as Live Wire mentioned. They all ask the same thing; “... why don’t you just get an electric and fly where and whenever you want to?”

Good question, why don’t I?

Umm ... sorry Jim, I must have missed the jump roping stuff. But then I’m not really into watching little girls play. You may want to keep that kind of information under your hat.

All good suggestion Hossfly. But, you sure know how to discourage a guy. With all of the political BS to weed through why would anyone WANT to get involved?

Knowing where we came from is always a good thing. I know I’m reminded of it almost every time I open and read the AMA magazine. But knowing where we came from does little to indicate where we’re going. The future changes so fast ...

I can understand losing some of our older members. But, we have this countries largest population reaching the prime age for getting involved with R/C, the baby boomers are reaching retirement age and are looking for new hobbies and sports. Look at what’s been happening with the motorcycle industry, specifically Harley Davidson and antique cars, etc. The boomers have the disposable income, the time and the need to do “something” yet very few are being drawn to R/C. It’s obvious that this sport/hobby has a very poor marketing plan - even among the people who stand to make money, like the hobby shops.

So, increasing from 50,000 members in the mid 1970s to 155,000 in 2005 has to be considered a loss? This hobby is only going to appeal to just so many people. The baby boomers have been exposed to the hobby all along and if they wanted in, I think they'd be in!

Why are we always seeming to lament that there just isn't enough people involved in this hobby? More people will mean less flying time for those of you who beleave flying is what the hobby is all about as it will be more crowded at the flying field. Clubs would need to be bigger, there will be more work for the officers and it will be more difficult to get people to commit to being officers due to there being more work!

From my point of view, I could care less if the hobby grows. This is about what I enjoy doing with MY free time, not about my promoting the hobby and AMA to the masses.

Don't get me all wrong on this now! If someone new comes along, is self motivated and doesn't need to be wet nursed through the beginning stages, I'm Johnny on the spot to lend a hand! However, I've done my share of attempting to promote this sport to the general public and for the most part, it was all for naught.

johndou, I'm glad you understand the AMA has no national level marketing plan. However, your ignorance of the Jumprope people, inspite of their relatively extensive TV exposure, suggests that we should not immediately expect crowds to flock to our flying fields, should we get comparable exposure.

Anyone remember the good old days when, if you even entered the Nationals, your hometown newspaper got a press release? I think the people who caused that to happen are the group who have passed on.

Some of use are still here but who cares not the new generation. Every one is in the fast lane Instant gratification, want it now and let some one else do it, I am to busy and I can have some one else do it for less than I can What a life

2500 AMA clubs coast to coast. Many argue the AMA is a monopoly too. Somebody must of had some kind of plan.

Why do you need to waste millions advertising when you already have market dominance?

Wow another new generation conversation. I would just like to present another view. I am a member of the younger generation and really don't like how we are all lumped into a large sterotype. I am now 25 and joined the AMA when I was 19. My first two planes were from kits because I like to build and it gives me somthing to do when I can not make it out to the field. It is also a way for me to show off the craftsmanship that I have devolped over the past few years, each model gets better. I think that if you don't build you miss out on over half of the hobby and most of the sense of accomplishement when you fly your new model for the first time. You can say yes I built this, not some underpaid asian kid, and chances are you will not run into a plane that looks exactly like yours the next weekend.
The argument that people use for purchasing an ARF is that they dont have enough time to build a kit. That is a load of steaming fecal matter. I always have a project on my building board and I work 12 to 14 hours a day and travel on a regular basis. If you have an extra ten or fifteen minutes you can tiniker on your project. In short if I cant make it out to fly I can build. It can take a while to build this way, it just took me five months to finish my Great Planes 40 sized Cap 232 but the journey is great experiance in its self.
Well off the soap box I go, the point is that not all young guys are arf assembling rc operators (I have a hard time calling them modelers). Some of us enjoy the whole hobby not just part of it.