ROUND TO THE CLOSEST YEAR

Is there a point to this? The AMA does fantastic things for the hobby.

By showing flexibility, trying new things, and being willing to adapt to changes, they will always find a way to survive. This is evidenced in every successful government agency or corporation that has been around a long time. A shining example of an entity that is willing to change its mission, stay flexible, and deal with adversity very positively is the Army Corps of Engineering... a veritable study in survivability through flexibility.

BTW, is there some kind of board policy about trolling for an argument with such a poll? There is absolutely no value to this poll other than to stick dogs in a pen and force them to fight for your own enjoyment.

Voting is not arguing or bringing negativity.
Polling is not trolling.
Arguing for no reason in a poll is trolling.

The OP didnt ask for folks to defend their choices,
and he certainly didnt ask for folks to try to bring negativity ABOUT HIS POLL into his poll.

Its a poll, guys.
Choose one, or dont, but why are poll responders choosing to arguing in a simple poll.

I voted they will always find a way to survive, but who knows?

It will be around after the average 60 yr old (?) AMA member is pushing up daisies. Just like Pan-Am, TWA, P38 Lightning, etc. When the last person leaving Muncie turns off the lights, somebody will buy the AMA name and sell license to its use. I'm betting on Lockheed. []

Abel

"Pepsi presents the Verizon and RJReynols AMA, brought to you by MillerBeer and Nike"

The AMA and the NRA will expire on the same date, when the fascist agenda finally gets implemented.

Ba-aa-aa-aaaa...

I know nothing about dog fighting in the ring

The AMA was around when the models were all C/L and free flight. The organization has evolved since the beginning, to one that's more political in nature. It had to be that way, to facilitate the preservation of frequencies on the 72 mhz band, giving a significant boost to the hobby. Contrary to popular opinion, the AMA does not oversee the hobby as a whole. If you are not a member, then you are not affected by the AMA's policies, which exist for insurance purposes. Should the AMA indeed kick the bucket, then we can all forget about our .40 sized planes (regardless of whether they're glow or electric!) and go the park foamie route, until enough soccer moms and Chuck Schumers decide the hobby isn't in the public's best interest. The AMA isn't going to give up on R/C any more than the NRA will on the right to own a hunting rifle.

NorfolkSouthern

Why not Republic? Did the 'ol Thud put them out of business? I can't remember if the F-105 Thunderchief put 'em down or lack of govt contracts, or if they are still around. Oh, what a wonder aircraft that was. Love the Thud!
Mean Monte

Fairchild bought them out 40+ years ago. I think Fairchild bit the dust in the mid 80's. I'm a big Thud fan too. Hard to believe it's over 50 years old now.
I was backhandedly ragging on Lockheed because of their greed - claims of 'intellectual property rights' to outlines and names of military aircraft taxpayers paid them to design and build. Some model manufacturers have been the victims. If it says "Officially Licensed by <insert Lockheed, et al here>," I don't buy the product and have them profit at my expense for their extortion whether it's legal or not. I suspect it's legal only because that is determined by who has the most money to spend abusing the civil court system.

Abel

Well that's a shame. I bet they could have used the extra revenue to help fight those lawyers. Are you sure that bill was even passed?

"Bill passed" is not a true function of the CIVIL courts. Abel is correct. Big money is the winner in the civil court system. It is easy for the deep-pocket crowd to simply keep judgments tied up in the appeal system until the plaintiffs have to give up.

Reference the topic: I voted 2015 because that is close to my predictions of 2012 and allows some extra time. IMO the AMA insiders-objective is to create a #1 publishing company, financed with member dues, and a captive insurance system insurance provider business established which will then ease out the competition provisions and let promotion of the hobby/sport be self contained as it mostly is at this time. I have been saying for a number of years that AMA -- as we know AMA -- is a dying critter. Kind of like another critter established some 230+/- years ago that was the greatest thing ever in the world of freedom for people. [&o]
Unfortunately both critters are dying from lack of maintenance by the people that both were designed to serve. [>:]

My vote is that with all the Chinese arf's, the Chinese will take the profits from arf sales and buy out AMA.

Chinese make all the profits? They don't make a lot of profits over in China, they make enough to pay their bills. The profits are added into the product once they land on American soil. If you think anyone is going to take over the AMA ... well the pecking order starts at Tower Hobbies and then it trickles down from there.

I'm with Able on this, I won't buy anything that says "Officially licensed by..."
IMO, it's just one more way to rip off the consumer.
There's plenty of manufacturers, in China mostly, that don't pay royalties and therefore this additional charge is not passed on to the consumer, and, more importantly, the compay is not getting any payment.
Geeez, they might have to survive on their government contracts!
BRG,
Jon

So if a RC factory moves right next door to QQ and copies his planes down to the nanometer and materials, which isn't really that hard to do. Then they swipe his logo and his trim schemes and sell them for 20% less, would you buy it from them instead???

As I said, I will not buy anything that has "Officially licensed by.." on the plans or box.
The last three scale models I bought were:
JL L-39-I doubt that Aero Vodochody is demanding royalties
SM F-16-I'm sure Anton is not paying GD for the privilege of modeling the F-16
Hawker Tempest plans and kit, again I doubt that Hawker is going after model companies for money.
Everyone can decide for themselves if they want to pay the aircraft manufacturer for the "privilege" to make a particular model.
I've decided that I don't not want to pay them, and, since it's my money, I'll spend it how I want to.
BRG,
Jon

The Chinese sure as heck DO make a healthy profit, and NOT just enough to cover their bills. I spent 2 ½ weeks travelling around a bunch of places in China towards the end of last year, and the evidence of their immensely improved financial situation is unmistakable to all but a blind man. All those people who “aren’t making much profit� are buying an awful lot of new stuff for such slender profits … a gazillion new cars, massive sales of appliances that were practically unknown in China a few years ago, so many immense skyscrapers being built that it’s hard to take a touristy picture anywhere without there being at least three massive cranes in it and the Chinese now say their new national bird is the Crane, regular Chinese people (not just the upper class) being able to buy apartments and houses for the first time ever, etc., etc., etc.

I’m not suggesting by any means that ALL of the Chinese population have had a share in the financial boom, but to suggest that the Chinese are basically only covering their bills while the profits are all made in America is simply a gross exaggeration.

Gordon

I was talking about this industry. You would be greatly surprised for what Great Planes pays for a UCANDO 3D in China. Very surprised. China is making it's money on volume, competition and cheap labor. All of the markup on hobby products is done right here in the states. Of course these guys have to spend a heck of a lot of money on advertising to resell the products ... but the Chinese don't have a lot of profit in their products, just volume. If they did have high costs, you could just walk over to the factory just next door.

I would say Great Planes pays about $30.00 for said plane.

"we lose money on every sale, but make up for it in volume!"

OMG, you're right. But eventually, we won't be around. Same as the AMA. Not sure how long they will last, I mean with only 7% of the general membership voting and all. It is apparent that very few care about the governing body and in what direction the AMA is headed. Just a thought.

Lucky if the UCANDO 60 costs that much to put in a box. So where does the proft it lie...China??? Also keep in mind that the price of balsa is the same price that American wholesalers buy it as the same as the Chinese, since most of it comes from South America and it's all being sucked up by the wind farm industry. Chinese are lucky to make 10% profit on RC products and a $30 product sold direct for $150 is a 500% return on investment. However I do have a friend in China selling 10,000+ servos a day ..... not just to the RC industry. Chinese do their thing and we do ours. They know how to make it ... cheap. We know how to exploit through strategic marketing. God bless the USA!