Stickbuilder

Okay, I took the advice of several and read through the July issue. Once again, not much there to interest me. When I got to the District V report, it was Deja Vu all over again (to quote the great Yogi). The report began with, "I attended". Nothing much about Top Gun, except a small blurb about Grame Mears' F-16 and the Thunderbird pilots looking at the model. Greg Hahn made a passing comment about finding a fix for an air flow problem on his gas engine at Top Gun.

If you like the magazine, then fine. I don't feel that it meets my needs, so into the trash can it went, and will be followed by the August issue as well. I did give it a try, and .....Oh-Well[:-]

Bill, AMA 4720

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I haven't received my issue yet but I always read mine cover to cover. I read all of the special interest columns, contest calendar, and especially any construction articles. I have always like how diverse the magazine has been and find the only people that ever complained about it, wanted it to be very narrowly focused.
There is a great big aeromodeling world out there. You either choose to embrace it or stay secluded in your narrow corner. Maybe try a free flight plane or pylon racing or scale or any of the other fascinating aspects this hobby has to offer.
Or just continue to throw away your magazine and remain in your world. I think a better idea would be to hand it to the next little boy you see running through your neighborhood. You may just light a spark in a future pilot. Then you can feel slightly better about what happens to your magazine.

Stickbuilder

Lemme see.....

I flew free flight up until around 1960, I flew control line well into the early 70's (carrier, stunt, combat, rat race, proto speed, and speed), I have been flying R/C since 1957. Now which narrow corner of the hobby would you suggest that I stay in? There are no little boys running through my neighborhood. This area is a 55+ part of the world (you have to be at least 55 years young to live here). Maybe I can find a 59 year old kid to give it to. I only wish that the magazine mentioned the area of the hobby in which I'm interested (for more than one page). I did notice that the majority of the advertizements were for electric. Yeah I know, there were a few ads for wet power models, but you will have to agree that the majority is electric oriented. The parkies do have their own magazine now.

Bill, AMA 4720

ps....I first flew rubber power, and still occasionally do.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

So what aspect of the hobby are you interested in? It sounds like you have a good resume but not much in the current events category. My point is that in reading all of the various articles you can learn a great deal of info about what you may be interested in.
I have learned immensely from the Free Flight Duration articles about engine setup. I too am involved in modern Cl combat and these articles are helpful.
I do not have much interest in electrics myself but it does not bother me that the advertising is there.
It may be unfortunate that you do not have an option to lower your dues and not receive the magazine. I thought this was an option, I can not remember if it still is.
I am impressed by your low AMA number by the way. I was offered a lower number as well when I became a CD but chose to keep my original as it was a part of so many of my current competition racers and combat models. Radio control and Control line.

KidEpoxy

And in that Parkie magazine they have ads for planes outside PPP limits (weight).
Careful Stick, trying to have the ads make sense will strain one's brain.

At least you get your District News page,
the Parkie mag apparently is for folks not interested in their district,
or e-fly-ins,
or attending swapmeets with the real AMA club people
.... or the financial page from the accountant <that is a debate for a different thread>

Stick, when Lonestar Balsa had thier page ads with the prices of all the little sheets & sticks, did you find that of interest?
I did. Not that I was captivated or anything, but I did flip thru looking for that ad to keep up with prices.
If MA found another balsa supplier to put an ad like that in, would you give that page a once over before tossing the mag in the trash?

da Rock

Magazines are like the RCU forums. Good magazines are, that is.

We've got lots of forums, right. Do you come here for all of them? We're providing a service for "all modelers". All that we can, that is. And we get tens of thousands of people every hour. And provide for every major interest.

And members go to the forums they like and catch up on what's happening. Sometimes you learn something new. Most times even the stuff you already know is interesting. Sometimes you can help people in the forums. Good thing is that you can find stuff about what you're interested in.

Model Aviation provides for the major interests. They got lots of members. They provide one heck of a service for those members. Just like RCU provides.

Stickbuilder

No, Normally I don't pay too much attention to advertizing copy. My local Hobby Shop carries a full line of materials (still), and so I buy what I can see, touch, smell etc. Also, I happen to believe in supporting those who remain here for us. Why would I want to wait for several days to recieve a shipment from a jobber that is out of state, when I can take an enjoyable drive to the LHS, mingle and commune with those who have a like interest, chew the fat with the shop owner, and take my purchases with me when I leave? Oh, he does meet any advertized prices. All that, plus he's open extended hours Monday through Saturday. He carries virtually anything and everything that you would wish to have for the hobby.

What part of the hobby drives my interest? Scale modelling Golden Age planes. Attending Top Gun, and Flying my Scratch and Plans built models. I don't ride a bicycle any longer, and the free flight models can quickly get away further than I want to jog to get them. I get dizzy when I try control-line. So R/C is where my main interest lies. I don't build a flying cross type of model, so Scale it is.

Bill, AMA 4720

da Rock

You know, the July issue has some pretty good stuff.

I always find something in Frequently Asked Questions. Aberle has years of experience in lots of different aspects of modeling, and always comes up with some new way to solve a problem. But thats a given.

I've got a buddy who flies off water a lot. I haven't ever. And wondered what it'd take to do. The issue had sort of a "flying off water" theme and darned if a lot of articles didn't give a lot of different perspectives on it.

Another buddy wanted to buy a model hanging up in our best LHS in the area. We didn't know what the kit sold for and the owner and all the clerks were busy (they almost always are) so didn't ask. It ain't easy to leave that place but when we were checking out, the buddy asked the owner about the model and what the seller might take etc..... and the owner got on the phone etc etc....... recorded message....... and we forgot to ask about the kit price....... on the way home, he pulled out his July copy (he'd brought it with to show us something) and looked in the Tower ad. Got the price right there. BTW, the owner called my buddy at home later. Did the negotiation over the phone and we're going down to pick it up tomorrow or the next day. That LHS helps modeling as much as AMA and Model Aviation does, just on a more personal level. BTW, it's KC Hobbies in Archdale NC. Just below High Point. And they're awesome.

Focal Point was kewl as always. As always, lots of coverage of scratch built stuff. The B-24 piece showed me what might work for me if I ever do one like I want to some day. My favorite uncle's squadron was one that did Ploesti. And that Fiesler Storch piece........ and that huge Dyke Delta was amazing. That huge thing is pulled by an OS1.20? amazing.

The plans for the SpectraII were educational. Plans always are. Don't remember what the other plane was that had plans, but this one showed me how to do something I'd never considered to make a float plane amphibious. Amazing what you can learn just reading plans.

And there was another trick to learn in the column that had the scratch built Polikarpov I-16 pictures. You know, when MA stops publishing, all that scratch building knowledge won't be available to the thousands of modelers who come into the hobby every year. They'll all think what they find at the LHS is all there is to the hobby. Unless they have a good LHS that is.

Did you see the clever trick to get the right angle on wing tips that have an angle? Or the somewhat new technique for skinning wings a bit lighter?

I didn't see but one guy I knew in the pictures, so I guess this issue wasn't much value for that. But it sure is worth the time to read. Maybe worth more time than the time I spend in here. Hey, there are other forums here. Think I'll go to one of them.

Stickbuilder

Yes, I did read the article on wing skinning. It's almost a verbatim copy of the one that Mike Dunphy did several years ago. Wonder why Mike did not receive the credit for the work?

Bill, AMA 4720

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Bill, what is so bad about giving those issues you don't like to a child? No grandkids? How about the barber shop?

One more magazine out in the public is one more promotion towards aeromodeling.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

Speaking as a member and not a moderator . . . .

I leave my model magazines at the local barber shop. Interesting, while there are issues of Sports Illustrated, Field and Stream, American Rifleman etc going back many months, the model magazines seem to disappear. My barber explained to me that kids pick them up and ask if they can keep them to finish reading.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I'd rather hear about local issues in Tony's column. I'm sure Top Gun will recieve a full article. Given the latest RC Report just had a full TG feature, and they are the shortest lead time, I would expect MA to be an issue or so behind them.

Stickbuilder

Possibly, but this issue was reporting on events that were after T/G. I'm not surprised though. The AMA didn't have anyone in attendance to report, other than G.H., and he is too busy to do any reporting. Entrants are as busy as a one armed paper hanger.

Bill, AMA 4720

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

My only gripe about the district report in my district is that most that is reported on is in Texas. Oklahoma is mentioned maybe once every two or so years and I never see the other states in my district mentioned. if I am going to want to read it they need to spread out to other parts of the district. unfortunately i think that most who run our district live mostly in Texas.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Contact your DVP and submit something about an event you have. Find out the format they want it in, take some pictures and do a write up and send it on.

Make sure you invite your DVP to your events and find out the closest AVP and invite them too.

Stickbuilder

Of the three biggest events in the USA (not counting the NATS which does not count anyway) being The Joe Nall, The Scalemasters and Top Gun, and with 2 of these (Joe Nall and Top Gun) being held in District V, you would think that the DVP would be aware of these, and would make some attempt to attend both of them, or at least alternate them each year. It does not happen. It has not happened, and probably won't happen as long as the person holding that office is there. I remember when the Late Jim McNeil was the District V, VP, he was known as Mr. I Attended. If you look at the July District V report, please tell me the opening statement. Is there something about representing this District that makes this statement so attractive?

Bill, AMA 4720

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I was refering specifically to the post I quoted about OK not getting any coverage.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

So when are you going to put you name on the ballot?

KidEpoxy

Stick
"I attended" is far better an opening than "Hey you Bottomfeeders" or somesuch
which is the style of language we can now expect to see printed in MA





Which makes getting this post deleted an admission that that language,
even when not addressed to the reader is still offensive,
making Greg Hanh wrong wrong wrong wrong (wrong).

So for any Mr Helpfuls out there that want to admit that language has no place in MA,
go ahead & get this non-insulting post deleted too. Go ahead, Prove me right.
<I've been in PM with Stick. My other post wasnt sent as hostile, and wasnt recieved as hostile, yet someone had to step in & interpret it for Stick and have it deleted>

Stickbuilder

Dion,
Even though, in your infinite wisdom, you addressed your question to Barracudahockey, I could see that you were addressing me with your query.

Dion, you wouldn't want me to run for DVP of This District, because the first thing that I would address would be to shut down Muncie as far as the NATS go, and make it a travelling show. The Headquarters at Muncie would become much more streamlined, with many fewer employees than currently are on the payroll. If the AMA is only to be an insurance administrator, or middle man, then it probably could be operated with a handfull of employees. So I stand absolutely ZERO chance of being elected to that office. Plus, the magazine would be dropped, and a news letter format would be adopted that would meet the letter of the law regarding a non-profit of this type.

Bill, AMA 4720

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

That statement alone goes to show that you really are narrow minded. Yes, those are 3 big events, but they run 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the attendance list. At the very top is the IRCHA Jamboree. I'm surprised BH did not correct your statement, but that apparently is going out of topic, so I'm off to do something constructive. And probably learn something new in the pages of the AMA Magazine.

Continue dumping your magazine in the trash, if that is what makes you happy. Write a letter to the AMA requesting that it becomes an option to receive the magazine or not. Or as suggested before, instead of filling the landfills with unread magazines, take it to your local library, barber shop or public place so somebody else can benefit from it.

I can't believe how this subject has been dragged for so long, and on two threads!

Rafael

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

I wasnt interested in events I hold but more interested to see what happenes in oklahoma that I am missing out on and would like to see what happens in New Mexico and arkansas. once I did see Louisiana

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Bill if you think the NATS should be a travelling show, then by all means, run for DVP. I'm not totally against it, as I believe it's important to get as many people to HQ as possible, like Elvis fans whom flock to Graceland. But even your other plans don't sound that bad.

However if you want to be elected, like any other political office, don't base it on what you want .... base it on how you sell it back to the membership. Once you've made your sale and become elected ... than you continue on your journey of reformation and wait till the next election to prove to the membership that what you've done ... worked, whether they wanted it before you were elected or not. That's how you win elections.

Stickbuilder

There is more to an event than attendance. There is a thing called prestige. The events that I mentioned carry the most weight in the scale community. While there is absolutely nothing second rate about the IRCHA event, even you will have to concede that it does not carry the freight as much as the others.

As to the other thread that you mentioned, it addresses the cover photograph found on the June 2008 issue. This thread addresses an entirely different subject. If it bothers you so much, then why the response. Perhaps you can find a better outlet for your time and efforts.

Bill, AMA 4720

rcmiket

While I feel like "read on issue you've scene them all" I do take them to them and leave them in doctors offices and other places requiring me to wait. To this date on every return trip to these "drop off"' places I have yet to see one of the issues I left. Maybe there tossing them maybe not. I'm gald someone finds them interesting. Beats tossing them. Mike