The Toolman

I've pretty much had it with all of this BS an the ama too. I think I'm done with'em. I can fly at our field without the ama ins anyway because the owner said that years ago. I got good house ins, an thats what would have to pay first anyway.

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

Seems like the AMA must be pissed at you. I only pay $58.00

Silent-AV8R

Sounds to me like you have made a reasoned decision based on your circumstances. I am curious what the limit on your homeowner's policy is and if you had to get a specific rider to cover model aircraft operation.

dhal22

either way i believe your homeowner's will pay if you get sued. my homeowners paid yrs ago when i crashed into a car. boy that's a funny story.

david

The Toolman

Not really, but I wouldn't care anyway. Its $30 extra for the wife every year.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Toolman, without our support, the "steak and lobster gang" will have to start meeting at McDonalds []

The Toolman

Well ol buddy, if ya watch what your doing an make sure your planes are top shape you won't hafta worry about the ins. Theres only 6 or 7 of us out in the middle of B.F.E. anyway

The Toolman

To many suck-ups get special treatment here + I don't need the ama anyway where I'm at.
Think I'll just read an do my talkin over in the airplane part of the forums

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I thought I was the one in BFE!

The important thing is to have fun responsibly. If you've got a good policy and live where you can do what you want, where you want, then TEAR IT UP!! That's what I do.
90 acres, RC combat, Rc speed, 3D, lawn chairs and ice chests. Sun up to Sun down.

I belong to AMA mainly for random contests at club fields. The AMA decals make good wingtip weights, too.

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

Only 30 bucks for a wife. Dang i oughta get married it costs me an extra 58 bucks for my girlfriend and a dollar each for her kids.

Suppose it does'nt matter the fields i fly at require AMA and i usually make it to the AMA site at least once a year.

Myself i don't have a gripe with the AMA. And i do remember there was another insurance/ group about nine ten years ago. can't remember the name. think it's defunct now anyways. I never joined the other group i don't think the field i was flying at then would take it without ama. I'm sure someone would remember it.

The second and perhaps biggest thing is i don't have any homeowners insurance. So would have nothing to fall back on.

The biggest gripe i have is the complete amount of AMA bashing from people who have joined one year two years heck even four years ago. If you don't like it go elsewhere, find a new hobby. If you want to change the way it is ran. run for district president. Or join your local political group. maybe run for Mayor of your town. Maybe set aside your own flying field. That way you could use the city insurance and you could make your own rules.

amdhotprocessor

My Feedback: (6)

I think the BIGGEST problem with the ama isnt the ama at all
it stem into the polotics and the "ole farts" that constantly rag on the younger generations of flyers, mabey it just my club
but wen they fly they do scale like takeofs and flights with piper cubs and cessnas. then me and my buddy come out
Twists with 26cc gas and extras 50ccs and the 35%extras with tuned pipes on a 3W 106 (military contracted)

they whine and gripe because ..." if they ait a tryin to make their planes act like helicopters, they look like drill bits, if they aint a twilin their goin 200 miles an hour" as our last complaint read. We actually wrote the president and told hime we officaly have a radar gun showin only 130-131 LOL

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The old guys I fly with like everything, especially planes that rock. What none of us like are pre-madonna pilots who want to place others in jeopardy with bad judgement and stupidity. Has less to do with the AMA and more to do with common sense.

804

My Feedback: (1)

I've run into a little bit of that too. Yeah, it happens.

But look at it this way. Someday you'll be an old guy, and you can gripe at the young guys.

And you will.

Stickbuilder

Troll.

Bill, AMA 4720

Robotech

My Feedback: (9)

Sounds like the old "I'm taking my ball and going home" or cut off your nose to spite your face deal. Are you saying that you are not renewing your AMA because of perceived injustices in a independent forum that has no affiliation with the AMA?

What does one have to do with the other?

Hey, it's your nose. Cut away man.

rack

My Feedback: (11)

ya well good rid-ens the AMA is probably is sick of you to.
your a real tool, man

rogsteele

You might want to spend more time learning to spell, and then try flying


[X(][X(]

KidEpoxy

Toolman Said:
Looks like he is not cutting off his nose,
but choosing to not buy a $88 Magazine & Vote (a vote that Muncie values less than $2).

Perhaps he put some thought into the pros & cons of stayng AMA.
The folks here have done such a wonderful job of Member Retention so far, but lets just go ahead and see why he should stay vs dont stay:

Dont Stay:
Save $88, no magazine or vote
Continue to fly at same place with same folks using his own insurance.

Stay:
"Comraderie? Hanging with the boys? Learning new techniques? Seeing new models? Meeting new folks with similar interests? Fun? Other than that not much benefit to clubs."

ooops, look like he gets all that even if he leaves.
So, just what is the reason he should keep paying $88 for a $6~$36 magazine and $2 vote?
No, I dont see that as cutting off his nose,
more like liposuction of some lovehandles



Where are the ProMuncie crowd with the positive posts extoling the benefits of membership?
I mean, the ones other than the ones promoting a poor AMA by image saying good riddance.

Jim Thomerson

Looks like this forum is serving its purpose.

Bob Mitchell

I don't think he is either. At least it doesn't appear so.

He knows much about AMA having been a member for a while. It's a personal decision based on the specifics of his situation. It's not like he's a newbie who doesn't know much about AMA other than most clubs require AMA membership. How do you go about changing someone's mind when they know the pro's and con's and have made a decision based on their own personal preferances? I don't think you can. What can you or anyone else tell him about AMA that he doesn't already know?

That said, I hate to see anyone leave an organization that they've been a part of for a long period of time.

Stickbuilder

<snip>
<snip>

And it might cause you a pay cut.

Bill, AMA 4720

Robotech

My Feedback: (9)

Um, I was commenting specificaly on the quoted text in my post. That's why I put it there. Go back and read it then return.

If no insurance is required by the landowner of his field, why was he an AMA member in the first place? The answer to that would be the same as the reasons for him staying in. Not to mention that if your not an AMA member:

1. You cannot post in this forum with any cedibility. (STL treatment rule)
2. You cannot post in HC's current or future sub-forums
3. You can no longer serve as BM's gadfly here and on RCG.

Blue_Sky

I think if that's what Ron wants to do, it's great.

The only reason I'm an AMA member is to be around people I respect and want to fly with. The field requires AMA membership. I'm fortunate my best friend in the hobby and the guy I fly with more than any other is a former AMA National Champion, and another guy I enjoy being around could have been. To me, these are special people and AMA membership has nothing to do with it. As a matter of fact, I've flown at private fields with the same people I respect, and if that option were still available, as it was 15 years ago, I wouldn't have come back to the AMA.

I'm one of those people Hoss would ride about not getting involved. And when I predict the demise of the AMA, it's not necessarily because of bad feelings toward the AMA, it's simply what I see looking into the future of the hobby.

The very things that served the AMA over the years are destined to be the very things that bring it down: Representation and a voice in the organization. For example, let’s say an insurance company approached a club and offered full coverage for the entire club, including land owner and club members, for $1 per year. Club members could fly with full primary insurance without AMA membership, and clubs could continue to be an AMA club with new primary full insurance. How many clubs would participate? All of them. How many would participate and cut ties with the AMA? None of them. In this scenario, the majority of club members would stop paying dues and quit the AMA. Therefore membership dwindles and long term the AMA dies. Adjust the $1 per year price point and find the magic number to put the AMA out of business.

The bottom line in the above example is not insurance and money, it’s the fact that AMA clubs as a part of an organization have representation and a voice in how the organization is run. The only power the AMA has is the political structure that gives clubs representation. Take away the structure and you take away the membership money machine. As more and more AMA clubs feel disenfranchised with the organization, the more clubs will turn away from the AMA.

Unless the AMA starts focusing on a way to be a more commercially viable means of acquiring and preserving fields – and therefore directs staff in this precise direction, staff will continue on a self-serving agenda of perpetuating it’s own livelihood.

Sorry for the rant.

KidEpoxy

interseting,
This also demonstrates how some local AMA club has no vote or say in UAW union or russian parliment. Seems the clubs that are not part of the Union or Russia dont give a hoot about the organizations they are not part of. If in the BlueSky example of all the members getting out of AMA and forming non-ama $1insurance clubs, why should they care about AMA going down in flames or not.

Toolman could form a Ronnie's Raiders club (nonAMA)
with their own insurances that satisfies the landowner,
and they would neither vote in nor care about AMA.... why should they care about controling an org they are not it. However, the members of Ronnies Raiders would have Absolute Control of the club they are in: They dont have to worry about some suprize FreeFoamieFaction developed and sprung on them from outside their small club membership. The members of Ronnies Raiders would have much more direct control of their small org than trying to vote for guys to send to Muncie.

As AMA, it is most likely that Toolman is not insured on Turbines and therefor not allowed to fly them without waiver at the club as a member of the AMA club. But if he drops AMA he can fly them as a Ronnies Raiders guy with insurance that satisfies the landowner.... which is the same site with the same guys that cant let him fly. Same with a 56lb plane, he can have the RonniesRaiders tech inspector (his wife) count the wings and issue a 55+ RRwaiver if the plane has one or more wings.

Muroc1

It's all about setting the example. If a club officer, let alone the president of the club, is not an AMA member, what kind of example is that setting? Now, when you tell a new guy wanting to join the club that he has to pay an additional $58 to fly there, but the president doesn't, that's going to be a tough pill to swallow.

But I'm sure there are a number of AMA members are solely members because they have to be to fly at their field. There is certainly no law that says you have to be an AMA member. It all boils down to personal choice. Everyone has that same choice. No reason to bag on anyone that wants to be, or does not want to be a member.

Frank