There have been many posts as to why you became an AMA member, what you are doing to promote the AMA, and how many new members you have recruited.

I don't see threads that are dedicated to discussing why you have remained a member. There are probably several reasons, and I would imagine that the number one reason is to facilitate club membership, followed by being able to enter competition, and maybe aven a few who belong in order to be able to teach others to build and /or fly.

The name of the organization is Academy of Model Aeronautics. By virtue of its name, it should be a teaching organization. I don't think that many ever consider that.

Who have you taught within the hobby, and what have you taught them? Who taught you, and what did they teach you?

Are you interested in learning more, or are you satisfied with your place within the hobby/sport?

What would you like to learn?

Bill, AMA 4720

I am self taught 30 plus years ago. As for how many folks I have taught to fly, to many to count. I am currently an instructor in my club and will work with any one that needs and asks for help. I have taught a couple of flyers that had disabilities that required some major modifications to radios and approaches on how they were taught to fly, but we did get it done. Over the years I have flown in contests and would like to get to more, but I have to admit that I have stumbled in my desire to get to some of them due to time constraints or planes not ready. As for learning new thing's, I am doing that all the time. I am blessed to be a part of a club that has many extremly talented members and they all willing to share their knowledge on every aspect of RC, both at home and at the field. My latest build is full of firsts for me and when our next club meeting comes around, I will be sharing my firsts with the other club members. Good subject, lets hope to hear from others, Dave

Dave, that's great. I didn't see where you made any mention about teaching someone to build though. I think that this is as important as teaching someone how to fly.

Bill, AMA 4720

In my years since I learned to fly CL back in about 1948, I have assisted numerous others in the CL world. I don't remember exactly my first AMA but it was around 1946-48. I think I have been a member since 1950, but for certain since 1956. I became a CD in 1963. I have never even considered NOT being AMA since then. It was as natural as eating and sleeping to be a member of the national organization for aeromodeling.

I flew some non-competitive FF in the early '50s but never really learned FF until I had the oportunity to work under a great FFer (non competitive) John Valls of Laredo, TX, and the competitive, the late Russel "Bear" Snyder, at that time also in Laredo, time frame of 1963 through 1967.
I first got into really competitive CL back after 1956 in the Houston area. There were a number of helpers in that area, but I could fly the stunt pattern from high school days. While I enjoyed the competition, my main interest was building and flying. The number one lesson that I learned was that competition definitely restricted one into what one built and flew. Such restrictions also restricted one's freedom of expression allowed by sport flying, yet made one work to be more precise in their flying. (I'm, by nature, rather sloppy [:-] )
Back around 1970, my main interests were CL Stunt, and FF Class C along with FF OHLG. In 1971 I opened a Hobby Shop in Mt. Prospect, IL and found I needed to learn RC. Probably the straightest model I ever built was a German kit the "Mufti" very much like an Ugly Stick, ST .46, Hinode 27 mhz. radio. OK, so I tried it first all alone. Then I rebuilt it and went for HELP. Two flights with the old "grab the transmitter" method and then I was SOLO. Mixed RC, CL and FF through '73 then all RC. I tried everything, pattern, scale, sport, combat, pylon and whatever came along. I liked Pylon best. Not judged by someone else's idea. Either one is out front or behind. I stayed mostly behind except in Sport Pylon and some Q-500 times.

All my help there was simply being in a group that flew together, rode herd on each other, drank a lot of beer while flying (No stinkin' safety-code back then) and just had a great time helping, assisting, and flying together even when competing against each other.
Back then it was a challenge to keep machines flying, and we enjoyed overcoming those challenges.
All the time without buddy cords, we helped newbies. Models were built up and when crashed they required rebuilding of trashing. If a newbie could not stay with it, we didn't care much. We offered help, helped, and went from there. One fond memory is of a later pylon buddy that just could not get the hang of things. He could get up and down but was a terror in between. He got into pylon with our club pylon stuff (sport airplanes) and within 2 months he was a sht-Hot flier. He forgot the worries and the problems, got into the frey, and went from scary to excellent in nearly no-time. I still see his picture every so often in High Flight.

When I moved back to TX. I went bass fishing for 4 years. Then back into modeling. I have instructed and soloed many students. My solo requirements are high. I haven't done much the last 4 years because the club no longer stays with my personal standards, and I will not sucumb to their low standard which I deem unsafe. Personal thing.
Yes, but too many other priorities now. Too old to really get going again.

I'm working to relearn the CL stunt pattern, but the reflexes are very slow. SCARY!! [sm=red_smile.gif]
I would like to be a better scale builder. I would like to get into turbines, however the club will not opt for a decent hard-surface runway for scale and jets. I don't care to journey a great distance to use one. I have offered to build the runway for the club with no interest, and no payments until the club-owned property is sold.
There is plenty room for a decent hard-surface runway along with a grass runway.
The in-charge sport-fliers just seem too afraid of progress, or they want to keep the facility strictly for themselves. After a while I wonder who is going to pay for it for them.

Edit: typo and emphasis.

Horrace,

I guess too often we (that have them) take things like hard surface runways for granted. It's never too late to learn, at least until you start that eternal dirt nap. Give it a try. As to scale building.......Now you're takling!!!!!

Bill, AMA 4720

Bill
As of a lot of people in this hobby I started out building. I have had a passion for airplanes since I first saw them flying in WW11. Building from drift wood found on the river bottom, and orange crates. I started with control line and the Airtrails mag. that had a app for AMA in it. AMA has change in the years but insurance and being a member of the then Great organization, was a great feeling for a young aviator
I have gave instruction on building, and flying CL and RC and still am a active builder and flyer, Still in AMA and still have my grip's.
Yes I have flown the real thing

Although I've only been AMA five years flying RC, my interest in aviation and models has been lifelong, since the late 60's when my dad flew full-scale and we built a few models back then.
I've taught a few guys how to fly and set up planes, using what little I've learned in that time. One in particular watched me fly at my former club, got interested, and has become a great friend and flying buddy.
I guess he would be my greatest success at "recruiting" and teaching. I really enjoyed helping and watching him progress, and would like to do more. Our current club has a member cap, always full, and the few new members we get are rarely newbies. The last new guy I buddy-boxed with came back a week later, took off(by himself, I wasn't there), promptly destroyed his trainer, and hasn't been back.

I am mostly self-taught, but did have some early guidance from a moto-cross friend who flies. He built an electric plane(his design) and buddy boxed with me twice. That plane was so easy to fly and fix, I really didn't need much help, but almost gave up when trying to learn to fly my first glow planes.

I know you are a bit skeptical of the future when it comes to folks knowing how to roll their own, so to speak. But our club has several members who build, and are very good at it, and like sharing their knowledge. Our club pres. mostly builds kits, and is in his late 30's or early 40's. Does the best covering jobs I've seen.

Another member, Bob,(see pic, page 38, Jan issue of MA, middle of left page-Sopwith Baby)only builds from plans and scratch, is very talented. Early forties in age.
In the pic. below that, is Steve, another very talented builder and flyer with over 40 yrs. experience, is I think in the mid-fifties.
Have you checked out the 257 inch B-36 build here in the giant scale forum? That thread is generating a lot of interest, and also over at FG. Another fairly young guy, and from this area.

Point is, at least around here, stick-building seems alive and well. And if I ever decide to try it again, I have some good local resources. Hope it's that way for everyone.

I teach people how to fly, from the very beginning and even later when they discover the rudder. I also learn from each student and become a better flier because of it. We use simulators and the buddy box to get to solo in a safe and timely manner.

I built two RC planes and had them hanging on the ceiling...I wanted to fly but didn't know how to get started. I was taught in the late '80s, before anyone around had a buddy box. My fiend wasn't interested in RC, but his dad flew, so I would get a ride with him to the field on Saturday. We would hand the controller back and forth...I learned patience and persistence as well as how to take constructive criticism.

I've learned that the right attitude makes all the difference. Each of us has to approach flying with the intent to learn if that is what we want to do...

I'd still like to learn to perform precision aerobatics under pressure. The harmony of solid equipment, a well practiced routine and trusty caller battling the elements intrigues me.

I have conducted building classes with my son's JROTC class in school. They are working on an 4 Star 60. I personally donated the kit and my club has members that have donated most all the other needs for it. On our clubs website we have a project page. On this page I have completed a Dynaflite Decathlon and I am working on a scratch built L-19, both of which are well documented during my construction and finishing. Some other members have projects on the page and the information from the other members has been great. I am really fully invloved and once again ready to help any one that asks. Dave

http://www.clarkflyers.com/projects.html

Things don't sound as bleak as I had anticipated. Maybe it's where I live, but here the ARF has become king. No one wants to learn how to build. Most don't even want to learn to fly past the knowing how to get it back on the ground. Other than that, it's hover, and other circus stunts. Makes you wonder what will be next.....

Me, I started with the old Stombecker Solid kits (thus the signature line), and progressed through the various Comet and Megow, with the occasional Ace Whitman $0.25 kit at Christmas. This led into some Free Flight models like the Cleveland kits, and then later into Control line, with Veco being the favorite, followed by some Berkley, Sterling, Martin and Jetco kits. Then came the DeBolt kits, and my introduction to Radio Control. I still dabble in free flight to keep my hand in with trimming for flight, plus I just love steam bending some of those parts. Models were beautiful back then with the eliptical flying surfaces, and tubular fuselages. These days you wind up with a flying cross (if you are lucky). If you think I'm kidding, look at Sal Tabia's Brooklyn Dodger sometime, or some of the other well known free flight birds. The engines have gotten better, (my first engine was a GHQ slag engine) and the radio systems no longer cost more than a grown man would earn in 3 months.

I suppose that I just wish that everyone could and would be exposed to the complete hobby experience, rather than being so motivated by instant gratification.

I try to teach anyone who wants to learn, and appearently have been somewhat succesful with the effort. We just completed a build along of the Jacobs 7 cylinder radial dummy engine over in the Vintage and Antique forum (Waco YMF thread), and one of the guys has completed his dummy engine. This will make a much better looking model than anything that is available over the counter today, plus he learned how to build his own. He has also cut his own kit from the AMA plans and the parts templates that we furnished as a gift to the AMA for the fifth scale Waco. That is one model that will not have to die, due to the parts and plans being lost for all time. My thanks to the fine people at L.M. Cox, who gave the original Pica plans to the AMA. The parts templates now enable anyone to cut their own kit, and build it.

Bill, AMA 4720

Bill, AMA 4720

As I said in a different thread, my first knowledge of AMA came in reading my local club's website, and learning that I had to be an AMA member to join the club. I suspect that's a fairly common situation, these days.

I've volunteered to assist with the training program next spring when it officially picks up again. Having benefited from the program this year, it seemed the natural thing to do. I had more than a little help in getting my first plane set up properly and in getting to the point where I could solo, and I'm very grateful for that help. I haven't run into anyone at the field who hasn't been helpful and encouraging.

What do I want to learn? You name it. Too much to list. And yes......building is on the list.

Bill, when you put it that way, I couldn't agree with you more.

Well i started from watching my neighbor break motors in running his planes up and down the street in front of my house. At the time I had just had major back surgery. And about all i could do was sit on my porch. I raced dirt track for 17yrs. before this and after tried again but just was not good at it anymore. I flenched and in that type inviroment flenching meant getting passed. So I took up flying. Started at 48yrs. old and my first was a Super Cub. Still have it and fly it now and then. Have never even wanted to build from scratch, plans, or a kit. Just not for me and time is not really the deal just not interested. Now i have gotten my Son, and a few others to join AMA and the small club i am a member of.
The answer your looking for is: I joined because the Club i joined said i had to because of the well you know. Other than that had never heard of AMA. Never had a teacher did have my neighbor watching and laughing at me. But got off the ground and back down not pretty but still in one piece and took of from that. I got the bug and started building planes way over my head. Way over. My second plane was the Sundowner F1 sat for over 8mnths. And i built others in between. A Twist, Super Chipmunk, it was a Nitro"s Model. ( only one lol), Several Trainers,[&o] finally lol. Anyway have built alot of ARF's in a realatively small time. Still have some of them too. Would like to own a Jet but don't know of anyone that knows enough enough to fly it for me lol. Like I said great sport. Maybe someday will take the time to build a kit plane. I do experiment with my crash pile though. There is a pic of a man that had two twists together (shop photo) but seemed real cool and might try to take my two crashed twists and do something such as that. Have many 46's couple 60's a 180, that need a new home lol. Learning yourself is expensive though. I even bought a buddy box and used it once.

I joined the AMA because I wanted to join an AMA club and it was a requirement. I had never heard of AMA before that. Now that I am a member, I am a big supporter of what AMA does. If I were to leave the club and fly on my own I would remain an AMA member.

I guess over the 5 1/2 years I have been flying I have brought 12-15 pilots into the club or into the hobby. I also work with pilots remotely via the forums and the internet.

I helped teach most of them how to fly and how to fly safely. While I am an AMA designated introductory pilot ( instructor ) our club has a very open policy about who can teach. If you are a senior pilot, you are welcome to teach and we have many members who are more than happy to help a new pilot. And on the forums we all try to do what we can to help new pilots be successful.

I have also taught them about fixing their planes, how to use their radios, field safety and etiquette and encouraged them to be involved in club activities. Getting involved in the social part of flying as well as the technical part of flying is half the fun.

Many of them have also joined me in getting involved in competition flying.

Always interested in learning more. Yes I am very satisfied with my place in the hobby/sport, for now.

I would like to learn how to be a better competition pilot. My skills need a lot of work, but I am having a great time developing them. Practice, practice, practice!

I am not much of a builder today but at some point in the future, perhaps after retirement, I would like to get more into building wood as well as composite ships.

I do a lot of writing and would like to continue to develop that skill too.


Overall, I am having a great time in this hobby.

I joind because I beleave united we stand devided we fall.

Site insurance only. Mike

I initially joined because the owner of my LHS was gathering up the things I needed to start flying. A Suprestar RTF trainer, fuel, glow starter, chicken stick and, oh yea, AMA membership application.

Do any of your AMA chartered clubs have someone who is willing, and more important, who has the ability to teach members how to actually build, rather than sticking pre-built sub assemblies together, or is the total membership now dumb to the idea of building, and totally involved with the ARF thing? Note this is not to say that people who do not build are dumb, but are uneducated into the process. Please don't start a rant here about how you don't have time to build, because you all find the time to waste here, rather than be out in your shop.

If your club does have such a person, is he approachable, or is he (like me) a crochety old S.O.B.that whizzes everyone off with his superior attitude?

Bill, AMA 4720

We have lots of builders in our club. Our meetings usually include people bringing in projects that are under construction. Members often go to each other's houses to help with projects. There have been several group builds over the past 2 years.

I imagine most clubs have their builders and their flyers. Over time many of the RTF/ARF guys become builders too.

The only real difference form the "old" days is that newbies no longer start out building as they might have done 30 years ago. Today they start as flyers. Building becomes an advancement step rather than the entry point.

Those people are only found on the internet.

I echo Ed's comments about my club.

Frank

When it comes to teaching people to do anything related modeling, except flying, I have always been ready to help someone build, cover and set up a model, including lessons on how to solder (NASA Certified at one time). Lately however I've been approached by a skills challenged individual who's last three ARFs I have set up for him, asking me to do another one (he crashes frequently-usually flying something that is to much for him). I told him on several occasions to come to my shop and I would walk him through it, as I felt it was high time he learned to do it himself. He wasn't interested, "Just take it, and I'll pay you". I have never charged anyone for one minute of time spent working on their model and I'm not really interested into becoming Mr. Build your model for $. The individual is retired so his time is not all that precious, at least no more precious than mine. He has had others in the club work on his glo models also, but becasue he has switched to electric I'm now "his" guy as the glo guys passed him off claiming they don't know anything about electrics. What to do?

I've run into similar situations, in an area other than model airplanes. I just let him know that I was interested in helping/showing others how to do something for themselves, but not interested in taking care of it for him for compensation.

If he persists, just repeat the answer. If that doesn't work, then a firm, but smiling "NO".

Not much else you can do, other than cave in.

There comes a time when "No" is the correct answer. Your time has come.

Spelling

Because I'm forced to do so or I can't fly in any clubs. Believe me, I wouldn't be a AMA member if I didn't have to be.

AMA has done nothing for me and I've paid my dues for 6 years. The AMA keeps increasing membership fee's and when I asked them to give me a discount because I didn't want there trashy magazine they wouldn't do it.

It's bad enough we pay out are *****es for the airplane and club dues, now AMA wants to give me the reach around? [:'(]

I can hardly wait for the day I have my own land and I can tell the AMA to screw off. This is how I feel about the AMA. I am a Outlaw supporter... can't ya tell?

Go back to Germany where they'll throw the book at you if your car breaks down on the Autobahn, or where you have to be practically a millionaire to get permission to hunt.
What do you expect the AMA to do for you? Provide you with a gardener so you can fly more often? What is it that you expect from them?