I was just on the ama website and found it to be just about usless. It tells why you should join but not how much. So so any of you guys know how much to join per year? and then Does the ama offer like a one day thing. I live in nowhereville, I dont need it to fly. But one or times a year I will drive the 80 miles to the nearest club airfield and it would be nice to fly.

thanks for your help.

$58 per year

oh...no per day deals

At AMA site click Membership services then Membership application. All the info will be there. Glad to see you joining AMA.

at 58 dollars a year I dont know if I will. To me that makes it 29 dollars for a day of flying for the two times a year that I would neet it. That seems a little much for me.
I understand why these clubs would require that you need it to fly at there venue's but I'm having a hard time with it. And unless I am missing somthing it seems like a lot of money, for what you are getting.

If you're looking at it from the standpoint of flying just twice a year at an AMA Club field, I would agree with you.

OTOH, if you're a member of the club and are flying there regularly it's minimal compared with the other expenses you incur when flying regularly.

I joined, not only to fly at field near me, but also, the liability ins. For less than $5 per mo., it is worth it to me.
I live in suburbia, just too many people and things around.
If I lived out in a rural area, maybe I would do without.....then again, we live in such a litigeous society now a days...I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Bob

Just wanted to add...you would also get a pretty good magazine that you might like... some do some don't...

Does that local club he wants to use allow Guests?
Some clubs welcome the twice a year AMA guy to come fly,
while some will let you fly a couple times
then want you to get on their waiting list to join their club for $100yr + $150 initiation

Just so you know, the $58 for national AMA might not be all you have to spend locally.

If you are going to an event to the mentioned club, then you are SOL, no CD will allow you to fly as a "guest" during an event. Not to mention that the definition of guest is an AMA member, visiting the local club but not a member of said club.

If it is not an event, then check on the rules of the field/club; at my field we have a 2 visit per year limit for non-club members, but since you don't have an AMA membership, you have to fly under the instructor's supervision and most likely with a buddy box attached, basically under the intro-pilot program.

Rafael

Raf-
what?
Of course non-club AMA members can fly at events... what do you calla Fly-In?


The point is,
some clubs have a very open policy toward guest AMA flyers, "More the merrier"
and some are downright uptight over getting their $100+$150 from anyone that even looks at their field.


The OP should investigate how his semi-local club will treat him as a Twice A Year flyer.
Maybe they will say Dont worry about it if you have your AMA card,
maybe they will tell you about all the great stuff you get for the $100+$150 you have to pay

the ama website and its business is the only way you'll be able to fly at a field. there's no other company thats dedicated to model aviation that allows you to be part of this great hobby of ours. thanks ama for your support and low memembership fee's. without the ama we as hobbists have nothing.

The reson I ask this question is because I was one of these fly-ins about a month ago. I drove 220 mile to it with the intent of flying and having a great time. Because I did not have an ama card I had to fly as Rafel said, on a buddy box, with on of there fancy people, And becasue he was so sure of things he had to be the one to take off then I could take the controls, I never got to take the controls because he put it in the ground shortly after take-off( I and other have flown this plane many a time). Anyway, It is only when the semi-local club had there anual fly-in that I would go to their field. other then that I am not going to drive 80 mile or 220 miles to a crowded airfield. At least not when I could drive 5 miles fly with good friends and not need a ama card.

I understand why the ama could be a good thing, but when I come to people being able to fly or not fly because of that, thats when I have a hard time with things.

Not really sure what you mean, but a CD can sign you up at the event as a new AMA member on the spot and you can then fly at the event. BTDT

Wrong. I belong to a non-AMA club...Lots of great people and an awesome flying site as well.

Lanny
uh... that is not true.
There are plenty of fields to fly at without AMA.... Sepulveda ring a bell?
First field I flew at in Texas was not an AMA club field (no AMA req).

Lets not have this turn into AMA IS SWELL thread full of lies,
the OP already said he had interest in joining.
He wanted to know the costs... lets stay focused and positive and honest

I suspect that he was referring to the fact that the OP has indicated he isn't an AMA member, and doesn't want to join unless there is some sort of daily membership that would allow him to fly at such an event. As you indicated to him, that doesn't exist.

Stand back, take a deep breath and read the opening post of this thread read and after, read my post again. The opening post is about a guy that IS NOT an AMA member and wants to fly at a field 80 miles away. He thinks that the AMA is expensive at $58 a year to just go fly at that field once or twice a year. Do we agree so far? Breathe in, breathe out....

1. I understand that during an event, any CD can sign you on the spot, I AM A CD. But if he thinks that $58 a year is expensive, what do you think is gong to happen when he goes to the event? Sign up right away?
2. Yes, all clubs should have a "guest" clause in their rules. "Guest" defined as a non-club member but member of the AMA. The thread starter is NOT an AMA member. If he comes to my club, the only way I am going to let him fly is under the intro-pilot program for both of us to have some kind of insurance coverage. He will never be alone at the flight line, no matter how many years of experience he claims he has. HE IS NOT AN AMA MEMBER.
3. I understand this issue as the topic starter refusing to join the AMA for the "cost" involved. So given the statements above, he most likely will not be able to fly at an AMA club field under the given rules.

Rafael

I thought your previous comments were in regards to an event... as per; "If you are going to an event to the mentioned club, then you are SOL, no CD will allow you to fly as a "guest" during an event."

Didn't really know what type of event you were talking about....sanctioned or unsanctioned...I was just trying to give OP info he might not have otherwise known...Now... OP (mountainroad), if you arrive at an AMA sactioned event as a non-AMA member and wish to participate, the CD can sign you up right then and there and you will be able to fly in the event providing you meet all other requirements of the event...such as aircraft type...

Certainly have known people that have...and more to the point that is the reason CDs can sign up someone new...duh

To the OP- $58 isn't that much to pay for what you get. A subscription to any RC magazine is going to cost around 1/2 that, so there's half you dues already. Add to that the fact that AMA helps get fields built and to stay open, provide a central connection for vendors and product developers, and do some lobbying to make sure RC flight isn't regulated beyond what is necessary, it's a good value.

Raf-
Who used the term "guest"?
And didnt they use it correctly, an AMA member that is a guest flyer at a local AMA club.

Yes, the OP is not an AMA member, and in post#1 he asked about how much it costs.
Somehow you are fixating on me informing him of the additional costs of the local club after he spends $58,
and that many local clubs have a guest system for visiting AMA members so he might not have to pay the club.

Why are you all in arms about trying to address the term Guest used incorrectly,
when it was actually used correctly?
Raf, let it go.... you assumed someone made a mistake, they didnt, so you should just let it go.
Nobody made any reference to "Guest" as non-ama.... including the OP,
its all in your head


Mountainroad-
you got he answers to the question you asked.
Its $58 a year,
plus any dues for the local club if they dont let you fly Guest as a visiting AMA member.
My guess is this thread will turn into an Infomercial by loyal AMA members
to try to sell you a timeshare condo AMA magazines & insurance that is secondary to your Homeowners.
You would probably be best to just step away before it gets ugly.
You can make up your own mind if $58 is something you want to fly to fly twice a year at the AMA club.
Cityfolk dont have a choice, they dont have any land to fly without going AMA.

Keep your powder dry and your bearings oiled,
Ken

Are you arguing, for the sake of arguing? In over 8 years of being a CD, and about 20 years of being an AMA member I've only seen 2 people join on the spot at an event. And by event I mean Sancitoned Event.

If somebody is complaining about $58, I'm willing to put down another $58 as a bet that the person will not sign-up on the spot. Much less travel 80 miles to sign-up on the spot. Which is the core of this discussion.

I'm done here, you all can continue dissecting parts of posts to continue extracting bits and pieces of information until the horse is really dead. Catch you at the field, where some of the people of this forum need to go to take a break.

Rafael

Perhaps you meant this for another individual, rather than me. I understand what you are saying and agree.

Jester,

I agree with your basic premise here. A year ago I joined AMA and a local club, and believe that my club and AMA dues are a bargain for what I'm getting.

The OP has a different situation, though. The nearest AMA club and field are 80 miles away. He's currently flying elsewhere, and apparently has insurance in place to cover him in the unlikely event that he damages something in the rural area where he's flying. Under those circumstance I can see where he would think that the annual AMA dues doesn't really buy him much, since he indicated he would only be flying at an AMA field 1 or 2 days a year. That's ~$30 a pop, plus a 160 mile round trip to participate in some sort of fly-in. I'm not sure I'd do that either.

If you will just go back to the second post in this thread you will see I answered the OP's questions...concisely and completely. Why you felt the need to interject is not known but maybe it is you that is arguing for the sake of arguing...