We pretty much know what AMA is now and what services it provides.

I would like to know: What would you like AMA to provide you as a quasi government body for you, your local area/club, your city, your state, your district, your communication system, etc.?

In other words, what is your dream organization?

Thanks,

Bob Reynolds
AMA District AVP
AMA L3006

I think AMA should have complete and total control of model aviation.

No one should be allowed to fly models unless AMA has issued privilege in the form of an AMA license.

AMA should make every effort to see that modelers should not fly in public parks unless they pay for the license issued by the AMA. AMA should come up with some Program to keep park flying under control no matter the cost. Having people willy-nilly going to public parks and flying their parkies should not be allowed.

This country will go to hel! if people are given to much freedom. We need to control every aspect of model aviation...

Bob, it takes some vision into the future to be able to answer your question. The trend of shrinking viable places to fly is unavoidable unless our population stops growing and moving to the suburbs. Our civic leaders need to be educated about the value of our sport.
I like the "teach a man to fish" philosophy. If the AMA can put together both a science and workshop related curriculum to present to the schools in a nice neat package, I think it would sell. Not only would it sell, but also plant the seed into the minds of future leaders about what model aviation is all about. I think the long range benefits of this would go much further than handing out Strykers on street corners......which is basically what we're doing with the PPP.
Getting into the education business could actually be profitable and could help fund future flying site assistance.

So, I can only gather we (the AMA) are not in the education business...Hmmm....If I had said that, of course much more directly, you and others would have likely argued to no end.

Now, I got CP down as one perceiving AMA is not into the business education.

Anyway his question was to find out how to make the "quasi government body" your “dream organization�. And as we know… a nightmare is also a dream.


Please continue the regularly scheduled programming…

I am happy with the AMA with the exception that I do not see it doing any kind of job of "selling" model aviation. There is 0 national publicity about model aviation. I had hoped this would change with the change in AMA administration, hiring PR people, etc. but I do not see any evidence of it. Fortunately I can watch the National Jumprope Championships, and the Tumbler Stacking championships on several channels, including ESPN and Disney. So who needs model aviation?[:@]

I think there is a small, well hidden, effort to get into the formal education community, as suggested by Combatpigg. I would be glad to see more of this.

I'd like to see some easy to find (eg- www.flysafely.com or some similarly easy to remember domain name)online safety training information, for members and non-members alike. Someone toss me a link to this if it already exists, so Ican start telling people about it, but a quick google for "AMAflight safety" didn't bring up anything that would be as clear, simple, and useful as what I imagine.

It wouldn't need to be more than a list of best practices (including, but not limited to the rules and regs already in place via the safety code) in a format that's more likely to get people to read through/view the whole thing than the .pdf files I see being passed around currently. Things that people might not be told by hobby shops, or might not read in the AMA's safety code or park flyer documents.

Prop safety (with pictures illustrating the dangers), proper construction tips to ensure continued safe performance of their aircraft (eg- how to keep your plane from turning into an ornithopter if it isn't intended to be one), information on things like what voltage in the receiver battery is considered "too low"to risk a flight, fuel choices and lifespans, best practices for engine break-in, maintenance and management, things to check on your plane before/after each flight/day/season, what it means to fly responsibly - even while flying aerobatically...Basically everything you could need to know for the basics of each fo the types of flight the AMAdeals with, all in one simple website that doesn't put it all in legalese. Stuff that parents who find their kids interested in say, R/C flight, can go to and learn how to do it safely - even if they aren't interested in doing it themselves. Stuff that new pilots of any age should know (bonus points for a separate set of information relating the same points for younger children to learn from, or materials the parents and kids could each benefit equally from - simpler terms, less photos of hands cut up from prop accidents, etc...).

You could also put together youtube "seminars" or tv-show style presentations including all of these sorts of things(for those people who pay better attention to TVthan they do to books).

What a bunch of young whipper snapers We had this a few years ago called a '''''''''''''FCC CB lic. and It did not work [:'(] Any one that could afford a radio and plane flew, What the hay nothing has changed but the age of the MODELERS

I'd like to see:

1. Website easily searched for tech topics.
2. Website easily searched for show/contest topics.
3. Troll repellant.
4. Thread-drift repellant.

I have trouble finding information I want on the website.

It would be nice if trolls and thread-hijackers could desist.

Best wishes,
Dave Olson

"What would you like AMA to provide you as a quasi government body for "

For starters,
I'd like to have the Dream Org admit it is NOT acting as a quasi branch of the government,
and has a membership that comes to grip that its ok to fly without belonging to AMA or any other org.

We have enough government in our lives as is, we dont need to add it to our hobby too.

I have just been asked to tear doen my computer system for a update by my "expert". I will be back when my system is rebuilt.

Please continue without me. I really do appreciate the thoughts that I'm seeing here.

Thanks,

Bob