RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I have my own private flying site and have had my AMA membership for the past15 years. Had it before that, but don't remember what year I started AMA membership. Dropped out for several years and then back in. If you fly at my field I require you have it. Well worth the amount of money and the magazine is excellent.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I am a member of a chartered club and I like to visit several other clubs that require AMA should I decide to get on the sticks. But most of my flying is done in a usually deserted, very large public lake access area. I flew here for a couple of years before joining a club.

It is rare that other people are ever there. That being said when others do show up the planes gather a crowd quickly. I will land and point out some safety issues. If they are remaining in the parking area, which is about 50ft behind where I land, Ill give em a show. If they are not agreeable, I shake hands, visit, talk about planes, and move on.

Flying with the public around, even rarely, is enough reason for the insurance provided. So I joined AMA before I joined a club. Just felt safer since on occasion people who think 1+ horsepower engines spinning twin ginsu knives at 13000 rpm, are "just a toy".

After all, that is what I thought before I owned them.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

100% agree. I'm also from Aurora, CO.

Kurt

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I joined primarily because I wanted to. It is an excellent organization supporting us all, provides me with insurance that would cost me a good deal of out-of-pocket expense, and is supportive of my club.

If I could find an organization such as this in other facets of my life I would be happy indeed.

BTW, I really don't give a st what others think of my reasons, however.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I never heard of the AMA until after I wanted to learn how to fly. I was told that AMA was a requirment and that I had to join the AMA and the club.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

The first time I joined the AMA in 1964 because I had just begun flying control line aircraft
and sawthe logoin my local hobby shop and thought it would be cool.

So mark me as "I thought it wasjust thething to do".

Where I grew up almost every saturday you could go through the neighborhood and hear a Coxor aWen Mac
buzzing at almost every vacant lot or park.

Happy flying, Oscar

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

When I got back into aeromodeling in the late 1970's and wanted to learn to fly RC, AMA membership was required in order to join the local club. It was explained to me that it was because liability insurance was required. That's the reason almost every AMA member that I personally know joined AMA in the first place. Since then I've taken my AMA membership further but that's TMI.

CR

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I first joined AMA in 1980 in order to learn to fly at Cherry Creek State Park Resivor in Denver, CO. At that time a state park permit was required to get to the field and AMA to fly, or at least that is what I was told. By 1990 I gave up models for full scale which I gave up for golf (I thought golf was cheeper). In 2005 I got back into RC but was told needed to join AMA in order to fly at the field. In my opinion AMA does a good job representing the interest of all modelers in government matters especially FAA. They act as a watch dog over them, and more especially now with FAAs interest in terriost. That is just my opinion an everyone knows opinions are like a certain body part, everybody has one!!!

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Same here. Couldn't have said it better.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I joined for the same reasons I "joined" USAA.

Kurt

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I can't remember if i joined when i was 12 or when I spent a goodly part of the summer of 1960 going to contests with my friends from Iowa A & M. Today, I like the magazine, am contest director, was president of 3 clubs at one time or other, am a CD and an evangelist for RCPRO Club 40.

Everywhere Ihave flown the past 20 years, the landowner has wanted that liability insurance. Without it, it would be very had to get a place for a club to fly. yes, there are places where a couple of guys can fly, but even a small (50 members with 5 active) club has a hard time without that landowner insurance.

Ken Erickson

AMA 19352

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

There is no monopoly. You or the club is free to buy insurance from anyone they chose, or you can fly uninsured if the want.
Chartering a club with the AMA to get insurance for the club, members and land owner is optional. No one is forcing a club to charter. It is just something that most rational club members choose to do. You are free to form your own group sans AMA if it is of no benefit.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Red,

Free will doesn't negate a monopoly. Two entirely different concepts.

Kurt

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I haven't joined yet and I don't want to join. I see no benefit I could possibly obtain throwing their dues away annually. I don't care about the magazine, don't care about the meetings, you couldn't get me into the politics by holding me at gunpoint, and I hate bureaucratic red tape.


I just want to enjoy my RCs.


That being said I don't reckon I have a choice. MPRCF isn't exactly clear on their requirement, one part of their bylaws states they do require active AMA membership while another states they don't. If the part that says it is required overrides the one that doesn't I'll have no other choice, as in that case without an AMA card my trainer becomes a very expensive wall decoration.
For me, two reasons. Firstly:

Cost.

I'm already stretching my budget thin enough just buying the damn airplane. I then have to factor in the fuel costs of driving fifty miles just to get to the field, then there's the 5 to 15 I send through the aircraft itself. then the return trip. It eats up my entire hobby budget. I don't have enough laying around to pay the AMA for something I don't want in the first place. As it stands I won't have my trainer ready to fly until after Christmas because of how tight things are for me.

And that brings me into the second point. I bought the airplane because I like flying and I've always wanted an RC aircraft. All I want to do is fly my bundle of sticks around a field for an hour or three, solely for the purpose of self-amusement. Why, then, should I be required to either A: Drive to my aunt's house and fly off her back field, which isn't an option for me at the moment, or B: pay a bunch of bureaucrats for a magazine I don't care about and insurance I don't want or need? It just doesn't make any sense to me. I don't want to deal with the politics of the AMA, I don't care about competitions, I definitely don't want the magazine, so what incentive is there for me to spend money I don't have on annual dues besides the flat requirement most clubs have in place?

Honest to god, if MPRCF doesn't require AMA insurance to fly there, I won't be joining.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

mo nop o ly [mə nóppəlee]

1. control of market supply: a situation in which one company controls an industry or is the only provider of a product or service

2. personal and exclusive possession: an exclusive right to have or do something

3. corporation with exclusive control: a company with a commercial monopoly

Insurance for whatever purpose you would care to insure can be purchased from any number of sources. The AMA does not have a monopoly on insurance.

Regards
Frank

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Finally some agreement here...I guess...AMA= insurance provider... and you can get insurance elsewhere. Nothing special or unique about AMA I guess...just another run of the mill company with the usual competition for customer base.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Which of the other insurance companies maintains competition rules, sanctions contests, posts records, etc. ?

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Jim, avoid trolls at all costs. They serve very little purpose other than to incite RA.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...spinnyeyes.gif

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Beats me...Do you have a list of them?

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I would have to say that the AMA does have a monopoly on insurance as for as coverage for model airplane liability yes you can by insurancefrom other places
but it is worthless at most if not all AMA chartered club sites.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

I for one do not understand those of you who have an aversion to joining AMA. However that is your business, but don't get upset if you don't have anyplace to fly your planes. I can't say for sure but all the clubs I have been associated with over 40 years require membership to either join their club or utilize their air field. Most here seem to think the only ( main) pupose of AMA is for insurance, however as some say, purchase your insurance on your own. If you think cost of AMA is excessive, just purchase insurance to cover liability from an air plane accident. Your HO policy specifically excludes such liability so you will need a rider or another separate policy. In my opinion AMA serves the hobby in more ways than a market for insurance, but if you choose to not join, fine, go somewhere and fly where AMA is not a requirment or if you are unable to find a place, buy your own and that way you can do with what you desire. These are just my opinions and everyone knows opinions are like body parts, everyone has one. one more thing, HOW 'BOUT THEM BRONCOS!!!!!!

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Tain't "worthless", unless you violate the terms of the policy. Prolly superfluous though since you have to have the AMA insurance anyway at those places.

A monopoly (from Greek monos / μονος (alone or single) + polein / πωλειν (to sell)) exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity.
-Wikipedia

It only means that there's no one else in the business of providing the service, and if there is - it's not a monopoly. Nothing negative about that. And how do you know "the AMA does have a monopoly on insurance as for as coverage for model airplane liability"? As far as I know there's nothing legally protecting the AMA from competition in the marketplace.

Are you thinking that some other business ought to be forced to offer the service or maybe that the AMA should not be allowed to require membership from the clubs and events it charters and protects? Not sure what you're after.

Regards
Michael

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Not after anything just stating some facts That being that no matter what type of insurance you may have you cant use it to fly at AMA chartered
sites. The AMA only wants its clubs to let people fly that Have AMA insurance so if someone wanted to start a org simlar to the AMA to offer
insurance no one would buy it because 98% of the club sites are chartered by the AMA and youwould still have to buy the AMA insurance in
addition to the other insurance. Because what I just stated I see the AMA as having a monoply on model insurance at present.

By the way I did not say I am opposed to joining the AMA nor did I say the AMA is some evil empire so please dont try to read more into
what I said.

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

not a Monopoly?
I guess we can just use one of the other payment demanding orgs to compete internationally then.
oooh, wait

(scrolling back to http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10...m.htm#10752769)
nevermind, my mistake... guess thars some monopolizin transpirin after all,
well, according to that guy's text at least

RE: Why did you join the AMA?
 

Pehaps they may be suffering from ANOESIS. ;)