AMA membership interests
 

Please forgive me if this information is out there but has the AMA ever published the results of the survey we have to complete on our applications every year? They ask what area of model flying we are interested in and I would love to know the results.

An interesting question. I have been an AMA member for many years and never thought to even ask it. I would also love to know if this data is published anywhere. A quick browse through the AMA website didn't yield any results but that doesn't mean it isn't out there. Now you have me curious! :)

Is bit#hing crabbing and complaining one of the choices? We have a few here who could pony up to that one. LOL

I fired off an email to see if I can find out this information and where it might be on the web site if at all. I'll update the forum if/when I receive an answer!

Here's something most members are not interested in:

"Less than 10% of our members list MRM or First Person View (FPV) as their interest."

This also goes to the larger issue of transparency, or rather lack of it, from the AMA. Data like this should be driving organizational strategy and resource allocation.

For example, as noted above, if less than 10% care about FPV, then why is AMA spending money on FPV programs, events, magazine content, MR editor salary, etc.? At a time when every dollar is precious (read 25 April 2020 EC notes to see why), they simply cannot afford to spend money on things that members don't care about (or care very little).

Yet lack of transparency throws obstacles in front of members so it's more difficult to hold EC members accountable for spending prioritization. And it's not like this is the only area where transparency is lacking. Did anyone know that EC voted to give six-digits worth of member money to the Foundation? Was there any communication in advance of that, so members could make their feelings known, BEFORE the EC members voted on it? And why does that matter? Because foundation money spending is controlled by a much smaller subset of the EC, which gives them (including Hanson) power to drive how members money is spent (when washed through Foundation).

Now that is a sore subject to many, the Foundation. I bet if a pole was taken, the foundation would be shut down by the members that really follow what's going on.

It shows AMA trying to pound a square peg into a round hole with drones. Why they're doing
so can be found in Rich Hanson's campaign statement last November:

"In 2008, AMA was asked to assist in formulating new regulations applicable to the emerging
unmanned aircraft industry and the associated capabilities brought about by advancements in
microelectronics, brushless motors, lithium batteries and onboard guidance systems."

Hanson sees AMA's primary mission as regulating drones, while at the same trying to keep
the model aircraft side afloat, as Hanson says congratulating himself on the effort:

"Eleven years later we’re still flying our model aircraft in much the same way as we have for
decades, and to date the only real administrative impact has been registration."

A month later the FAA released the proposed rule.

Sounds to me like that "patting himself of the back" was premature. As with all of those that need to be in power(Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, etc), he tried to show he was able to manipulate/control others(in this case, the FAA) only to have the FAA come back and say "WE are the ones calling the shots so go sit in the corner like a bad little school boy". All dictators fall eventually, it may now be Hanson's turn

As much as I would like Hanson out of office as well, at the time of that writing he was correct. Guess what else, most guys, AMA member or not are still flying the same as we have been for decades with full knowledge of the FAA.

And all of this is true. Now, however, things have changed and not in a little way

Same as if NASA announced a meteor was going to wipe out most life on earth in 2 years.
Dead man walking.

On paper you would be right, however walk onto any flying site AMA or not and you would notice little to zero change as of now. I flew in a sailplane contest on Sunday, no difference then the ones I flew in 20 years ago. Not saying things won't change in the future but for now it's pretty much the same out there.

LOL, yet even NASA can't predict impact 2 years out with 100% certainty.

And I would agree with you on that but, that said, when I said things had changed in a big way, they have. It just hasn't trickled down to the club level yet, but it will

Only when the FAA starts enforcing their own laws in regards to traditional LOS operations. Up to this point they have demonstrated no intent to do so. Now that Covid-19 restrictions are loosening up events are starting to take place again. You can go to just about any club website, click on events and find when and where these are taking place. The FAA can't claim that they aren't aware of what we are doing nor can anyone claim that we are doing anything secretly.

Only difference is you were actually breaking the law........that is not pretty much the same in my book!

Astro

And yet I'm not required to live by your book.

It's a metaphor for pete's sake.

Yes, as was mine.

While I can’t stop people from writing whatever they choose, I did not start this topic to create another venue for whining and complaints.

I would hope to see more comments on the stated topic. Indeed, if we could actually get some data from the survey, it would inform us as to how the AMA is fulfilling its function. In the meantime, a bunch of negative opinions really doesn’t advance the understanding of how it is achieving (or not) its purpose.

I posted the only concrete information in your thread. It's all you're going to get.

A perfect example of what I was saying. Go whine somewhere else.

Allan, without the full picture it's difficult to contribute anything to your topic. There was that one post that claims only 10% of AMA members were interested in FPV ( would have been nice had he given credit to the source ). That said, with all the different facets of our hobby including FF, CL and R/C genres 10% could very well be a relatively large number. I'm interested in seeing what percentage of members genres will be extinct as a result of enforcement of the 400' law.

It's not whining, AMA does not release this information for a reason.