Bought my lifetime AMA membership today
 

I figure I will get my ROI in 20 years or so :-)

Wait until you get your next Model Aviation. It will have an expiration date on it. It's kind of strange, like looking at your own tomb stone.

Congrats. If I'm considering it, myself.

Remember the Sport Flyers Association, or
the IMAA. How many years for ROI on their
lifetime memberships?

Jenny

I am concerned about the ROI on the AMA these days-spending millions and have declining membership.

I don't look at a membership as being an "investment" per se. I doubt the AMA is going anywhere though, what else would take it's place?

OP congrats on your membership!

The existence of the AMA is not required. Nothing
would be required to take its place. If the leaders
of the AMA don't respond to the members needs,
people will not join or renew. From there it is
downhill and then gone. The AMA could also
be sued, mismanaged or embezzled out of existence.

Jenny

Sure...anything is possible...the question is what is probable.

What is probable:

More and more drones and park flyers will fill
the air. Their owners will fly an non-club locations,
and see AMA as unimportant. The FAA will see
AMA as an ineffective "community based organization,"
and assume authority over models. AMA will
continue to exist as a club for old fogies to
sit around and complain.

Jenny

Jenny-I thought the FAA did have authority over models and not the AMA-

Yup....sure enough. Don't know how people go about with the doom and gloom all day. It's got to be tiring.

BTW,
Congratulations,, don't let the buzz killlers get ya down

Not gonna. I love this site, where almost ANY topic can cause the sky to fall!! :D

I am still kicking my butt for not buying the lifetime when I first signed up... it was $300 then.. :(

Congratz!
I have been a "Gold card " holder for the last 6 years and find it is a lot easier on the stress level. I don't have to be concerned with when my current year expires and neither does the club secretary. I also don't have to save up my pennies and try to figure out when I am supposed to pay for the membership. I also don't worry about raises in the dues at all. I get the mag in the mail each month and even though I don't really agree with the subject each month I do find something in each copy that I can call interesting. It really is worth it. Even if I only last a few more years it is worth it to me to not have to stress over it at all. The membership and its benefits are there and paid for.

Jenny, I think you're pretty close to the mark. Demographics alone are a big challenge for AMA. They gave away a bunch of free memberships to kids, but it remains to be seen how many of those turn into paid memberships. I haven't flown at a club field in over a year. Why? Just way too easy to complete the transition to electric (quiet), fly a slightly smaller plane, and do it 200 yards from my house in a park or at the nearby school rather than drive 13 miles one way to fly off a rough grass field - where I have to pay $100 more to be a member of the club! It gets even easier if you fly helicopters and quads. As a homeowner, the insurance isn't much help there either.

Thank you, even with your, well, own point of view admit the AMA will continue to exist...

Gerry

Well, of course, yours is one case, but gas models sell well, and while nitro is pretty much shrinking daily, they still have a presence. So, no, I do not believe that the AMA is going anywhere.

Gerry

Being a Club member isn't 100% about flying either,, I can fly "Free" in many places too,, it's about hanging out with friends with like interests and the love of aviation, I don't see that going away soon either.

Hmm...and yet membership grew, do you attribute all of that growth to free kiddy memberships...or to actual organic growth? Good for you on switching to the delights of silent flight! That's one of the biggest shifts in the hobby over the past few years, certainly made it more affordable and user friendly for lots of people.

You should go back to flying at your field, yap it up with your fellow fliers, it might brighten your disposition on the hobby! :)

Did you go over the financials yet, looks like they were just posted up?

[QUOTE=porcia83;12080757]
You should go back to flying at your field, yap it up with your fellow fliers, it might brighten your disposition on the hobby! :)
QUOTE]

Nah. I hardly ever go to the field. It is too
depressing. Mostly a bunch of old geezers
whining about their medicare coverage,
and how much they hate drones.

Jenny

[QUOTE=Jennifer Curtis;12080874] I suspect that happens at many many clubs! Don't forget the complaints about helis and 3D fliers, ARF's...foamies etc etc.

We try to avoid religion and politics...it's like a Hobby King thread, those discussions never end well!. :)

I used to have that same crappy attitude towards some of the older "club" guys,, I guess now I'm one of them. Lucky for me I learned to ignore the negative guys and hang with the guys that I could learn from.

It is what you make of it,, Showing up with a bad attitude,, well, ya get what ya give

Me too. I've been putting it off for years. I don't know why, I've been active in the hobby since the 60's. Yeah, I might get ROI, I might not. But how nice to know that I'm a lifetime member no matter what comes. I guarantee you that if I can walk and talk, I'll still be flying model airplanes.

I'm finally a lifetime member.

Dave