Just noticed that AMA has not approved any new blog comments since yesterday. One has to wonder why.

I've been a AMA Member for over 35 years and have never seen the "benefit" other then I'm "required" to have it to fly at certain locations and for certain events.....so please, enlighten me with "reacquaint yourself with the organization and all they offer, things have changed."?

Also, I must say, you really should be running for office with the statement "The AMA is more than insurance and a mag, but if that's all the benefit you derive from it, than so be it.".....lol

Well since we already have registered with AMA for insurance purposes , then the AMA should have fought for us in that respect... this FAA registration is just another number to keep track of.

So I wonder if all the wrong doers out there, you know the ones that break laws, terrorize, etc will register their unnamed UAV's / Model Aircraft... better yet, what if they hack the database and use someone else's registration number / info... I don't think someone with the intent to do harm is really going to care if the aircraft is captured or not.

I don't like where this is going to go, but as far as I'm concerned the AMA database , IS or should be sufficient enough to satisfy the FAA registration process.



John M,

I received the same email.

I just replied back . " Do not want anything to do with anything that has the AMA label attached to it " !! :mad:

We only need one registration number so we should just go with the FAA and save a lot of money. No need for the AMA anymore.

Just get our liability insurance from Nationwide or whomever, without the kickback to the AMA. Think I'll check with my insurance broker.

This thread is a good indicator why the AMA forum doesn't get very broad readership. :rolleyes:

Ok guys, I usually don't jump into these discussions because I am supposed to remain neutral in stuff like this. But something just happened that totally pi**ed me off to the point that I spent the last 30 minutes typing up a letter to Dave Matthewson (Executive Director) at the AMA to express my outrage over what was going. With everything going on with the FAA fiasco and the feeling that we have been sold down the river the AMA should be hard at work with the FAA trying to help us out right? At least that's the blog that Dave put out yesterday, he said that the AMA was going to be organizing a lawsuit towards the FAA to get the FAA to abide by the 2012 FAA Modernization Law that states that Model Aviation was exempt from FAA regulations. They also stated that they were also trying to get the FAA to allow AMA members to be able to use their AMA numbers as their registration numbers instead of having to register with the FAA. So this is what the AMA is "supposed" to be doing on our behalf rigth?? This is what we are paying our $58/year (soon to by $75/year) for, right? They are support us in Washington when the need arises. Yes, I know there are other benefits and things that they do, and other support that they give us. But right now is time to prioritize and let's form a battle line and fight the fight that we need to right now right?? The FAA, Right?? So here is the email I got, and most of you probably got it too.




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[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Dear KENNETH,

Your auto insurance is supposed to guard you every mile you drive ... every day of the year. But what if you're paying too much for protection that stops short if you're in an accident?

As an AMA member, it's easy to find out. Get your qualified quote now
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[TD]You could pay less for every auto insurance bill with a special discount.[/TD]
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[TD]What if you could cut those bills while at the same time providingpeace of mind for your loved ones when they're on the road?[/TD]
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[TD]Vanishing Deductible[SUP]®[/SUP] - Add Vanishing Deductible and get $100 off for every year of safe driving. Your deductible could even go down to zero.*[/TD]
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Because you are a member of AMA, Nationwide offers you a discount.

Thanks to an alliance between Academy of Model Aeronautics and Nationwide Insurance[SUP]®[/SUP], you can lower your auto insurance bills - while you set up even higher peace of mind whenever you're on the road.

And what if you're in an accident? Just one accident could cost a safe driver like you as much as $500.00 - but it doesn't have to.

Sincerely,
Nationwide Insurance
P.S. If you act fast, you could even qualify for a refund on your current coverage. Your current auto insurance company is required to issue you a prompt refund check for the majority of the premium that hasn't been used under your current policy.**
So why wait? See how much you could save as an AMA member today. You can also call 1-888-889-4322.

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[TD]At Nationwide, we work hard to ensure your online safety, security, and privacy. Please take a moment to review our policies To remove your email address from Nationwide email lists, please gohere to edit your subscriptions.
*Vanishing Deductible is an optional feature. Annual credits subject to eligibility requirements. Maximum credit: $500.00. Details and availability vary by state.
**Refund varies by state, the reason for cancellation, the amount of premium paid and other factors.
Nationwide may make a financial contribution to this organization in return for the opportunity to market products and services to its alumni or customers. Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies, Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2015
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:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:



Really??? Car Insurance??? Really?? Come on guys. Let's keep our focus right now. I doubt there are any of us out here right now that really give a flying flip about what they AMA can save us on car insurance. Sheeez. Really???

Does anybody out there think that I am off the mark be getting upset over this?? I personally think that the AMA really has lost it's focus and needs to seriously sit down and figure out what they are doing as an organization. Do they want to support the Drone community or are they going to support the existing Model Aviation community. And while they are doing that they need to put their full focus on actually fighting the fights the need fighting, and diddling around with the silly stuff. I seriously think that the AMA is an organization that has out grown it's usefulness and it's time for something new to arise from the ashes. It's clear that the AMA wants to court the multi-rotor community and welcome their masses into the folds of the AMA. Maybe it's time an new organization forms that provides the existing Model Aviation community the support we need that the AMA is supposes to providing us without all the extra BS.

Ok, I'll climb off my soapbox now. Rant mode turned off. Thank you for listening. I feel better now. :)

Ken

Ken,
I think what your saying is true and the AMA needs to do something about this or close there doors.

If we stop paying dues, we stop supporting the AMA. Pretty simple math. I for one will be writing down my FAA registration number when asked for my AMA number at the next fun fly and move on to enjoy the event. The club sponsoring the event will be more interested in my registration fee than ensuring that I'm an AMA member. And the truth of the matter is that I would be compliant with prevailing regulation as I would have registered. I'll continue to fly with common sense and be safe. What more can one ask?

Right on, Ken. Very well put.

I've never found fault with someone who chose not the be part of the AMA, I wouldn't presume to judge their opinion or decision in that matter. There is NO value for some in joining, a few folks here are lucky enough to have land to fly and are not into the club scene. Great! I've repeatedly said there are lots of folks who fly and don't belong to a club, or the AMA. The AMA, nor a club, is a requirement to enjoy the hobby...by any stretch. I've also repeatedly said different people will get different things out of the organization....it's a personal preference. When someone however asks what they might be missing, or asks for a reply to something they have said like what else can the AMA good for, I have no problem sharing my opinion, or pointing out something they might not have seen before. The insurance is a huge benefit, we are both probably lucky enough to have underlying coverage, so the "value" is decreased. I know some people who have NO insurance, so for them there is a much higher value. I happen to love the magazine, some guys use it in the litter box. To each their own. Some people look at the good in something, others try to find fault with absolutely everything. Again, fair enough.

The AMA can be virtually nothing more than an entrance ticket to a club, or it can be a source of enjoyment for others.

i don't see what the big deal is, they have an affinity marketing program with an insurance company that offers members discounts? It's been the same company for the past year, if not more. Is this any different from the website sending us e-mail to shop at their advertisers? Isn't this another benefit of the AMA...if you pay less to Nationwide because you are an AMA member...how is this bad? Should the AMA not look for advertising sales? I believe you can opt out of receiving the notices as well.

Ken,

ABSOLUTELY NOT. You're spot on sending them a note, in fact I did the same as well. My regional EVP and Dave. I outlined that I think they need to fundamentally rethink their strategy moving forward. I'm of the opinion that suing the very agency that has the power to regulate you operations is beyond foolish. Even if they win, they can nit pick our ops on the safety issue alone to the point it will kill the hobby. Not to mention, how's the lawsuit they have already filed working out so far?

IMO, they need to get back to basics. Support the fliers in the field. They're missing that point that AMA gets dues because of perceived value, and if member comments here are any indication, folks aren't perceiving much value. Add to that transparency issues with respect to health of the organization as a whole and people should rightly be concerned.

Feel free to rant. You've earned it.

:cool: Agree 100% !

:mad: Bottom line = OUR organization , without our consent , attempted a "power grab" whereby the AMA was to be the only recognized CBO representing model aircraft , while allowing drone ops to be protected under the CBO umbrella as "model aircraft" as well . The AMA EC smelled huge drone dollars and gambled our regulatory future in the persuit of them and lost . Did the AMA really think the FAA was going to regulate only SOME drone ops (non AMA) while leaving other drone ops (AMA condoned drones) alone ? And allow the AMA a total monopoly on the entirety of SUAS operations ?

I think the anger rightly lives in the fact that the day after a bomb is set off in the hobby , is a very poor time indeed to be pushing some trite product as if nothing of importance has happened .

:( Kinda like asking the widow at the funeral if you can get a deal on her late husband's corvette ..........

C'mon, it's not even close to that. It's a standard marketing e-mail that has been going out for some time now. It's part of a longstanding business plan that oddly enough nobody really complained about before. This feels like a red herring to complain about the AMA and their involvement in the FAA issue. If this brings advertising income INTO the AMA, and members derive a BENEFIT from it, it would seem counter intuitive to stop that from going forward. The AMA isn't going to stop doing everything they have always done because of one bad decision from the feds. It's certainly not business as usual, but the other facets of the operation need to continue on. Should the museum close down? Should grants stop being given to clubs, the MA mag stop being published?

If they make money, and a AMA member gets a discount and pays less, that's a win win.

:cool: Yes I know my example was far flung , but the principle of what I am saying is sound . The time for such advertising would be after the dust had settled a bit on what went down yesterday , rather than going on today hawking insurance products as if nothing of any importance had happened just 24 hours ago .

About 14 years ago, the government (BATFE) imposed draconian restrictions on high-power rocketry. The 2 rocketry organizations (NAR, TRA) challenged them in court. They won, unconditionally, and the regulations were vacated by the court. The BATFE did not appeal.

However, it took 9 years and cost ~$300000, which was raised mostly through donations.

IMO, the AMA is useless if they do not try and challenge this in court if necessary. I see at least one legal basis already, the FAA did not follow the normal NPRM procedures for rulemaking; also the 2012 FAA Modernization Law.

Ya know, one approach to dealing with the government is to do exactly what they ask. If everyone who flys models, everyone who used to fly models, and everyone who thinks they might fly models were to register, we could swamp the system. We could get a campaign going to register a million modelers, say, during the free period.
They're the ones asking for the burden. Let's give it to 'em. Can you imagine the FAA going back to congress hat-in-hand next month to ask for more money to hire more people to process more RCers?

I am sure there will be other CBO's formed now once other's figure out there will be a public database available on models registered thru the US Gover. and they will pursue everyone to join and have insurance available for clubs as well for sanction events. The AMA leadership trying to make a money grab may have just started a slow miserable death of this entity.

This is just sickening, I can not believed the AMA did not stand up for the hobby, they let the drone people pull the rug right out from under us, shameful AMA Shameful, I play by the rules, you should have back the ones that did AMA, Shameful!!

Well, my biggest problem with this is that the AMA had to increase our dues thanks to all the legal battles for "drone" pilots that do not have any interest in joining the AMA or local clubs. These are people who mainly do not give to craps about the hobby. So, now the nice slap on the face with increased dues and for what? Seems to me a whole lot of nothing. The people at the AMA should be ashamed of themselves, but I can pretty much bet they don't care about this. When you think of $5 for every AMA member that regardless of how stupid we think it is, will of course do the right thing. This is one big freaking joke and I wonder how they plan to enforce it. Are the cops going to start stopping by model clubs and checking everyone for a registration number?

Ken, it may be your opinion but it certainly is the truth!

I agree.