new to the AMA

[Jim Poor]

I just got my card today!

I've been flying slope (foam) for about two years now and never really felt the need. I'm moving into the electric and sailplane world now, and need AMA to fly at the fields around me. Now that I have bigger planes made of harder material, the insurance is not a bad idea I suppose.

I hope this forum turns into something useful, as right now it appears to be a bunch of moaning and groaning.

I'll be exploring the AMA page more now, but most of the links are broken.

I've met some very nice/helpful people on line and at the flying locations I frequent. Hopefully the same will go for the "AMA Community."

jim

**EDIT** Ok after reading the threads here, I am less than hopeful. I really hope this is not what AMA is about.

[easytiger]

It's not. You will find that out in the field, the vast majority of people are pretty happy with the AMA. When they hear this kind of stuff, they just kind of scratch their heads and smile sadly. Then they put their AMA card up on the frequency board and GO FLYING. Don't take the internet stuff too seriously.

Good luck and happy flying, that's what it's all about.

[Jim Ryan]

I will second EasyTiger's sentiment. In forums such as this you tend to see the very vocal minority - guys with an axe to grind against some particular group, in this case, the organization that has governed and promoted our hobby/sport for nearly 70 years. In most cases the vitriolic tone and content of these rants speak for themselves.

Those who ridicule AMA on this and other online forums conveniently ignore the fact that if not for their tireless work, we would NEVER have gotten the 50 channels we enjoy today and for that matter may never have been able to make the jump from 27 to 72MHz. Make no mistake; radio control aeromodeling as it exists in the US today is largely possible because of the efforts of AMA.

I'm especially grateful to those who have stepped forward to do this unglamorous spade work because I for one am not interested in making my hobby into a job. I don't always agree with the choices of the EC, but they were willing to step forward and do the job, and I respect them for that.

Is AMA perfect? Certainly not. But then democracy never is.

Jim

[tekochip]

True enough Jim, I have been one of those evil park fliers for a couple years, and just started flying at a sanctioned field. I view the AMA as a necessary evil; yes, their policies and politics drive newcomers away from the hobby, but they do work very hard to keep fields open in an era when liability lawsuits have become a source of disposable income. I fly my models measured in Ounces next to the smoking, choking, chain saw IC models that weigh more than a healthy toddler. Although it's wrong that we are both forced to fly at the same field, at least we both get to fly.

So, I thank the AMA for all the work they've done in the past, and I hope that they take a look at the present, and see all the work that really needs to be done today.

[leccyflyer]

Originally posted by tekochip
So, I thank the AMA for all the work they've done in the past, and I hope that they take a look at the present, and see all the work that really needs to be done today.

Just one minor point. The AMA (like any of the national modelling bodies) isn't them, it's you, me and us.

Brian

[Jim Branaum]

Oddly enough there used to be a bunch of folks who were concerned about that very issue. They were so concerned that there now exists a patch (available from AMA) that says "I am the AMA".

Years ago I bought 1000 of the AMA in aircraft name identification stickers and have been giving them away whenever I think about it. I think I will get 100 a year of those patches to remind my friends who WE are.

Thanks for noticing that Brian.

Jim Poor, please back channel me you snail mail address after the first of the year (takes time to get the order processed) because I would like to send you one.

[Jim Ryan]

Originally posted by tekochip
I fly my models measured in Ounces next to the smoking, choking, chain saw IC models that weigh more than a healthy toddler. Although it's wrong that we are both forced to fly at the same field, at least we both get to fly.


Rather than view this as a bad thing, you might try thinking of it as an opportunity to experience something different.

I agree that electric flyers (especially those who fly small models) tend to enjoy the hobby in a different way than IC guys who fly larger and heavier glow and gas models. For this reason, I tend to do most of my flying at VOA Park (a quiet flight only field) rather than at GCRCC, the primarily IC club I've belonged to since moving to Cincinnati.

But for all that, I enjoy spending time with guys who fly models very different than my own. This is especially true after we all got over trying to be "right" about which was "better". I don't try to win converts, and they long since quit poking fun at my planes. I would add that where once I was the only electric flyer in this club of about 120 members, there are now probably 2 or 3 dozen flying at least one electric plane of some kind. I like to think that I helped to make that happen.

There's too much going on in aeromodeling for one guy to keep up with it all, but it's pretty neat to see how a club mate went about building a giant scale warbird or turbine powered jet.

All these are things that you get flying with an organized club at a sanctioned flied that you would not get flying alone at a school yard somewhere.

Jim

[Jim Poor]

Looks like 90% of AMA members are named Jim ;)

Jim

[tekochip]

Your right Brian, and just like the craft we fly, the voice of the electric pilots is easily drowned out.