AMA Selling Quadcopters?

[Dick Pacini]

Just got an email from AMA offering a Horizon Hobbies Quadcopter at a discount:



 This Quad Is More
Than Just Four Blades.
For AMA Members Only.

You Save $10. AMA Foundation Receives $5. http://www.horizonhobby.com/nano-qx-3d-bnf-blh7180


Dear RICHARD:

Horizon Hobby is offering AMA members this special price to purchase a Nano QX 3D BNF Quadcopter for only $49.99. That's a saving of $10 off the regular price of $59.99. With every quadcopter purchased, Horizon Hobby will make a donation of $5 to the AMA Foundation.

Check out these features!

    Three flight modes: Beginner, Immediate and Advanced.
    SAFE® technology with self-leveling makes it easy to fly and do aerobatics.
    Flip 180-360° in any direction at the press of a button.
    Colorful LEDs and high-contrast body help maintain orientation.
    Replacement rotor blades (included) keep you flying.
    E-flite® 200mAh 1S 3.7V 30C Li-Po flight battery included.
    Compact USB Li-Po flight battery charger included.

[Randy Cuberly]

Is anyone surprised?

They'll probably open a store to sell the things next!

The AMA has become about the most money grubbing worthless organization in a long list of money grubbing worthless organizations!

Randy Cuberly

[Randy Powell]

It's what happens when you go from a market economy to a market society. It's about about money these days.

[Brett Buck]

It's what happens when you go from a market economy to a market society. It's about about money these days.

  What?! It has *always, repeat, always* been about money since the dawn of the agricultural revolution, and it will never ever be about anything else.

   This is a specific failing of the AMA, not a larger societal issue.

   Brett

[Target]

I think their plan is three fold-

1. Encourage Multi Rotor guys to join AMA,
2. Encourage AMA guys to fly quads,
3. Go back to # 1.

It seems hardly worth it to join AMA to get a $10 discount on a $59.00 Quad, unless you planned to join AMA anyway and also buy that particular quad also, or any starter quad.

I think its about point #1.

Regards,
Chris
I'd fly an RC heli before I fly a quad. I'm just sayin'.

[Mike Keville]

2017 will be my final year with that failed organization.

[Randy Powell]

I disagree, Brett. Yes, pursuit of money has always been with us. But it wasn't the ONLY thing that mattered until recently.

[david beazley]

AMA should give a $49.00 quadcopter with a $75.00 membership.  After all Best Buy gives a free AMA membership with a quadcopter purchase.

[Mike Keville]

". . . Best Buy gives a free AMA membership with a quadcopter purchase."

REALLY?  While the rest of us pay through the nose?   

[JoeJust]

Any wonder why the AMA is now in an audit by the IRS?  Doubt that statement?  Check out page 135 of the latest MA.
Joe

[Mike Keville]

Any wonder why the AMA is now in an audit by the IRS?  Doubt that statement?  Check out page 135 of the latest MA.
Joe

Saw that.  Any idea of what may have caused an audit?   

[mike londke]

Who cares? AMA sucks and this forum is about control line.

[dave siegler]

<Sarcasm begin>
I quickly rushed to the AMA store to purchase my dues supported quad copter and all i found was overpriced t shirts, Christmas tree ornaments and trailer hitch covers. 

Not a  single quad.  Must be all sold out.
<Sarcasm end>

you guys are nuts.  And are the post is a troll. Stop it.

Some how this degraded into the AMA is getting a IRS audit?  Holly cow, totally related right? 

I'm Going back to the shop to build a while before work. Stop this. 

Fact--
AMA isn't selling quad-copters

Horizon and others make deals like this all the time.  It has done it in the past with park fliers, giant scale ARF's etc. 

It's just a marketing deal it helps both parities. No one that makes products we us is doing this.   

Would you be so cheesed off it if it were OS engines, or Dremel? Or Sig balsa?  giving $5 to AMA foundation?   Of course not.   

[Brett Buck]

<Sarcasm begin>
I quickly rushed to the AMA store to purchase my dues supported quad copter and all i found was overpriced t shirts, Christmas tree ornaments and trailer hitch covers. 

Not a  single quad.  Must be all sold out.
<Sarcasm end>

you guys are nuts.  And are the post is a troll. Stop it.

Some how this degraded into the AMA is getting a IRS audit?  Holly cow, totally related right? 

I'm Going back to the shop to build a while before work. Stop this. 

Fact--
AMA isn't selling quad-copters

Horizon and others make deals like this all the time.  It has done it in the past with park fliers, giant scale ARF's etc. 

It's just a marketing deal it helps both parities. No one that makes products we us is doing this.   

Would you be so cheesed off it if it were OS engines, or Dremel? Or Sig balsa?  giving $5 to AMA foundation?   Of course not.   

   Well, actually Dave, I would/do have a problem with that. It is exactly a marketing deal, the sort of quid pro quo that we/AMA should have nothing to do with. We fought a war in stunt about 10 years ago in part over exactly the same sort of thing.

   It's doubly bad because it's drones, which as anyone can see, are a *mortal threat* to model aviation. Anyone who tried to fly in the DC flight restriction area can tell you how easily we could be swatted out of existence. The fact that the AMA has proved powerless in any case just compounds the issue. They undercut their own position as a serious representative of traditional modeling with this nonsense long ago, and now they are desperately scraping to position themselves as the face of drones. Which is very likely to kill traditional modeling.

     Brett

[dennis lipsett]

Old age, apathy and mass extinction of participants will kill traditional modelling not drones

[dave siegler]

   Well, actually Dave, I would/do have a problem with that. It is exactly a marketing deal, the sort of quid pro quo that we/AMA should have nothing to do with. We fought a war in stunt about 10 years ago in part over exactly the same sort of thing.

   It's doubly bad because it's drones, which as anyone can see, are a *mortal threat* to model aviation. Anyone who tried to fly in the DC flight restriction area can tell you how easily we could be swatted out of existence. The fact that the AMA has proved powerless in any case just compounds the issue. They undercut their own position as a serious representative of traditional modeling with this nonsense long ago, and now they are desperately scraping to position themselves as the face of drones. Which is very likely to kill traditional modeling.

     Brett

That is the biggest pile of fertilizer I have ever read.  

So let me get this straight.  A vendor offers a deal to members, and benefits the organization.  A deal on something that is wildly popular something that your research shows a large percentage of your members own or will own?  And it has potential to pull in new members of a younger demographic, when your current member base is getting too old to participate?  

And you are against it?   Err exactly why?  
Because you want your organization to die off when the current group of members do?  
Or is it because you are the only one to decide what fun is?  
Or maybe you just want it to all fall apart and blame everyone else, rather than participate in the change and help it along?


The biggest mortal threat to model aviation is not our organization offering $10 on a crappy quad copter.  Or quad copters in general.
The biggest threat is the age of the membership and the inability to adapt to change and manage it.  
Change is hard and you cant stop it.  Ask the company that made buggy whips  

[Brett Buck]

That is the biggest pile of fertilizer I have ever read.  

So let me get this straight.  A vendor offers a deal to members, and benefits the organization.  A deal on something that is wildly popular something that your research shows a large percentage of your members own or will own?  And it has potential to pull in new members of a younger demographic, when your current member base is getting too old to participate?  

And you are against it?   Err exactly why?  

  Exactly why I said. The AMA should be promoting MODELING, not selling stuff or digging out member benefits in exchange for promoting particular manufacturer's products. If they want to promote CL Stunt, or RC Gliders, or FF Peanut Scale as an activity, that is one thing. Engaging in selling particular products in exchange for favorable mention and "price breaks" is NOT promoting modeling, it is promoting sales of a particular commercial concern. That completely negates any argument that they are an independent and objective reference on modeling, it puts them in the same category as RCM. The big difference is that RCM is or is run by a for-profit corporation or something equivalent.

    It's really damn hard to argue you are "community-based organization" when you also pimp Dremel tools, or quadcopters, or whatever,  in exchange for "benefits". If you do, it begins to sound a lot like any other ad agency or marketing firm - the big difference being that other marketing firms don't represent themselves as the "voice of the modelers" .

    I suspect this is why the AMA is being audited. It is a not-for-profit organization and has different rules and should have different standards than commercial concerns.

    I assure you that I mean *exactly what I said*, and I was EXTREMELY DISMAYED when I found the same thing going on in PAMPA, and worked hard to put a stop to it. It is wrong and it is not in the best interest of the organization, probably breaks tax regulations and is possibly illegal. Moreover, once you start offering "benefits" to commercial concerns, you have the possibility of favoring some over others and thus inserting yourself into making judgements.  There was only one case in which I didn't object to it and I thought the reasons were sound enough at the time and still do.

  The PAMPA rule about advertising (when I left the EC) was that every ad was paid for in full, and that was the *sole qualification* in all senses of the word. I sure hope it is still that way.

    brett

[peabody]

Of course many seem to be satisfied with the declining interest in airmodeling......and he argued against any effort to promote or  grow ANY aspect of the hobby and must be happy that there has been a steady decline in participation at even the National Championships....

Quads are something that appeals to youngsters and may even get them interested in other areas.....

Promotion ANY segment of airmodeling should be welcomed.....otherwise our grandchildren will only learn about what we do in the Smithsonian. 
 

[Brett Buck]

Of course many seem to be satisfied with the declining interest in airmodeling......and he argued against any effort to promote or  grow ANY aspect of the hobby and must be happy that there has been a steady decline in participation at even the National Championships....

  I objected to your and some of your buddy's version of this - which ended up "promoting and growing" a particular individual's business over others. Or do you think your (successful) attempt to reject certain ads for every stupid reason in the book went unnoticed? Between that, and being utterly incapable of proper accounting, is why you were kicked out of that position.

   Ask anyone that has attended any local stunt contest on the West Coast how my type of promotion works. We have 40 people every time, you and others were on here complaining about how all your local contests are going away despite your promotional "efforts". Everything you try (like not counting appearance points) failed miserably but you just keep doing it.

    Brett

[Ken Burdick]

I'm buyin one and converting to control line!

[Target]

Great idea, Ken!
Got fifty bucks I can borrow?

[Chuck_Smith]

Please forgive my insolence, but in my very humble opinion - which is only that and you are welcome to differing views, and I will defend your right to disagree...

I think the greatest threat to our hobby is when some potential new participant gets on the internet and starts researching controline all they see is a bunch of old farts arguing about how pissed-off they are we don't live in "the good old days".

Sometimes reading this website is akin to hearing "Hey you kids with your loud music and your Hula Hoops, GET OFF MY LAWN!"  and "Dadburn gubment sonsabitiches!"

Ask yourself, if your grandkids stumbled onto this website, what would they think? And then look at how many kids we can attract.

The hobby is still relevant. It's still as much fun as it has always been and with the advent of efficient electric power systems the entry barrier has been lowered. I've flown just about everything, but controline is the only form of model aviation I know of where the pilots actually grin while they fly.

Now me, I like to look for opportunity. Maybe these drones can be a "gateway drug" to introduce young people to other things going on in the AMA. Maybe not, but hey, we won't know until we try.

I believe this: Our hobby is in danger of extinction and close-mindedness is not going to help it.

Again, all of this is only my opinion and if you disagree I'm totally cool with that. I've reached an age where I'm losing old friends and I don't want to @#$% off the remaining ones, because I've learned that good friends are a lot more important than somebody flying a drone. 

Besides, it's the first nice day of the flying season here and I'm heading to the field soon! Hope you all have great day and get in a couple patterns too.


Blue skies and tight lines,

Chuck

[john e. holliday]

Well said Chuck.   And do we really think what few of us don't renew will hurt the pocket book of the AMA.  My grandson can fly circles around me with the little quads and he has already worn out the little helicopters he had.

[Doug Moon]

I have seen a couple of posts about drones not being a threat to model aviation. 

I think it needs to be noted that the FAA's latest rules are a direct result of DRONES, FPV DRONES to be exact.  Due to their availability, long range, and those who operate them.  And now we have the FAA watching over us, great. AND THAT IS A DIRECT THREAT TO MODEL AVIATION AS A WHOLE!

It appears that the FAA had absolutely no problem going over, around, or through the 2012 ruling by our elected congress that model aviation for recreation will be exempt from FAA regulation.  Now we have this ridiculous registration process and a no fly map.  This sort of thing did not apply to model aviation prior to the FPV DRONE and the morons who take it too far.  The problem is it is not model aviation enthusiasts who are using these things in a manner that is harmful or dangerous.

The AMA made it easy for the FAA to lump us all into one pot with their love affair with drone advertising on the pages of MA.  This made it very clear to the FAA that drones are a part of model aviation. Hell, the president of the AMA said so in his column, he said they are the future of model aviation.  Well, if some FPV model damages a jet or worse then yes they are the future of model aviation and its future is death by regulation from an agency we did not elect to make laws.  That same agency that thumbed it's nose to written law by our elected officials.....who's is governing who??

[Target]

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I have to say I agree 100 percent with Doug's statements above.
 as someone who flies thermal RC sailplanes the new Senate proposed bill is extremely upsetting to me. the proposed 400 foot altitude limitation will not affect control line models at all. However, it will affect RC sailplanes completely. line of sight RC flying has coexisted successfully with full scale flying since the very beginning. It's not until the Advent of fpv RC flying that the FAA had problems with RC aircraft. and the solution to the fpv flying with a lump all modelers into a category the only the fpv pilots should have been included in.

[Chuck_Smith]

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I have to say I agree 100 percent with Doug's statements above.
 as someone who flies thermal RC sailplanes the new Senate proposed bill is extremely upsetting to me. the proposed 400 foot altitude limitation will not affect control line models at all. However, it will affect RC sailplanes completely. line of sight RC flying has coexisted successfully with full scale flying since the very beginning. It's not until the Advent of fpv RC flying that the FAA had problems with RC aircraft. and the solution to the fpv flying with a lump all modelers into a category the only the fpv pilots should have been included in.

Chris, the AMA and the FAA have stated that AMA members flying within the AMA safety code can exceed the 400' AGL limit. You're good.

[john e. holliday]

I just had the thought, why worry and get bent out of shape over the AMA trying to make money even though at one time it was supposed to non profit.  Also how many people do we know that don't belong to the AMA or even get on these forums to see us whine about this that only fly maybe a half dozen times during the year.  I know I'm going to keep flying my control line planes until some idiot shows me I'm a real danger flying them.

In fact a young fellow came up to me while I was trying to warm up the diesel and ask about the wind.  Said he had a parasail to fly.  I asked if it was RC and was told no it is a powered parasail he was going to fly.  I told him I had no problem with it.    Said he would watch out if I was flying and I told him I would watch out for him.   That looked like so much fun him taking off after getting all set up and getting a good run on his engine.  He made several touch and goes while doing a pattern over the big fields.  If I wasn't so old I would love to try it as he made it look so easy.  .   

[Target]

Not if the new Senate bill passes....
It will limit ALL rc to below 400' agl.
And it wasn't initiated because of LOS rc modeling. It's directly because of FPV modeling....

[Chris McMillin]

Cameras, FPV and gyros make them the problem they are. We gotta separate model airplanes line of sight from these drones. No drone operator can resist flying them out of sight.

[Norm Faith Jr.]

  What?! It has *always, repeat, always* been about money since the dawn of the agricultural revolution, and it will never ever be about anything else.

   This is a specific failing of the AMA, not a larger societal issue.

   Brett

Yep! What Brett said.             NRA...AMA (motorcycle)...AOPA, I'm a member of them all, and they all have a similar way of operation.

[Target]

Cameras, FPV and gyros make them the problem they are. We gotta separate model airplanes line of sight from these drones. No drone operator can resist flying them out of sight.

Yep! 110%

[John Gluth]

AMA and its advertisers have revenue agenda. i.e. current TowerTalk catalog features 13 pages of “drones”.

This is a Controline Forum and we are predominately Model Airplane Building Craftsmen. Like to see what I BUILT, fly! Can we all agree, majority of multirotor craft are ready-to-fly toys? Point is, very few multirotors are “built” as in Modeling.

IMHO, drone attraction is more fundamental to “flying” an RC car, than to Model Airplanes. No criticism of model railroad, RC car, boat hobby, just interested in airplanes. Although fun for many, hovering toys are NOT Model Airplanes. These toys are not related to Controline Model Airplanes any more than roller coasters are to Amtrak. AMA does however correlate as RC UAV.

Slang word drone not capitalized intentionally.

Please enjoy your Controline Building and Flying!

Tight Lines, John