What could have been...

[Scott Richlen]

Take a look at this video taken this year at a British Model Flying Association event:



I was stunned by the number of people that were there.  Also, notice the large number of young people?

Granted, it is free-flight, but it certainly relates to us.

For me, this is an indictment of how badly AMA has mismanaged model aviation leadership in the U.S.   Instead of promoting free-flight (and control line) and achieving a result like what is shown in this video, they have squandered time and money (our dues) by chasing quad-copter and drone foolishness.

This video shows what could have been for us if AMA had lived up to their own reason d'etre.

And now they think they have found their own little pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow by offering up commercial drone insurance.

All they are really doing is killing our rainbow.

[Steve Hines]

Glow motors turn props turning thousands of RPM coming at you, I can AMA promoting that.

[Jim Svitko]

OK, nice crowd, and lots of enthusiasm, but lacking any safety measures.  With the legal system being what it is in the U. S., the lawyers will be ecstatic over the thought of how much money they can make from something like this.

[George Albo]

Take a look at this video taken this year at a British Model Flying Association event:



I was stunned by the number of people that were there.  Also, notice the large number of young people?

Granted, it is free-flight, but it certainly relates to us.

For me, this is an indictment of how badly AMA has mismanaged model aviation leadership in the U.S.   Instead of promoting free-flight (and control line) and achieving a result like what is shown in this video, they have squandered time and money (our dues) by chasing quad-copter and drone foolishness.

This video shows what could have been for us if AMA had lived up to their own reason d'etre.

And now they think they have found their own little pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow by offering up commercial drone insurance.

All they are really doing is killing our rainbow.

Maybe we can ask them if they would be interested in sponsoring and spearheading an Anglo-British Flying Association to replace the AMA? Have C/L. FF. and R/C clubs drop the AMA and espouse the A-B Flying Association, ABFA---just a thought-----

[john e. holliday]

I could see this happening in the states with our sue happy generation.   I wonder if any body got really hurt during this happening.  No hard hats in site.  Only thing that bothered me was the rocket powered thing going wild.  I now wonder how many would show up for a control line fun fly and no requirement for AMA license or even a sanction.  I know there are waivers that can be signed relieving who ever is in charge protecting them from being sued.  But, people don't take responsibity for their actions these days.  I know I have had fun fly meetings in the past just to get guys out and flying.

[Scott Richlen]

The point of this is that if it were an AMA event there would be no need for crowd control.  That's the problem.

For all the supposed "mayhem" I didn't hear any ambulance sirens going off.  Those things were .049 freeflights bouncing around, not metal panned speed planes.  What do you guys do - wrap yourselves in bubble-wrap every morning in case some of chicken little's sky falls on you?

[Fredvon4]

I am a fairly stern safety nut ...some from good Army school training and a lot more from "been there done that" hobby mishaps

That entire video had me cringing about every flight inside the crowd...and the free flight pseudo helicopter was just plain disaster waiting to happen

Not once in the 13 min, did my brain dream up some scheme where AMA needed to emulate a similar gaggle of participants and onlookers

I have my own reason for dropping the cost of AMA... I have no club, no club flying site, do not compete

BUT the AMA IS the only game in town, They do sanction our events, the insurance* does pay, it is possible for members to effect change

Anyone can Bash any organization
Republican party
Dem party
ARRL
DOT/FAA
Friends of Fred

The very serious  will join and work hard to effect change for within

Lots of good folks doing just that

Back to the video I could not tell the event or year

BUT I do have distinct memories of early AMA or maybe WAM sanctioned events in the bay area Calif...
Contestants, flight areas, and spectators were very well controlled from what I saw late 60s early 70s
and if I can hope my 16 year old perspective is true... Alamedea Air Station contest weekend had about the same sized crowd

* I have spoken with my USAA insurance company a few times on my Airplane personal liability  -relative to home our owners policy --but my flights are all on public property...very grey and none committal on their part... a company I consider one of the better insurers

In conversation it was suggested a general umbrella policy... amazingly low cost and does cover a LOT more than AMA, even if I am total idiot and not following -precisely- the AMA safety guidelines

[Garf]

It could be about time to do something about the people that are destroying the AMA and aeromodeling as we know it. If something is not done soon, it will be too late and all will be lost. The problem is that that those in control are not going to give up easily. They will have to be dragged out feet first kicking and screaming. The draw of the money is that strong.

[Will Hinton]

Most of the AMA bashers are so incrusted with tunnel vision they do not have any realistic idea just what "our" organization is about.  Wake up and grow up.

[Avaiojet]

Most of the AMA bashers are so incrusted with tunnel vision they do not have any realistic idea just what "our" organization is about.  Wake up and grow up.

Will,
So correct buddy.

Blame the AMA. I don't think so.

Blame yourselves.

I

[Dan Berry]

The event is casually called 'Chuck and duck'.
Reality is that about 3 dozen guys actually had anything to fly, the others are spectators. Did anyone notice all of the people being held against their will and forced to stay there?

The helicopter is a Charybdis ( god of whirlpools and eddys) also known as a McCutheon Machine. They're a lot of fun to fly. I have two.

[Jim Kraft]

It seems to me that for all the fun they were having a little risk was worth the fun. Most free flight planes float pretty slow on the way down. There is always the danger that they will hit some one on the launch tho. I have been to the Sam Champs free flight event and seen planes fly right back into the crowd and even fly behind the flyers. But I have never seen anyone hurt. Amazing.

I was flying control line old time stunt at the Sam Champs in Muncie a few years ago, and a free flight plane drifted into the Speed cage where we were flying, and sailed around in inside the cage and landed on the outside of the circle but inside the fence. It could have been an accident, but it did not happen. If we make safety the top priority, we will soon not have a hobby.

If reminds me why I retired early. Our safety department was the fastest growing of all, and much of it was government intervention. It was getting to the place that a 30 minute job was taking an hour and a half just to meet all the regs. I had been doing the same thing for 25 years using common sense without an accident. When you are working around 2400 volt equipment that is controlling 1400 pounds of pressure on gasoline, you just do things right or not. When the EPA got done with me I had to wear so much safety equipment, I could hardly do the job.

Safety is important, but going to extreme just ruins what we started out to do. Of course, we always have guys with to much money and no skill flying 50 pound R/C planes that do scare me. I tend to get behind my van when they fly and hope it is enough to shield me when they crash.

Anyway, I did enjoy the video. Lots of activity and people having lots of fun flying an spectating. I did not see anyone crying.

[Air Ministry .]

Englands not big dimensionally , so gives every turkey the option to turn up .

[Scott Richlen]

Thanks Jim!  That was the point - a lot of people having fun.  In fact, the most associated with model airplanes that I've seen in a long time.

So far, the only crying I've seen has been in the replies...