Consider AMA membership !

coloradosky · Dec 31, 2013

Last week, I signed up for an AMA membership (Academy of Model Aeronautics) after being encouraged by current members.

What a great organization!

Immediate benefits I see:

$1000 fire and theft protection for your aircraft (PV)
$25000 medical
$2.5 million coverage for liability

---for $58 premium.

There's a catch: you have to abide by their safety guidelines.

That's not really a catch for me, but a very helpful guideline for a new pilot like myself.

Check it out and consider signing up: http://www.modelaircraft.org/

The website is chock full of good reading, and you can use many of their airfields just for being a member at no additional cost.

THANKS for those folks that suggested it to me, hope others also see the benefit.

jengo · Dec 31, 2013

coloradosky said:
Last week, I signed up for an AMA membership (Academy of Model Aeronautics) after being encouraged by current members.

What a great organization!

Immediate benefits I see:

$1000 fire and theft protection for your aircraft (PV)
$25000 medical
$2.5 million coverage for liability

---for $58 premium.

There's a catch: you have to abide by their safety guidelines.

That's not really a catch for me, but a very helpful guideline for a new pilot like myself.

Check it out and consider signing up: http://www.modelaircraft.org/

The website is chock full of good reading, and you can use many of their airfields just for being a member at no additional cost.

THANKS for those folks that suggested it to me, hope others also see the benefit.

IIRC, the insurance will only cover you if you are at an approved field.

Nvr2fst · Dec 31, 2013

Pay somebody to put restrictions on me? No way. A lot of guys at fields don't like Helis or quads. I considered it years ago with my helis but the plane guys were heliphobes and total jerks. I am not paying anybody to tell me what I can and can not do.

jengo · Dec 31, 2013

Nvr2fst said:
Pay somebody to put restrictions on me? No way. A lot of guys at fields don't like Helis or quads. I considered it years ago with my helis but the plane guys were heliphobes and total jerks. I am not paying anybody to tell me what I can and can not do.

I have never understood the hate on helicopters. I have always been fascinated with them far more then planes. When I started flying them, my friend who was a die hard plane pilot got all agro on me about it. To this day, I still don't understand why.

Nvr2fst · Dec 31, 2013

jengo said:
Nvr2fst said:

Pay somebody to put restrictions on me? No way. A lot of guys at fields don't like Helis or quads. I considered it years ago with my helis but the plane guys were heliphobes and total jerks. I am not paying anybody to tell me what I can and can not do.

Click to expand...

I have never understood the hate on helicopters. I have always been fascinated with them far more then planes. When I started flying them, my friend who was a die hard plane pilot got all agro on me about it. To this day, I still don't understand why.

Either they were old school and didn't understand them or they were mad that they couldn't fly them because they were too technical and hard to fly. I taught a couple people who ended up pretty good but most failed miserably. No matter what you tell them, they would just shoot them up in the air and pray. usually worked for about 5 to 10 seconds.

If you can fly the real Rc Helis you can fly these quads with your eyes closed. Actually you can fly these Phantoms with your eyes closed.....but people still crash them.

jadebox · Dec 31, 2013

jengo said:
IIRC, the insurance will only cover you if you are at an approved field.

AMA's insurance protects you any time you are flying as long as you are doing so according to their safety codes. Some clubs require the insurance to fly at their sites, but flying at an approved site is not a requirement of the insurance coverage.

http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/500-a.pdf

-- Roger

Byroman · Jan 1, 2014

Jadebox is right on!

I am an AMA member and part of an AMA charter club. There's nothing in AMA requirements that TELL me how or where to fly. There are, however, recommendations and guidelines for safety and responsibility that are to be followed if you want the benefits to be of any use to you.

As mentioned by someone earlier, our field also requires AMA membership to fly. But that doesn't make us a group of "holier than thou" a**holes ;-). We accept any and all that are interested in flying...helis, planes, multirotors, blimps, kites, (lol), you name it! We'll help you learn to fly, help you choose a model, help you build a kit, and certainly help promote all things RC (most of us race RC cars too)!

Sad to hear stories of heli and multirotor folks getting the cold shoulder. Unity in this hobby (flying in general) is a great thing, I think. AMA membership has certainly added structure and sense of togetherness to our club (ramble, ramble).

Driffill · Jan 1, 2014

I'll have to look into if the AMA is active in Australia??

jadebox · Jan 1, 2014

The reality is that you will probably never make an insurance claim. And, if you do, I think AMA's policy is secondary to your existing policies anyway. So, claims against AMA's insurance are very rare. The useful thing, therefore, is being able to truthfully say that you have the insurance. It is something that makes landowners and authorities feel good which can help in many situations.

And, even if some of their members might look down on our type of aircraft, AMA is an organization that will work to protect us so that we can continue to safely and legally fly.

-- Roger

EyeUpHigh · Jan 1, 2014

I joined this week!

I joined earlier this week after being encouraged twice in the recent past...

The first time was a pair of R/C pilots that I met at a local park as they were flying electric R/C planes. As one said to another about the Phantom: "Ron, we've just witnessed the future."

The second time was finding a local Phantom pilot on this board and discovering there's an club and field nearby that requires AMA membership to fly at their field. I decided that $58 was a small price to pay to meet and fly with like-minded people.

I'm not really worried about the AMA "limiting my ability to fly in a reckless manner" as some are; I don't see the appeal of becoming a hazard to navigation for FAA craft and I don't plan on putting people at risk by flying over their heads (especially with the continued reports of Phantoms dropping out of the sky).

One of the benefits I do value is that I'm now supporting an organization that's lobbying the FAA on behalf of quad pilots. We all know that laws aren't made by wise bureaucrats acting in the public's best interest, they're made by special interests with the clout to sway the rules in their favor. If we don't empower a group to speak up for us, it's likely that hobby flyers will go unrecognized during the current FAA rule-making process.

coloradosky · Jan 1, 2014

THANKS jadebox, Byroman and EyeUpHigh!

Glad to be a new member of AMA with this type of attitude, keep it up.

Nvr2fst · Jan 1, 2014

Flying a Phantom at a AMA field has to be the most boring thing ever. They are not so much stunt devices so what do you do, make 100s of flying field videos? They are meant to be a carriage for Photography. Sure you can fly in Manual mode but even then they are limited and you don't need a dedicated flying field for that. I see the AMA as a union. There to collect dues. The thing with helis and multirotors is you don't need room to fly them. So flying fields are almost useless with these things. Planes are a different story.

Now if you just like to hang around people of a shared interest, I get it. But other than that, boring.
Fortunately there is absolutely no shortage of beautiful places to fly in my region.

jengo · Jan 1, 2014

jadebox said:
The reality is that you will probably never make an insurance claim. And, if you do, I think AMA's policy is secondary to your existing policies anyway. So, claims against AMA's insurance are very rare. The useful thing, therefore, is being able to truthfully say that you have the insurance. It is something that makes landowners and authorities feel good which can help in many situations.

And, even if some of their members might look down on our type of aircraft, AMA is an organization that will work to protect us so that we can continue to safely and legally fly.

-- Roger

Ya know, being able to say I have insurance is a very strong argument for getting it. I think you might have sold me on it.

Shrimpfarmer · Jan 1, 2014

I have been considering insurance of late. I am ultra careful but nobody gets it right 100% of the time. Trouble is I am left feeling that insurance policies are written to avoid paying out wherever possible. I will probably take the plunge though as people these days love to sue.

Knighthawk · Jan 1, 2014

coloradosky said:
THANKS jadebox, Byroman and EyeUpHigh!

Glad to be a new member of AMA with this type of attitude, keep it up.

Thanks, Mark! I have been wanting to rejoin the AMA for a while and you post prompted me to do so! So, I joined today and also went to your website to order a bunch of stickers! So, please quit posting as you are costing me a fortune!

Thanks again, and happy flying!

Knighthawk · Jan 1, 2014

Nvr2fst said:
Flying a Phantom at a AMA field has to be the most boring thing ever. They are not so much stunt devices so what do you do, make 100s of flying field videos? They are meant to be a carriage for Photography. Sure you can fly in Manual mode but even then they are limited and you don't need a dedicated flying field for that. I see the AMA as a union. There to collect dues. The thing with helis and multirotors is you don't need room to fly them. So flying fields are almost useless with these things. Planes are a different story.

Now if you just like to hang around people of a shared interest, I get it. But other than that, boring.
Fortunately there is absolutely no shortage of beautiful places to fly in my region.

Wellssir - Speaking for myself, I have car insurance even though I don't plan to cause an accident. I have life insurance even though I don't PLAN on dying any time soon. I have health insurance even though I don't plan on using it anytime soon. I have homeowners insurance even though I don't plan on needing it. To me, it's no different to have liability insurance on the PV. I don't plan on having an "incident", but better safe than sorry! 58 bucks is pretty cheap for two and a half million in liability insurance.

Not to mention what the AMA does to promote our hobby and protect our rights. Money well spent IMHO.

Nvr2fst · Jan 1, 2014

The insurance may be a good reason. I really don't know. I do know how insurance companies work though. They don't like to let go of their money. I may do a search and see if I can find the truth in how much they have paid out and for what. The cynic in me says they will more than likely have an out when it comes to claims. And if they are legit, the people doing the most damage will be ones that wont get it anyway because they are doing things they shouldn't be doing.
Once a business has been around long enough, even though they at one time were legit, they turn corrupt in some way or another or some extreme to another when money is involved. This world is bound by protection of money. I mean protecting it by not giving it away.

Yes I am a big cynic in general. A lot of my customers are too and I don't blame them. They want to know they are getting what they are paying for. Not to the point of paranoia but I have been on this planet long enough to know to question.

PhantomFan · Jan 1, 2014

Wow...you guys who are balking and/or finding excuses to not plunk down a measly $58 are so short-sighted. Is a Phantom the ONLY R/C machine you plan on ever flying??? I bought mine in October and was done with it by the end of November. Tooling around in circles and figure of 8's in GPS mode is BORING with a capital "B." It's not even fun flying for god sake if the machine won't let you flip and roll because of the exceedingly conservative gyro limitations. I put my Phantom in a case and there it will stay...probably till I sell it. It actually CAN BE a fully acrobatic machine...but why would anyone bash up a $450 quadcopter doing acrobatics when you can bash up a $5.00 one and laugh it off if need be???

So... I built an acrobatic v-tail quad out of PVC, and I'm using the new HobbyKing KK2.1 board for a flight computer. $29.99 and it has full acrobatic capabilities. Screw the NAZA FC. If you are a decent pilot and can learn to fly 100% manual without all the NAZA crutches of GPS and ATTI Mode you can actually go out and get your heart rate up tossing a quad across the sky.

Tell me this doesn't look like FUN!!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of0bm2irwYU So, here's a tip for you. Plunk down your $58.00 and join the AMA. Build and fly YOUR OWN quad for pennies (my frame all up cost ~$5.00) and go out and crash a BUNCH of times learning to fly in manual mode - and have some fully insured >>>FUN.<<<

PF

Jax Quad · Jan 1, 2014

I have been a member for years. Great organization. Lots of behind the scenes lobbying for our rights and freedoms. I have been a member of several fantastic clubs. Yes, there were occasionally one or two grumps who hated my helis, but they got over it and in time we became friends (in most cases).