AMA and Multirotors

[Bartman]

Bart,

The point was that they are different and I think you guys are right to do that. At least that what I learned in marketing!! LOL

Thanks
Al

ahhh, sorry about that, i read it like you thought we were hiding something by separating the two communities.

i think that as a community we need to be very careful about rejecting multi-rotor helicopter flyers from the ranks of the AMA. Were there to be a representation turf-war due to the rise of some new group that represents only multi-rotor helicopters, we could see the AMA lose influence making it harder for them to represent their more traditional members.

we all seem to forget that someone somewhere doesn't like what we do. some fields don't like control-line, others love it right there alongside RC. some fields don't like fueled engines, some don't like 3D, helicopters annoy some people....one field i fly at has a guy that sets up glider winches up and down the runway and he practices his competition flying around the perimeter of the field.

so why act like multi-rotor helicopters aren't aeromodeling?

they're new, yes
they're different, yes
they can be boring to fly, yes
uninformed users are making a lot of problems for traditional RC flyers, yes
they are RC, yes
you can do cool stuff with them, yes
they have created a huge amount of business for RC related shops, yes
they can make the AMA stronger by attracting new members, yes
multi-rotor pilots usually do other RC stuff, yes

can you see where i'm going? IT'S ALL AEROMODELING and it's to our benefit, even if you don't love them, to have multi-rotor heli flyers in the AMA and to have the AMA as the body representing all RC aeromodelers...it's good for everyone!

I'm sorry if some people disagree but it's not unusual to see new RC activities being shunned by AMA members, 3D flyers went through it, now the multi-rotor guys have to prove they can learn to play nice in the sand-box and they'll be part of the club soon enough.



Bartman

 

[Pistolera]

Excellent post Bart

 

[combat chicken]

ahhh, sorry about that, i read it like you thought we were hiding something by separating the two communities.

i think that as a community we need to be very careful about rejecting multi-rotor helicopter flyers from the ranks of the AMA. Were there to be a representation turf-war due to the rise of some new group that represents only multi-rotor helicopters, we could see the AMA lose influence making it harder for them to represent their more traditional members.

we all seem to forget that someone somewhere doesn't like what we do. some fields don't like control-line, others love it right there alongside RC. some fields don't like fueled engines, some don't like 3D, helicopters annoy some people....one field i fly at has a guy that sets up glider winches up and down the runway and he practices his competition flying around the perimeter of the field.

so why act like multi-rotor helicopters aren't aeromodeling?

they're new, yes
they're different, yes
they can be boring to fly, yes
uninformed users are making a lot of problems for traditional RC flyers, yes
they are RC, yes
you can do cool stuff with them, yes
they have created a huge amount of business for RC related shops, yes
they can make the AMA stronger by attracting new members, yes
multi-rotor pilots usually do other RC stuff, yes

can you see where i'm going? IT'S ALL AEROMODELING and it's to our benefit, even if you don't love them, to have multi-rotor heli flyers in the AMA and to have the AMA as the body representing all RC aeromodelers...it's good for everyone!

I'm sorry if some people disagree but it's not unusual to see new RC activities being shunned by AMA members, 3D flyers went through it, now the multi-rotor guys have to prove they can learn to play nice in the sand-box and they'll be part of the club soon enough.



Bartman

Excellent post Bart!

 

[Mark Harper]

ahhh, sorry about that, i read it like you thought we were hiding something by separating the two communities.


can you see where i'm going? IT'S ALL AEROMODELING and it's to our benefit, even if you don't love them, to have multi-rotor heli flyers in the AMA and to have the AMA as the body representing all RC aeromodelers...it's good for everyone!

I'm sorry if some people disagree but it's not unusual to see new RC activities being shunned by AMA members, 3D flyers went through it, now the multi-rotor guys have to prove they can learn to play nice in the sand-box and they'll be part of the club soon enough.



Bartman

I agree, I remember when alot of club members thought giant scale was going to be the end of the AMA. I'm not really interested in quads, but I think they are cool. I also think they could be a big boost to the hobby if everybody can just figure out how to get along, or at least agree to disagree in a productive manner.

 

[Islandflyer]

I have to disagree with some of the above posts: All dissensions cited in the analogies above have to do with the inner circles INSIDE the aero modeling community not always accepting each other.
The real issue with "drones"/FPV/GPS guidance/multirotors is the negative attention they are drawing from the media / law makers / public perception.
With the AMA now voluntarily lumping model aviation and these other activities together, the traditional aero modeling community is now in danger of paying the consequences of bad behaviors from people who do not necessarily fly model airplanes.

IHAVE NOTHING AGAINST MULTI ROTORS, but it is not what most aero modelers do. It's another hobby, like RC cars, and RC boats (or shooting guns). And yes, many of us have multiple hobbies, but it doesn’t mean they should be lumped together.

FACT: model aviation (traditional AMA style) has been practiced safely, and with little (if any at all) negative public attention for 78 years.

FACT: in its very short existence (say the past couple of years alone), the - dare I say -"drones" have created more incidents, and drawn more negative reactions from the public and the authorities than have the entire 78 years of traditional RC flying (RC helicopters or fixed wings). Indeed, the perpetrators in these incidents are likely not AMA member, but most of these operators will never join the AMA anyway!

So no, the AMA will not be stronger from this inclusion, and instead, the traditional RC pilots community has a lot to loose from the lumping of these very different activities.

Most of us have elected AMA people to represent us, and not to draft new members who do not practice our activity. Most "drones"/FPV/GPS guidance/multirotors do not know about the AMA, and will never join; and IF this large group did join, the AMA would then primarily represent them (because of their numbers and influence), and would no longer prioritize the representation of Model Aircraft pilots.

This is why we should not support the AMA in embracing these activities as part of model aviation.

The "drones"/FPV/GPS guidance/multirotors operator should create their own association, just like they have their own forums. If they have common interests with the AMA, they can always join efforts for these specific concerns.

In July 2014, the AMA had a meeting where their position was put to a vote. It was not a clear cut decision.

See the voting record here: http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutam...ecminutes.aspx
Districts III, V, VII, VIII, X and XI voted against, I, II, IV, VI, IX and XII voted in favor, and the tie breaker was the current president.

If you are not happy with the vote of you area VP, you might want to make sure of what your candidate’s position is before voting.

 

[jtec/radiowave]

agreed

 

[Flyin4fun]

WOW..... I bet the "real" traditional model fliers (free flight, control line) felt the same way when "radio control" was a new aspect of our hobby.... especially the early unreliable/error prone systems...... geeesh......... Multi rotors are a new aspect of model avaiation any way that you look at it....... AND FPV/GPS/autonomous flight is even newer........ and basically no different than the plug and play aircraft that we ALSO enjoy today.

 

[CatalinaWOW]

Those who are worried about drowning in a sea of multi-rotors should take a deep breath and chill out. It could happen, but I would bet against it. It is currently a fad, very hot. But we aren't drowning in pet rocks, cabbage patch dolls or PODS to mention a few earlier fads which threatened to take over the world. I would guess that many of the multi-rotors sold for Christmas are already gathering dust in closets somewhere. The ones that are still being operated are being run by a couple of kinds of people. One is the interested, focused and trainable types that would be welcome in our hobby. Guys like Bartman and Sleepy. The others are the guys flying in clouds and over airports. They are interested, focused and perhaps not trainable. Our job is to figure out how to get rid of or control that second group.

 

[Flying-Skunks]

I agree with a Herve .. let's not talk about the modeler that flies a drone or quad copter ..the problem is placed upon us by the average Joe public that purchases a drone/quad copter , that lives next to an airport , that flies it around his house ..the average guy doesn't do any research to know the rules/regs, he just wants to fly ..

 

[Flying-Skunks]

AMA should not forget about the rest of us that follow the rules and regs