Back in the 50's (yes I'm older than dirt) there was an AMA. It was American Modeler Association as I best remember. I flew dual line model airplanes that were "gas" engines (same engines and fuel as the RC planes of today). When I searched for "American Modeler Association" Google returned only "Academy of Model Aeronautics"
I wonder if it is the same organization that just reinvented itself? Maybe should just leave well enough alone. Hogan's Goat isn't half bad now. Just you wait and see how the feds could screw it up.
Apologies but I believe you are mistaken. AMA has been the Academy of Model Aeronautics since the 1930's. They were briefly known as AAMA, American Academy for Model Aeronautics but changed to AMA after a few years. This was almost certainly the same AMA you remember from the 1950's, since they were "the" organization for control line flying in the 1950s (as well as radio control).
Good news is the AMA likely changed its name before you were born, and hopefully that makes you feel at least a little younger.
Oh one more thing, the engines you almost surely flew back then were glow engines (glow plug) that ran on a nitromethane/methanol mixture, plus lubricant, and not "gas" as in gasoline. Indeed those kinds of engines, and fuel, are still around but are now usually referred to as nitro engines (or as I call them: slime engines, due to the amount of lubricant sprayed out of the exhaust). However, there is another class that do run on actual gasoline, albeit 2-stroke so mixed with a small amount of oil (and no slime). I flew giant scale R/C gas until a few years ago. My last plane, a 50% scale aircraft, had a 200cc four-cylinder gas engine. You can buy a dji
Inspire 2, with camera, for less than just that engine cost (what was I thinking??? lol).
Back to the AMA... they may not be the best face to represent the quad/drone part of this hobby, but they are surely better than nothing. A decade ago when "drone" was akin to "Predator" and the feds were looking for a way to reign in R/C flying, in general, the AMA was proactive in dealing with the FAA and other agencies. They lobbied to exclude the hobbyist community from regulations. They were mostly successful, and is why you have "community based organization" written into the regulations.
I also think, despite the latest AMA president's statements, that they do realize they need to attract people from the drone segment. I mean, even at Best Buy, there are (safety) pamphlets in the drone section from the AMA. It's not just a token of support, it's in the AMA's best interest to keep quad flying from being overly regulated, else they risk the same fate.
Mike
