Empty flying field
06-12-2005, 11:34 PM
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Empty flying field
Ah, what a joy it was to fly my new Mat Chapman Cap 580 today.
It is very nice to be at a 16 acre flying field all by myself. The grass is nice and short, tree line behind me and no one there to have to watch while I fly my plane.
Think it to be occasionally? Not so, it is like this most of the time, you see I live right around the corner from this nice field and fly there often, alone.Yes it is a AMA field, Yes our club offer's free instruction on Monday night, yes people show up from time to time, yes due to the efforts of one flight instructor the club has grown from 19 to 54 in 2 season's but were's the love man?
If AMA is hoping new member's are going to drop from the sky's to meet their goals, all I can say is good luck. The crowd seem's to be less and less each year but it take's more than one or two people to promote the hobby, for the area. It seem's most people are getting scared away from the hobby instead of the latter. I know, I am the safety officer and see those buddy box flier's flying all over the sky and behind us and toward us and around us and out of site of us and so on and so on. My knee's get week, not from exciting flying but from ducking from buddy box instruction. I am loosing my voice, not from joyful howl's but keeping these buddy boy's in view, in control and in front of the student and not in a distant house.
Quality instruction is hard to find, one of a kind instruction is almost impossible to find when no one stand's up and say's yes this is the way. AMA, your dropping the ball on the Ragland Technique. Dave Mathewson experienced it himself and wrote an article for the magazine and still claimed to be skeptical, wow that's vision. With the million's of dollar's AMA spend's on advertising you would think the results' would be better but don't count on big number's of new flier's just bigger advertisement bill's.
The problem with targeted advertising is you must know the target and your aim must be true, if you plan to hit the target. I have found after being in the hobby business, that everyone is the target market for r/c aircraft. Everybody I spoke with wanted to fly but didn't no how to get started or knew nothing about instruction and didn't want to spend money to crash. This is when I would utilize free fly before you buy via the Ragland Technique, worked every time. AMA also benefited from this. I am out of business now due to health reason's but be rest assured, I started in my shed and expanded 3 times in 2 year's.
I must say that after being taught by Mr. Ragland, that in 1 in a half season's I fly what ever I want, when I want. I won't go on and tell you about how many planes I own and fly like my F4 phantom, P-51, Spitfire and many more including my heli I fly around my small front yard, small because of tree's, I do feel spoiled.
Keep it up guy's I do love the solitude of a nice 16 acre flying field and by the way I grease that cap 580 in on landing every time, with the wheel pant's on.
It is very nice to be at a 16 acre flying field all by myself. The grass is nice and short, tree line behind me and no one there to have to watch while I fly my plane.
Think it to be occasionally? Not so, it is like this most of the time, you see I live right around the corner from this nice field and fly there often, alone.Yes it is a AMA field, Yes our club offer's free instruction on Monday night, yes people show up from time to time, yes due to the efforts of one flight instructor the club has grown from 19 to 54 in 2 season's but were's the love man?
If AMA is hoping new member's are going to drop from the sky's to meet their goals, all I can say is good luck. The crowd seem's to be less and less each year but it take's more than one or two people to promote the hobby, for the area. It seem's most people are getting scared away from the hobby instead of the latter. I know, I am the safety officer and see those buddy box flier's flying all over the sky and behind us and toward us and around us and out of site of us and so on and so on. My knee's get week, not from exciting flying but from ducking from buddy box instruction. I am loosing my voice, not from joyful howl's but keeping these buddy boy's in view, in control and in front of the student and not in a distant house.
Quality instruction is hard to find, one of a kind instruction is almost impossible to find when no one stand's up and say's yes this is the way. AMA, your dropping the ball on the Ragland Technique. Dave Mathewson experienced it himself and wrote an article for the magazine and still claimed to be skeptical, wow that's vision. With the million's of dollar's AMA spend's on advertising you would think the results' would be better but don't count on big number's of new flier's just bigger advertisement bill's.
The problem with targeted advertising is you must know the target and your aim must be true, if you plan to hit the target. I have found after being in the hobby business, that everyone is the target market for r/c aircraft. Everybody I spoke with wanted to fly but didn't no how to get started or knew nothing about instruction and didn't want to spend money to crash. This is when I would utilize free fly before you buy via the Ragland Technique, worked every time. AMA also benefited from this. I am out of business now due to health reason's but be rest assured, I started in my shed and expanded 3 times in 2 year's.
I must say that after being taught by Mr. Ragland, that in 1 in a half season's I fly what ever I want, when I want. I won't go on and tell you about how many planes I own and fly like my F4 phantom, P-51, Spitfire and many more including my heli I fly around my small front yard, small because of tree's, I do feel spoiled.
Keep it up guy's I do love the solitude of a nice 16 acre flying field and by the way I grease that cap 580 in on landing every time, with the wheel pant's on.
06-12-2005, 11:44 PM
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RE: Empty flying field
Oh by the way don't believe all you read about flight instruction and how long it will take and how much money the average person will spend. On average there are a lot of deal's on good quality used merchandise starting at around $150.00 for a used trainer, usually in good shape and sometimes almost new.
For example, a buddy box instructor just acquired a new trainer from his former student for free but the almost pilot never learned to fly, hmmm I wonder why that went that way?
If you want some free instruction information that is a reality check, look at, www.lighthousehobby
.com
For example, a buddy box instructor just acquired a new trainer from his former student for free but the almost pilot never learned to fly, hmmm I wonder why that went that way?
If you want some free instruction information that is a reality check, look at, www.lighthousehobby
.com
06-13-2005, 04:34 AM
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RE: Empty flying field
You're right about one thing: it takes an investment of dedication and effort to bring in a new RC flier, whether that effort comes from a modellers' association, club instructors or shops offering try-before-you-buy schemes. And yes, everyone in the hobby benefits from these newcomers.
From your site it looks like you're doing your part
Interesting reading... I've actually learned to fly with that Ragland Technique (even though we never called it that ), and I did learn to solo quite quickly as well, on both planes and helicopters. Nobody had buddy boxes back then. I've been out of the hobby for 10 years and had to re-learn flying which I did on a buddy box, taking longer to re-learn the skill than it took me to learn from scratch when I first started out. (Not a patch on my instructors though: they're all excellent and dedicated people). Looks like there are still people getting results by favoring this method over the buddy box.
(ps. the link to ACORNS on the aeromodelling school programme page is dead).
From your site it looks like you're doing your part
Interesting reading... I've actually learned to fly with that Ragland Technique (even though we never called it that ), and I did learn to solo quite quickly as well, on both planes and helicopters. Nobody had buddy boxes back then. I've been out of the hobby for 10 years and had to re-learn flying which I did on a buddy box, taking longer to re-learn the skill than it took me to learn from scratch when I first started out. (Not a patch on my instructors though: they're all excellent and dedicated people). Looks like there are still people getting results by favoring this method over the buddy box.(ps. the link to ACORNS on the aeromodelling school programme page is dead).
06-13-2005, 08:36 AM
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RE: Empty flying field
Thank you for the dead link report. It is true, anything worth while takes time and effort but Mr. Ragland has been perfecting his technique for over 30 years now.
Yes it is the quickest way to learn to fly. I have experienced both and only endorse the Ragland tech. I must agree that before the buddy box came along that was the only way, maybe that is why so many people actually learned to fly back then.
Yes I have dumped a couple of planes but nothing that I havn't been able to repair. I read somewhere that it is advisable for the newbie to build a trainer first and foremost, I totally agree with that.
Mr. Ragland brought me an Eagle 2 kit when I first started and said ,(now build this) I did and from that I have been building r/c aircraft ever since. I have been building Guillow's and plastic's for most of my life but I thought this was a challenge but it went together easy.
From that experience I have been able to repair anything that I need to repair and build anything I choose, I build a Top Flight P-39 Airacobra over the winter and the flaps are a sweet addition when coming in for a landing, take off's too.
In any event, from the effort's of Mr. Ragland I can build and fly almost anything I choose in just 1 and a half season's of flying experience. Now that is getting the job done well. From that I have purchased alot of aircraft because it is so much fun and enjoyable.
Hey, the wife doesn't feel threatened by other women anymore and loves it that I am so wrapped up in this. I build at home and the field is 2 minutes from the house,lol.
Another thing that get's me are those homophobes that think one has to wrap their arms' around the student and that is not the case, he stands to the side of you and has total control of the plane.
Yes it is the quickest way to learn to fly. I have experienced both and only endorse the Ragland tech. I must agree that before the buddy box came along that was the only way, maybe that is why so many people actually learned to fly back then.
Yes I have dumped a couple of planes but nothing that I havn't been able to repair. I read somewhere that it is advisable for the newbie to build a trainer first and foremost, I totally agree with that.
Mr. Ragland brought me an Eagle 2 kit when I first started and said ,(now build this) I did and from that I have been building r/c aircraft ever since. I have been building Guillow's and plastic's for most of my life but I thought this was a challenge but it went together easy.
From that experience I have been able to repair anything that I need to repair and build anything I choose, I build a Top Flight P-39 Airacobra over the winter and the flaps are a sweet addition when coming in for a landing, take off's too.
In any event, from the effort's of Mr. Ragland I can build and fly almost anything I choose in just 1 and a half season's of flying experience. Now that is getting the job done well. From that I have purchased alot of aircraft because it is so much fun and enjoyable.
Hey, the wife doesn't feel threatened by other women anymore and loves it that I am so wrapped up in this. I build at home and the field is 2 minutes from the house,lol.
Another thing that get's me are those homophobes that think one has to wrap their arms' around the student and that is not the case, he stands to the side of you and has total control of the plane.
