ChuckN

I belong to a club that peaks out at 200 members every summer and has a nice, large (although noise sensitive) flying field. We also are getting a 400 X 40 ft paved runway this spring due to support from our county government. But despite all this our club has a serious moral problem. People complain there are too many rules (there's really only 12), that we're being run by the county (not true), and that there is always a cross wind because the runway is situated wrong (we didn't have a choice). They also complain about the shelter, the catch fence, and the parking lot. There's no end to it! Yet fewer than 20 people show up for our club meetings and even less come to club work days. The turnover rate in our club is rather high so there are always newbies out on the weekends learning to fly which causes even more complaints. How on earth can you get everyone to quit complaining and realize how good they really have it? That we have one of the finest flying fields in the southeast? That new members are the lifeblood of the club and it's important that we teach them to fly right?

RC_Eflyer-RCU

Put a sign up for a couple weeks that says that the field has been permanently closed. That'll scare them.

--Paul

ChuckN

Hmmmmmmm.....I'll consider that

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

ChuckN:

Don't feel bad. We OWN our own field in the boonies. No noise or over-fly restrictions. 40 x 400 foot asphalt, 40 x 600 grass runways. Real-time weather station so that members can check flight conditions before leaving home. Shelters, paved taxi-way and startups with stooges. Paved heli and turbine start pads. Central heat and air conditioned clubhouse with a kitchen and mens and womans indoor restrooms. A professional Kubota mower and a dedicated crew to do all of the mowing. We have 6 rules (not counting AMA). Our dues are only $100.00/year. Our membership is capped at 125.

We get complaints and they are not all from the "newbies". You are very correct in stating that some people just do not know how good they have it. Some of the complainers also fly at other fields in the area that are basically mowed strips in cow pastures.

Go figure.

Dan

ChuckN

Boy, maybe I need to move to Tulsa.

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

ChuckN:

If you are ever in the area you are most welcome to join us and have a good time.

However, given the current economic climate, if you move here you would be well advised to bring you own job also!

Dan

djlyon

Move up to Cobb or Paulding Chuck. Both are good although Paulding is like landing on a carrier. And of course Javy Lopez helps with PR at Cobb.

ChuckN

Been to both. Conley's field is a little better. But only because of the geography. Paulding's is like you say, an aircraft carrier, and Cobb's has way too many trees. The goofy thing is that Conley's old field had lot's of trees, particularly an old pecan tree that I swear could move out in front of you when it wanted. We are now on an old landfill and have NO trees. Now people claim there's not enough shade and the shelter is too hot in the summer. Go figure!

Emissions

100.00 dollars a year! Were talking american right???? Makes me glad out club is only 35 bucks a year, and I only have to pay half that.

Rforce1

Im just learning to fly, but it seems that a lot, not all, but a lot of clubs really don't like newbees flying with them, yet they complane that their club membership is low. Guess some people want to have their cake and eat it too.

ROGER RUSSELL

My Feedback: (12)

Emmisions: re read that thread and see what all they get for ONLY $100 and look at what you get for half of $35, two more years and you will be paying full price, do you feel your ripped off???

Dketchum

There is an "exclusive" flying club here in San Antonio that is by invitation only. Limited to approx 25 members..Initiation fee is $1500.00 yearly dues are$1000.00.

I guess you could call it a "Country Club"..nice facility, but not THAT nice.

And no, I am not a member..

Dave

Emissions

Roger, ill fly off gravel before I pay that much to fly.

gubbs3

My Feedback: (1)

The junior membership at my club is only $20. Last year, my mothers check never even cleared. The dues may be low, but you get what you pay for. We have a canvas runway in the middle of a farm field with large spools for pit tables, and a chain link fence. Thats it. I'm just happy there is a place to fly.

djlyon

Boy ketchum that sounds boring and boaring

Dave Barrow-RCU

If you get three people together in the same place and two of them agree on something, the other one will complain, It's just human nature. When I was the president of my local club, we were buying a new mower for the field because the old one was worn out. Some members complained we shouldn't spend the money, but when they couldn't fly because the grass was too high(the mower was broke again), the same people complained about that also. These people are in all clubs, RC or otherwise, they just like to bi*ch. They also are the first to dissapear when work needs to be done.

robert

I fly in in one of the best flying sites in Ireland, as its in the middle of a soft bog. There are no noise/height restrictions, and we can fly and land in all directions, as there are no obstructions, and runway is a big circle. The bog is soft, so there is limited damage to your plane when it crashes. Our club house is simply a portacabin with a room for the lawnmower, and a room to rest while is rains. We're all acctually quite happy with that set up/
Just to show you how different it is over here.
Regards,
Robert.

KidVermin

My Feedback: (3)

ChuckN :

You don't have an interesting RC club, you have a typical one. Most of our local clubs set aside one afternoon each week for
trainer-nite. Buddy-boxes still show up on the weekends but not
the numbers that really interrupt the other flyers. I feel bad that
my store causes me to work every Saturday and evenings till 7:00
, so I can rarely assist on work days and join the Sat. club meetings. Every club has their core group that do it all -- ones that only fly -- ones that only *****. It's too bad the young pilots
see all this happen since they see it everyday on their school play-grounds. All these post sound too familiar, but it is the nature of any group of people.

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

Emissions:

Yes, we are talking American here. I should have added that Junior members (18 and under) pay $12.50/year. We also have a Family membership (spouse/spouse, significant other/significant other) at $112.50/year.

RORO:

Thanks


Dan

bigbri

My Feedback: (287)

Clubs that limit the amt. of members ???????? What do you do with the little kid that shows up with the plane he spent 6 months to build and saved his paper route money for two years to buy?????? Do you turn him away ??????? Do you make him try it on his own ????? Knowing he will crash it???? Turning him away from the hobby forever?????
I dont think I like that concept at all. (by the way that kid was me. My first experience with "ADULT" fliers at a club was very negative....I kept trying, I wanted to fly more than anything. .....finally met someone who would help me, and here I am 26 years later sharing this hobby with my son. Member ship limits...I dont think so!!!
Brian

lnorris

My Feedback: (1)

Dan, sounds like I need to take a short drive!! ;-)

Actually we have one of those mowed cow pastures and pay $35/year. It's not bad, kindof small though. It's a little short and sloped but hey, makes ya a better pilot!! I've always wondered though what the sweet spot is in the dues range. People don't think anything about plopping down $500/plane but say dues over $50 would be too much..

Oh and ChuckN, people complain no matter what. If they had everything perfect and they'd be bored.

Blackbird-RCU

I just wanted to chime in and say that my club dues are only 15 dollars a year and for 15 dollars you get to fly at an old airport with over 1000 feet of a tarmac runway still intact! There is more than enough room for everyone to have a good safe time, and yet there are many in the club that have to complain and whine about everything no matter how big or small.

My point is I don't think it would matter if club fees were free or if they were a million dollars, people will always complain. I wish this was not the case but sadly it is. This hobby is awesome! All of you who have nothing better to do than whine all the time please find an outlet for your negativity, so when you come to the field or meetings you can actually have a good time for a change. If you must b*@#h, quit the hobby and go down to the local tavern and talk smart about football and politics there are plenty of people that would love to get into daily debates about such nonsense.

Hossfly

Hey, let 'em whine. As long as those peak numbers hold, everything gets paid for.
My club owns 30 acres. We have a 100 x 600 manicured grass runway with a slight crown so even after the heaviest rains, runway, pit, and parking are dry usually within an hour, runway first. We have a 3800 sq. ft. shelter, over concrete with electrics all along the table line. We have hot and cold running water in the kitchen area, and two indoor rest facilities.
We also have a fair turnover, and some guys just support the club with dues and we never see them.
Our dues are $150 per year. We do OK, have several sanctioned activities, monthly non-sanctioned activities, great instruction program, solicit new members always, yet never hard-sell anyone.
There are some whiners, but our prevailing theory is "Hey, wanna' be the committee chairman to fix that?"
Personally I wouldn't care if there were 10,000 members paying dues, GRIPING big time, and never showing up. Hey we could cater *wHOOTERs* to serve lunch, and hold the ice tea at the flying stations!!!!!!
The same 15 out of 70-80 do all the work all the time. Thanks to the whiners and inactive for supporting our place of fun.

johnvb-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

All clubs seem to be made up of those that do, those that don't, and those that complain about it.

I've found a couple of things in our club which make the difference: a good newsletter, with photos of members and their aircraft, stories about local interest, and the odd mild rant about things that need doing; and a positive and strong management committee (pres, v.pres, secretary etc..) who all think the same way about the ethos of the club.

Our club is the smallest IC power club in our region, about 50 members, but pretty much the most welcoming for newbies. We often get stories from newbies about how they were put off by treatment handed out by members of other clubs. The LHS seems to make a point of sending newbies our way. We're happy to get them. We need them. Our hobby is way past its zenith of the 50's and 60's.

Our club emphasis is on the fun of flying. We have rules, but nobody goes round being the policeman. Every so often someone may need to be reminded and this is done in a friendly way.

Don't let the morale thing get you down. It happens every where.



John Van Buuren
Namadgi Sport Flyers
Canberra, Australia

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

Brian:

Regarding our club's membership cap.

Our 125 cap does not include junior members and we would never turn away a kid. We also have an agressive instructor program aimed at junior members.

Please remember, we are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma which is not exactly a "high density" population area and we are well served by 6 RC fields within the area so we are all pulling from a relatively small potential pool. We established the cap in order to provide a fairly non-congested situation. Many of us have belonged to other clubs having memberships in the 250-350 range where it was very difficult to get any quality flight time on weekends. We also have flexibility in our organization and Board of Directors that will allow opening the membership should a major hit be taken by one or more of the other local clubs.

Our cap limit is not to impede RC but to help insure those that do belong to our club the opportunity to enjoy a less congested and more laid-back form of flying.

As with any private enterprise that is not subject to direct government control, members and potential members are always free to choose which club (or clubs) they desire to associate with.

Dan