nascarjoe

All one has to do is follow many posts in RCU and other forums to see that the RC aeromodeling hobby/sport is not in the best of shape, in fact, is indeed in very bad shape.

IMHO, there are two different perspectives, that of the RC club member, who more than likely feels that since his club (in his opinion) is doing well, so goes the rest of the hobby/sport everywhere. Then there is that of the RC industry member, hobby shop owners in particular, who has a bottom line to clue him in on things are going everywhere. Unfortunately, the latter has the former as the only source of in-the-field hands-on promoters. Logically, nothing good could possibly come of such a promotional arrangement.

nascarjoe

Hossfly

>>>>>>>>>
All one has to do is follow many posts in RCU and other forums to see that the RC aeromodeling hobby/sport is not in the best of shape, in fact, is indeed in very bad shape.

IMHO, there are two different perspectives, that of the RC club member, who more than likely feels that since his club (in his opinion) is doing well, so goes the rest of the hobby/sport everywhere. Then there is that of the RC industry member, hobby shop owners in particular, who has a bottom line to clue him in on things are going everywhere. Unfortunately, the latter has the former as the only source of in-the-field hands-on promoters. Logically, nothing good could possibly come of such a promotional arrangement
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Nascar J., personally I don't think even the Clubs are doing too well. There are so few really active club participants and the membership has a rather high turn-over rate. The newbies join to "learn to fly" and either (1) find that RC is not a basketball to shoot a few hoops now and then so they move on to easier tasks, (2) they cannot understand why all things do not stop and divert all attention to them when they show up at a field completely unannounced, (3) they have no idea why they should have that AMA insurance thing and pay dues to that silly club thing, because after all that field is always provided, maintained and will forever be there as provided by the wonderful all-caring government, and (4) a host of other misconceptions.

Now, OTOH, if the HS owners want to know what is happening at the field, then get their butts out there at least on two days a month. The LHS should sponsor self or employee as a member in those main clubs around his market area and be certain to attend most of the events that a/those Club/s host.
One LHS owner now belongs to my club, but never attends any event or special time at the field and he no longer flies. (Long ago before becoming a LHS owner he was one fine RC pilot.) His business is a large one and serves several club areas, but he has little idea of what is happening at those fields.

Model Aviation is no longer a hobby. It is a commercial item. Just move mass amounts of merchandise to the consumption crowd. Modelers are rapidly becoming the vast minority to the numbers of consumers. It's a simple fact of society.

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

you would think one of the 3 around here might want me, fly as often as i can, goto all the meetings, everyone knows me, also member of a local car club, and ties with the boaters.
ah well.


from my view, the hobby isn't looking that bad, never seen so much stuff explode onto the market at once and it gets snapped up quick. the decay of the "local kit guy" seams to have come to a end now they have all died and the really good ones survive, the market has shifted to ARTF and everythings stable again. till the next upset...

scottrc

I personally feel that the hobby is going all right for me. NOT! I've lost a job, got another but took a huge drop in pay, work twice as many hours, took another job, and in my spare time, work on my planes. I'm not the only one, everyone I fly with is in the same boat. The club sacrifices because we no longer have the extra time and money to put into it. We do just enough to get by. I went to an auction last week and everyone there was in the same mood. Sellers outnumbered buyers 10 to 1. The highest priced planes were $1200.00 jobs going for less than $400.00. When the economy was good, we had money to buy new planes, now if we want a new plane, we must sell two to get it. The area I live in was heavy in aerospace and electronics, and there are not many retired guys around here. So yes, for this area, the hobby is on hard times. 3 out of 6 hobby shops closed their doors.

However, because the economy is weak, there are a lot better products out there and the prices seem to stay in check. However, we may be socked into the Wallmart vast consumer pool, and I fear that in a few years, all that there will be are Nikko plastic toys, or 33% or larger gassers, and nothing in between.

Mike in DC

First, never confuse the Internet with reality. Internet forums are, by their nature, overly negative. When people are happy, they go flying. When they're not, they write.

Second, I read quite a few of the forums on RCU religiously, including the AMA discussion and the Clubhouse, and frankly, I have no idea what you are talking about. Can you be more specific? Exactly why are you so pessimistic?

I would say there are several indicators that say that the hobby is not growing, but is not shrinking either. The AMA membership stays about the same. My club's membership stays about the same. And the Tower Hobbies catalog has about the same number of pages.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Mike in DC. I'm inclined to agree that the hobby is not necessarily growing as fast as it once was, but neither is it shrinking as rapidly as the doom sayers imply. I've been modeling since 1934, the time when all young people were still captivated by Lindbergh and there were no skate boards, off road vehicles or TV. the number of activities available to the kids nowadays are too numerous to mention. They aren't interested in something that may require a bit of time and skill to master. Sure they are fascinated by RC if they come out to watch someone fly but when told of what's necessary to participate they take the easy way out. Parents aren't insterested in supporting their children in the hobby because of the time and the money. Still they think nothing of the time and money spent on golf or fishing. I hear too much about the old retired guys supposedly dominating RC. Balderdash !! We didn't and don't. We have the time and the interest to steer our granchildren but the competing leisure opportunities that don't require parent participation beat us out with rare exceptions.

nascarjoe

AMA president Dave Brown said that if a business is not growing, it's dying. Indicators such as hobby shops closing, flying fields being lost on a regular basis, the ever increasing population, which means the continuing loss of flying sites, the FCC wanting our frequencies, etc.
Like I said, there are two perspectives, that if the club member who has a place to fly and that of the industry. I am a member of said industry and have information from those who would know that due to many, many factors, and not just what is read on related forums, that RC aeromodeling days are numbered. Of course, the average club member wouldn't want to be bothered with such facts, and they are facts.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"

- Albert Einstein

Jim Messer

My Feedback: (2)

Sixty two (62) years ago I joined both a model airplane club (now known as the STARS in Olean, NY), and the AMA. Have been a consecutive member of each organization ever since. Now - I was at the STARS club meeting and work-party about two weeks ago; they own their own field, and the club has never been stronger. Based on that fact, one can only conclude that the hobby is in good shape.

I live in FL now, and our club here in Sebring has the "best flying field that I have ever seen", built for us free of charge by the county on county land, and our membership stands in the 80's. We fly every day and our club is prosperous. Again - from my perspective, the hobby is in good shape.

What more can I say.

Divesplat

My Feedback: (7)

We have noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of new pilots and trainers at our field this past year. Believe the economy and mid-east uncertainty have affected this portion.

Our club numbers won't be actually known until re-up time in Jan. I feel the #'s will be lower, noticeably than the past 2 years.

On the flip side, the T-38 Jet Event was a huge success, biggest ever, and most of the Pattern contests here in Tx were very well attended as compared to recent years. Our club is also starting a "stock Pylon" event with only 1 style plane, 2 choice of engines, same prop, fuel etc etc and it seems to have a lot of enthusiasm at the moment.

From my viewpoint the influx of new pilots is low, but the enthusiasm of those already flying is pretty high.

Ed

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Our club is starting the same stock pylon event so I bought in. After the thing was well under way they said that there are now two different engines approved. Bad shot. I was interested because I thought it would be a one design type thing, pilot skill being the determining factor. Wrong!!! The same situation as go-karts. What started out as $150.00 karts became multi-thousand dollar items. Some people have to win no matter if they buy the trophies. I have sailed one design boats in years past and the skill of the skipper brought home the bacon not his pocket book. Compare the prices of the original engine with the add on. Some of the decline of RC can be attributed to this kind of thinking. It may just as well be the saving grace of one aspect of our sport.

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

i'm now facing the same thing with rc cars, while my car could do with a service it can't keep up with the new ones, i've been 5 seasons at the top but this well may be my last for a while coz i can't afford new stuff. becides, why would i want to spend £££ just to win in a little club once a week and get nothing but a trophy for 1st place? the fun has gone for me.