tenacious101010

My Feedback: (97)

Just curious as to how other clubs conduct events at their club. Lets say you have a fly-in, maybe 30 or so pilots registered. You need 15 or so volunteers to help with flightline safety, cooking, CD, etc. and the event lasts for two days. Are the members who volunteer and work the event required to pay to fly at the event in their non working time? I have seen clubs where they dont, and clubs where they do have to. How is this handled at your club?

bogbeagle

I'm surprised that anyone has to pay to fly.

So, "No", if we have any sort of a "do", there is no money involved.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

They don't pay and I feed them.

Though I try to cajole the airplane guys in to working the heli event, and the heli guys in to helping out at the airplane event.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

I think it is in poor taste to charge volunteers to fly. I find it hard to believe a club would do that. That is a club that I would not want to be a member of.

tenacious101010

My Feedback: (97)

Ok, So let me add a bit more to this theoretical "situation". What if several members of other local clubs, volunteered to come to work the event, some were club officers from other local clubs. Even those volunteers were told they would have to pay, or not be able to fly. One more facet, the CDs, who spent hundreds of dollars of their own money and untold hours promoting this event (one of the CDs was not even a member of the club putting on the event), the CDs were told, they would have to pay to fly?

greyfoxx

We have a very unusual club of about 60 members. We are quiet diversified in that we have R/C, C/L & Free-flight. All of our club members pay a landing fee when flying at a club sponsored event (fly-in or contest), and most of our events feature Free-flight, C/L Stunt, Electric, 3d, Sport, Giant Scale, & helicopter. Our yearly club membership fees are $35 per year. I serve as CD for three of our 4 events, & I pay my landing fee even though I may not fly, as do the other CD's that work the other event. We have several members who pay their landing fee, visit, talk shop, and yes, even volunteer, but never fly, while some are very active in volunteering and flying as well. Our club sponsored events are club fund raisers with the exception of one which is a "CHARITY" event. The exception to this might be if we invite a team to attend and put on a demonstration, and yet, we've had teams come in and put on a demonstration, and volunteered to pay the landing fee even though it was waived for them.

So, there you have my two cents, but don't ever forget; "Experience is a hard teacher. She always gives the test first, and the lesson some time later!"

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Workers are free. Flying, food, and fun.

Interesting twist though, why are you having a fly-in or event in the first place? Usually it is to generate some money for the club right? I realize some guys are going to gripe about everything but I think of it as a donation. Personally, even when I am working at an event I at least pay my own food...unless its almost over and I am gleaning leftovers.

Here is another senario. Your club is hosting a swap meet, do club members get free tables if they are helping with the meet?

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

We never charge a penny at our events, and typically provide hot dogs, hamburgers and Soda to all who come, a donation jar is set out, and we have a 50/50. that usually covers the cost of food

For Pylon Racing I can see charging to cover expenses of Fuel and Trophies, but for Fun Flies, Warbird Events, Giant Scale, etc. Why does any club Charge, never made sense to me.

bogbeagle

What is a 50/50?

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

A 50 50 is, everyone put's in a set dollar ammount and at the end of the event you pull one ticket out of a hat and that ticket gets half the money collected and the club gets the other half. Good Luck, Dave

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

greyfoxx - I wish I lived near you. Your club would sure match my interests!

Paul

greyfoxx

We're very fortunate in the Paducah, KY area to have a well manicured & rolled grass field over 300 ft long, two C/L circles, and a open pavilion that is some 70 feet long, on the county landfill. The county is very supportive to the point of helping us when we make improvements to the flying field. We do not have water or electricity, but do have solar panels for charging the electrics, and a P/A System for our events powered by a portable generator. Due to the field being on a landfill, all flames must be contained as in a grill, per county requirements, and no alcohol on the premises per county requirements. There are motels, restaurants, a mall with-in a 5 minute drive, and we grill and have soft drinks and water available, with a donation bucket provided for those who would rather give the charity or club (depending upon the event) money rather than donating to the local fast-food restaurants.

We will be having a helicopter event May 11, 2012, our Charity event on June 15 & 16th. (with C/L stunt & combat, R/C, 3d, sport, electric, foamy combat, giant scale, helicopter and usually some featured flyers or demonstration team. and in 2013, the local chapter of the CAP will be assisting us with our parking, etc), our C/L stunt contest in Aug. & our fall fly in Sept. with about the same genre as the June Charity fly. Our landing fee is $10 and everyone is welcome to attend. We do require that all pilots be currant members of AMA, and we impound all non-2.4 radios. We do have instructors for both C/L & R/C, and newbies on the buddy cord for an introductory flight do not have to pay the landing fee.

Most of the time, we have he 50/50 split, and a raffle as well, and have several non-flyers participating in those.

Everyone is always welcome to come fly with us. If your interested, drop me a line at [email protected].

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I worked a lot of the big IMAA events and have never seen any of the workers have to pay to fly the event. The only problem was finding time to fly. I would get in a flight first thing in the morning then have to be back to work. I worked inspection and had the time after the second day usually but then I would usually be on the flight line from then on. Flight line crew don't get a lot of down time.
As long as the personal were AMA and IMAA members then there was never any charge. Most the events we didn't require IMAA membership either, just the AMA. Depends on the club rules brought up during the pre event meetings. I just haven't ever seen any of the clubs charging there workers to fly.

thepamster

Collecting landing fees from everyone goes into the treasurey which pays for field upkeep, improvements, etc. It may not be required for volunteers but good form to pay nonetheless.
Typically the "volunteers" are always the same small group of people for every event as they are the only ones who will "show up" to help and likely will only have the time to fly once or twice throughout the day so maybe they should not have to pay.

Mastertech

My Feedback: (31)

My club refuses to "Do any events". And they wonder why the club membership is at an all time low.

thepamster

That is sad to hear because they can be very fun. Also they do well to promote the hobby  resulting in a few new members to the hobby and the club.

Platinum

When we have a fun fly, all menbers of the club dont pay to fly even flyers from other clubs

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

A lot of clubs are like that. My thinking has always been a club either has to have a super field to get and keep members or put on at least one big RC event. One of my clubs in Ca. didn't really have a field of there own, we used an old crop duster field but they put on the biggest IMAA event in the state. The event hosted about 200 registered pilots and had well over 2000 spectators. the event was so good and well run IMAA asked us to host the Rally of Giants twice.
If you don't have a good field or host a good event then there is no reason to belong to the club. Even if they only had monthly races or fun fly events, they have to do something.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

While I agree completely on the fact that events are very effective in keeping clubs vibrant and alive but I have to disagree with that statement above GB.

The most basic and primary reason for a clubs existance is to have somewhere to fly and this is a very difficult problem for many folks in many areas. Yes the friends and companionship of folks with the same interest and the occasional event of some sort as well as nice facilitys are all an additional plus but:

Even a Crappy club with not much more than a cleared spot and no events is far better than the alternative for many and that is nowhere to fly.

John

tenacious101010

My Feedback: (97)

Thanks for the input guys. There is no right or wrong, its just opinions.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

I have heard that several clubs operate this way. I am curious and my question is why do the club dues not cover these things if adequate member count exist? I am in two clubs and both for the most part are maintained by the dues. One is small and has to utilize help from members to maintain things.

We do raise extra money in one club, yet it is really not needed as they always have a large bank account. They do charge landing/pilot fees for fun fly events and none are exceptioned from that. Lunch is provided free.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

Our club has never had entry or landing fees for any of our events and we hope to keep it that way. It's a tough job to rally the troops and get members to help out for events but to make them pay any landing fee would not be fair in my opinion.

bookmaker

My Feedback: (24)

We charge landing fees to everyone. When I CD an event, I pay too. Having a few events is the only way we raise a little extra money for maintenance and improvements. We have a fairly small club and the dues cannot cover the costs. By the way, nearly all events by other clubs in the area charge a landing fee of some sort.

Additionally, we always have pilot give aways and usually have enough that every registered pilot gets something. Very likely worth more that what they paid in pilot fees.

Dale

TFF

Ours pay because it is used as a fund raiser. We have about 4 events a year. Everything is about break even with 100 members a year. Some years up and some down, so it is a padding. They have been doing improvements like power for the electric guys and some concrete pads under the shelters which are muddy places after rain. Usually $10 with a free lunch. I think it is also a reminder that the place could easily go as stay without work.

carrellh

In Hunt County, if the club serves a ‘free’ lunch but charges a landing fee, they require a permit from the Health Department because they say having the landing fee is actually selling food.

We have a friends and family picnic each year that is totally paid for by the club. Other events have dwindled as members’ interests have changed but they were always paid for by the club.