aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

This poll is directed to pilots who primarily fly electric airplanes of some kind.

Are you a member of a club or are you flying on your own?

If you are flying on your own, not a member of a club, how long have you been flying? Where do you fly?


If you are a member of a club, how long have you been flying? Where is your club?

Please feel free to post anything you like about your flying experience whether part of a club or not.

BobbyGee

My Feedback: (3)

I started flying 6-7 years ago with an Aerobird Challenger. It was my intention to fly only small electrics in a park near my house.

Central Texas is windy and after about a year I expanded into my first glow plane, a 40 size. That led to my joining a club.

I still enjoy flying electric park flyers, and it has been a nice experience to see more and more of the glow flyers starting to experiment with electrics.

My experience has taught me that park flying and club membership aren't mutually exclusive.

BobbyG

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Interesting to see how people progress. I started on an Aerobird but moved to gliders. I still fy small electric airplanes on occasion, at the club field.

patnchris

I started flying about 5 summers ago, with a Firebird Freedom. Moved up to a HobbyZone Super Cub and a couple of GWS foamies. All this was done solo in parks, soccer fields, etc., until I bought my first large plane and my first balsa plane. I purchased a Magister ( very large foamy) and a E-Flight Mini Ultra Stik. Both seemed to be a little more than I felt comfortable with in a park, so I joined one of the local clubs. It was a short time befor all the foamies were gone and I started building larger electrics. From there they just got bigger, more powerful, and more aerobatic. Of the 17 flyable planes I currently have in my hanger, 4 are .60 sized conversions, 4 more are .46 sized conversions, 3 are .25 sized conversions, and the remainder are E-Flight 480 size. The one exception is my Stryker C....
I now belong to two clubs.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

This is my third summer. I'm in a club in northern Vermont (where the season is May-early October) and started on .40 size glow planes. I flew in a pattern meet my first summer and was hooked, and I now primarily fly a 110 size electric pattern plane. A 1.20 Yak (glow) is my backup plane.

I started with the club and would not have it any other way. I have met some wonderful people to fly with, or to help out when I started, and to help with the switch to electric. I also have some great friends now to fly with.

Flying at a sanctioned club field with my AMA membership is such a good feeling, in case anything out of the ordinary ever happens. I've read and heard about misfortunes in the RC world, and club fees and AMA memberships are a small price to pay for everything you get in return, plus a piece of mind.

I actually just moved to Central Vermont for the summer. I joined the local club immediately, and now have two fields to fly at for wherever I am this summer. I have my electric pattern plane with me, and my Yak gets flown when I head back up north for a weekend or something. Tough life I've got...

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

I started with nitro helis, then nitro planes, then electrics. I still fly the nitros, but have found myself flying the electrics more frequently due to convenience. I keep about 10 LiPo packs charged up and ready to go, so I can throw them in my car with a couple electric planes in just a few minutes. With nitros, I have to charge my NiMH RX packs the night before, and take my huge field box with me to fuel and start the nitros. Then, of course, there's the nitro slime cleanup at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, I still like flying nitros, but that ends up being an all day event when I do it. Electric flying, on the other hand, requires only an hour or two of free time.

I do 95% of my electric flying at a club (I maintain membership in at least two clubs, typically). I can (and do) fly my electrics at parks or school fields on occasion, but I find a club field will typically have less obstacles to avoid, and I don't have to worry about people entering my flyover area unexpectedly, or people/kids coming up to me asking all kinds of questions while I'm flyiing, which usually includes "can I fly your plane?" One of my clubs has a small 300' x 100' field (with 30+ acre fly-over area) less than 15 mins from my house. That's perfect for my small electrics and .40-.90 sized nitros. If that field was farther away, I'd probably fly my electrics at the parks/schools more often.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Looks like most people belong to clubs

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I am still tracking this poll if anyone else would care to vote or comment on the topic?

RightFly

I am not a member. I started flying electrics in my open field of about 2 1/2 acres last fall. I have concluded that my area will best support parkflyer size aircraft. If I decide to go to larger aircraft I will probably join a club.

But for now i will fly with the 'Turkeys'. I had a hen Turkey hanging out around the house and field all summer. She got so brave as to hang out in the field while I was flying. Could't tell if she was laughing.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Are you guys mostly dedicated electric airplane guys or do you fly glow and gliders too?

jcmors

I am not (yet) a member of a club though I am a member of the AMA. I have been flying for a little over a year now. The reason I have not joined a club is that I travel for business alot. Not for a week here and there but for a month or more in various locations, South Dakota is my home but I could be in Colorado, Texas, Tampa, Boston at any given time.

I wish I could be in one place long enough to join a club and get to fly with people I could get to know better...

One day.

Jim

twoslick2

I am not a member of a club but I am a ama member. I mostly fly helis and when I inquired about joining a club that is nearby I was told there were no heli trainers in the club. Another club that accepts heli fliers is almost 30 minutes away. So for now I am just flying in the park.

AugerDawger

No club or AMA here.

I ruined my shot at the club by almost taking out the leadership on my first fixed-wing lap with my trainer.

Since then switched to helis ditched the club and not looked back.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

FYI, if you are a member of AMA you can often get permission from a local AMAclub to fly as a guest. I have done that when I have been traveling on business and will be staying over the weekend. Even if you don't have anything to fly, just being around RC Pilots can make the visit worth your time. Iknow I enjoy it.

You can find clubs using this locator.
http://www.modelaircraft.org/membership/clubs.aspx

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

Flew gas years ago (1970s)
Got back into RC with gas planes but liked the electrics and switched over. Just cleaner and I can fly in places that you shouldn't with gas.
Small planes are what I prefer and they lend themselves to smaller fields.
I fly alone in one of many open areas here in rural AZ. Nobody but me to hurt, no structures even close.
Never was much of a social type and I don't like many field restrictions.
Belonged to clubs in the past and they were OK but I don't have to wait to fly anymore flying alone.

holensum

I joined a club back in February when I started flying for the training and to be around others with the bug, so there you have it, two whole months. Club field is located in Hobart, WA.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Having fun?

holensum

If we would get csome flying weather I would be having more fun. Have only been out twice since joining the club.

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

In addition to what I posted above, I find many people are just plain careless with what they are doing today.
I have seen larger gas and electric models coming off the bench while tuning or testing them and as a result seen some injuries too.
I have seen aircraft flown overhead and over spectators in the area as well and seen them come entirely too close to the flight line for comfort.
Then again I shoot alone too for safety reasons today too.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Are electric planes taking over in your club?

blvdbuzzard

I am 46 and have been flying since I was 7 years old. I started flying with a very badly built by me Wonderer 72. It was proof that wings do not need to be straight to fly. Looked like it was built by drunken elves.

Brother was in a club at that time. He was building a Goldberg Falcon 56. Soon I was flying glow and got my solo at 9. I have no clubs any where near me so I fly on my own property. I have a long drive to and from work and about that last thing I want to do on Saturday is drive another 120 miles.

I fly everything I can. E power, glow, gliders, rubber band powered, rocket powered.

Just finishing up an "E" conversion of my 30 sized helicopter.


Buzz.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I tried to look in the AMA club finder but I can't find a zip code for High Deserts, CA
http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx


Not saying you have to join a club but I have had MANY people say there are no club near them only to find they are surrounded by clubs.
In the old days of glow and gas planes you could hear them for a mile or more. In the age of gliders and electrics you could pass an active club every day and not know it, because they are so quiet.

I lived a mile from a very active glider club and never knew it was there. Happened on them about 10 years ago, through a friend,and have been a member ever since.

blvdbuzzard

There are (3) clubs in my general area, Alpine, Chollas, Weed Whackers. Been a member of all of them at one time or another.

Here is a copy and paste. The miles rating is a little off. As an example, Silent flyers is a over 60 miles away from my home. I know right where it is and used to drive past it every day. Alpine Aero squadron clocked on my truck 58 miles. 35 miles and I am not even to the city it is named after . Weed Whacker is actually the closest one. Yet they used to be a strange bunch of guys. I stopped flying with them a long time ago.

ALPINE AEROSQUADRON
Flying Site Details
35.55 miles 1843 52 DEBRA ELLIS
Email Contact Phone: 949.548.2881
Visit Website
10


FIRST WEEDWACKER AERO SQUADRON - Email Club
Flying Site Details
37.04 miles 1651 103 ROBERT MUHLEMAN
Email Contact Phone: 619-322-6968
Visit Website
10 Yes



CHOLLAS PARK R/C FLYERS
Flying Site Details
44.89 miles 1567 114 HARLEY DAVIS
Email Contact Phone: 619 252 0292
Visit Website
10


CHULA VISTA MODEL & RC CLUB
Flying Site Details
45.76 miles 1073 77 REYNOLD CHALBERG
Email Contact Phone: 619/479-5433
Visit Website
10


SILENT ELECTRIC FLYERS OF SAN DIEGO
Flying Site Details
46.33 miles 3078 155 PAUL GUIDICE
Email Contact Phone: 619-697-0516
Visit Website
10

The one listed for San Diego Wing masters, it say is 56 miles. Well I drive past the 3/4 mark every day to work, it is 83 miles to work so it is closer to 95+ miles. Not sure where they stat and stop the millage.


Buzz.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

It is interesting that this survey was started in 2010 and continues to pick up responses. I have this running across four forums.

..............................Y - LT2 Y - .MT2..... N - LT2 N - MT2........Totals

All Power Types---13.14%----56.64%-------11.41%----18.81% 100.00%

club members ?
Total Responses Yes 69.78% No 30.22%

Comments:
This is not to be viewed as any kind of scientific sampling
The surveys were posted in the beginner/trainer sections of the Electric and fuel forums of RCU, RCG and RCH as well as Wattflyer. RCH has since shut down.
They were also posted in the glider forums

If the surveys had been placed in forums other than the training forums, they might have had a different result.

Trainer/beginner was chosen under the assumption that the newer pilots would be here, but that is an assumption, not a fact.

It should be noted that many experienced pilots, say those who have been flying over 2 years, have more than one type of plane they fly.

I, for example fly both gliders and electrics, but I do not fly any fuel planes. Some pilots may fly all three.

No surveys were placed in the Heli sections

The surveys remain open and continue to gather numbers, but the distribution has stopped showing any significant change, so this report will be considered representative of the general result.

In many cases the posts tell the more important story. They tell the why more than the what.