mike109

G'day I am a member of a club. I have been a member of six different clubs since I started flying CL when I was about 11. I started flying RC with my son when I was 39 and have been a member of five RC clubs as we have moved around a few times. I am now nearly 64.

As to whether electric planes are taking over - yes, there are more of them every week. Today I flew one glow powered model and one electric. The glow powered model was by far the better to fly (Sig Kadet Senior from a kit with a Saito 62 for noise), the electric was a small cheap Fidgit from the usual place in Hong Kong. One of my friends has decided to move to all electric models and I am currently converting one of my Sig Kadets to electric.

The ease of use, convenience, lack of cleanup and the availability of relatively cheap, powerful, electric motors and ESCs has pushed us in this direction. Cheap LiPo batteries have also made electric flight so much more practical. We do miss the smells and the sounds of our glow motors and I am sure I will still be flying mine for some time.

Some of the electric planes flown today included two Bearcats (one was amazingly fast but very twitchy), two "old timers" made from scrap parts from other models, an electric trainer, and several small scale warbirds.

My favourite electric models are a Sig Seniorita (sold by Hobbyking as a Margurita), a Phoenix Rainbow and a Multiplex Easystar II.

But my favourite models overall remains the full size Sig Kadet Senior and my recently built Flyin' King from Bruce Tharpe Engineering in the USA. The Kadet is my favourite trainer and the Flyin' King is my favourite all round plane to fly.

Cheers

Mike in Oz

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

I belong to 4 AMA Clubs.

OliverJacob

My Feedback: (12)

I have started many years ago, belonged to a club in Germany. But with other obligations I had no time to fly a lot.
So some 4 years ago I bought a used Raptor and learned how to fly helicopters.
After 2 years I joined a club and started flying planes again.
We are at a small airport and we have a grass strip as well as a paved taxi way we can use. So it's a nice setup
but we only have a hand full of members and like to have more people interested.

Now I accumulated quite a few and have some electrics, glow and gassers. I like all of them. There is no tendency
for more electrics, glow engines still dominate.

Lightspeed1551

My Feedback: (4)

We have a somewhat unique thing at our field. We pay the county forest preserve district and they cut the grass, empty the the port-o-potty, etc.... I see no reason to pay dues to the local club. Plus I like to fly in the afternoon and there fun fly's are over at 12'oclock sharp.

drac1

My Feedback: (4)

I live in Tasmania, Australia.

I've been flying for 17 1/2 years and a club member for 13 1/2. I am a member of 2 clubs and fly at 3 others occasionally when i'm in their area.

Hossfly

Good Job, aeajr of keeping this subject moving. In 2011 I belonged to 4 clubs, now down to 3. I left one definitely not a club problem but they are on public property and I never flew there, so I dropped out. They don't need my support. The 3 clubs I am in are all on private property, one being Jetero which owns its 50 acres.

Yes, electrics have become very much the item with many club members. They don't bother me much except for the Chopper Electric fliers. Never before was choppers or electrics any problem with mixing it up with fuel burners. Recently several electric helicopter fliers have decided that they should be given carte-blanche to have the field to themselves when they desire to fly. This is going to become a real problem and, IMO, some folks are going to be somewhat upset. Now I don't get upset, I just get revenge!! Just joking!

BTW I fly mostly during the week as week-ends are usually at some event at some other field. These electric chopper guys also show up during the week as they have various days-off from work. The main problem is that these fellows are really nice guys, and so just How does one really get to them that they are asking a bit much?
Even the electric park flier types don't ask for others to stay down.

BTW these choppers that these guys fly are NOT small machines. They are fairly large and go like heck. Definitely NOT in the park-flier class.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Not a problem. There is a survey like this in the electric forum too.

Ken Kehlet

My Feedback: (89)

The Oklahoma Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS)

South end of Lake Hefner in North West OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.

Bring an R/C Airplane, your current AMA Card, and come fly with us.

jimmy0314

I have been a member of many "clubs" in my modeling career. I too do not have to pay dues or attend any "club" meetings. I am blessed with 600 acers to fly on and have paved roads and a long paved driveway that my son and grandson and I can fly on anytime we want, day or night. We do at considerable expense, however, belong to a club that is a forty five minute drive from home with $100.00 a year dues. Our club, Hampton Roads Radio Control, is more of a family than a club. We fellowship and fly. We visit sick and send cards to fellow fliers when called for. We have birthday cakes and cards when someone gets a year older. We go to movies and take our wives, occasionally. After club meetings we go to the local Bojangels and stay til closing. We also fly. We gladly help someone that needs assistance. We have an active club that tries to promote AMA and what it stands for. We sponsor "Toys For Tots" and a lot of other worthwhile events. Bottom line We are a family of fliers, not just a club. Just my $.02

Harold Staats

I have been a member of a club since 1984. Presently am a member of Greater Southwest RC club of Ft Worth Texas.
We Average about 200 members a year. We have a long grass runway, Large shipping container for all the mowing equipment, a water fountain, Porta-Potty, 10 tables under a large shade. All this to say, the guys in the club make this hobby great for me.
Harold Staats

Warwix

My Feedback: (1)

I am a 4 year member and current Vice President of the Signal Seekers RC Club (AMA Chartered Club #371) located in Westland, MI (www.michigansignalseekers.org) We utilize a rare plot of open land in a very urban enviroment that is home to over 90 members. Our club offers a 4 acre main field includes a 450' long grass runway, 21'x42' permanent shelter as well as two separate circles for control line and helicopter use. If AMAalows it, we have seen it fly here and if you are in the area we welcome you to come by and check us out!

@SignalSeekersRC on Twitter
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K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

ZThis is sort of confusing. When you say "we" pay the county to cut the grass, etc., do you mean "we" as in everyone who flys there or "we" as in the club that you do not belong to. If it's the club, then "we" don't pay, they (the club) does.

Stickbuilder

Started flying Freeflight and control line in 1952. Got into R/C in 1957. Don't belong to any clubs and haven't for several years. I fly on private property and have no issues. If something needs to be done its done. No club politics, and none of the Nosy meddlers trying to find where I fly to cause trouble like Red did a few years ago. It's nice to just get to fly all day with no issues.

Bill, AMA 4720

FlyinTiger

My Feedback: (45)

NORCAL, belonged to four different clubs around here at one time or another...still a member of three of them. Love to hang out with other RC pilots. We fly different kinds of airplanes at different clubs. One is mostly electrics and 60" planes and smaller, one is where they allow turbines and the third has water and a paved runway at the same location.

Twin_Flyer

My Feedback: (4)

Member of the Suffolk Falcons out on the East End of Long Island since 1987 or so.

[link=https://maps.google.com/maps?q=11978&hl=en&ll=40.858848,-72.642908&spn=0.001523,0.003484&sll=42.746632,-75.770041&sspn=6.058182,14.27124&t=h&hnear=Westhampton+Beach,+New+York+11978&z=19]Google Map View[/link]

Bill S.
AMA L259

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

I belong to two clubs. There is no other way. It would be boring to fly alone.

biam

Been flying for about ten years, member of two clubs, c.s.r.a. flyers in Georgia, and Mineral Area Modelers in Missouri. Good experiences at both places. The club in Georgia was while I was on the road working there, made you feel right at home. Will always be a member of a club where ever I am at. Electric dominate at both clubs. I fly all glow, when glow is not available it will be gas or nothing for me!

jimmy0314

+ 1 I totally agree with LOPFLIER. At our field we have a Wednesday crew that are known as the LIARS AND FLIERS. Some swap stories(LIE) and some fly. We all fellowship, talk about family, politics, weather, airplanes or whatever strikes our fancy. Some of us fly and some don't, but we have a good time together and are a family.

rgburrill

Why? Electric is just as dangerous and needs just as much control as fuel. And even though you are a park flyer moderator it is my opinion that park fliers need even more supersion than those of us who fly in a club.

AMA 74894

My Feedback: (1)

if you'll notice, because there is already the same survey in the electric forum

oliveDrab

The Greater Southwest RC club of Ft Worth Texas is a great club. Nice people, great facilities. Correct me if I'm wrong Harold but I believe it's built on top of a really, really old landfill. There's some settling of the ground that occurs from time to time that the members fill in with dirt. It's a very nice grass field, cut really short. A couple years ago there were some feral hogs that came out onto the runway and did a little digging but they fixed that too. There was a really bad snowstorm that left so much snow that the weight of it damaged the roofs that cover the pits and they fixed that too.

I really enjoyed flying there - nice people. And of course it's in Texas which makes it doubly wonderful!!

Time for a joke: West Texas.....where men are men and the goats are nervous.

SteveR Rambin

Started flying in 1976 B.C. (before children) small town in La. Now flying since 2007 A.C. (after colleges) beloning to small club in NW Alabama. Still a Thrill!

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I started my RC career in 1972, joined both AMA and a local club in 1974. A couple years later we relocated to St. Louis County where I was forced to join the local club if I wished to fly at their facility. I did not mesh well with that crowd and did not participate much. I continued to build but not fly for several years until we moved to north central Arkansas in 2000. I am now associated with a group who flies off private land owned by a gentleman who lives on the land and flies full size stuff. We use his runway as our field. There are no dues and there are no rules except one. Anyone who shows up and brings something to fly is welcome to do so. It is a very small group and I've never been associated with a group that gets along together as well as this one does. We go to the field and it is common for us to spend about 90% of our time solving all the world's problems and about 10% flying. I am very comfortable with the situation and would want it no other way. Flying alone is not very attractive to me.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I am happy that people continue to update this poll.

This started out in the Fuel airplane forum. Not sure when it got moved to the clubhouse.

Ed

" Are electrics taking over in your club? " - aeajr

I am afraid so. Last week I got hit in the shoulder by a small foamy, while flying a very expensive Giant Scale gasser. It could have been my head or my face. We are very close to becoming incompatible at our field.