valleyk

You could say "ignorance is bliss" and maybe a virtue to successful modeling pilots. I'm starting to realize something that this hobby does not tolerate...negative views. For example I had a recent discussion with someone at the field and It went like this.

Me: Those geared drive systems are sure expensive and doubles the price on an engine.

Reply: Yes but you can swing a scale prop.

Me: But those props are 30-12 maybe more than 100 dollars. Can you imagine breaking one of those and it happens.

Reply: Look...if you look at everything negatively you don't belong in this hobby. People who worry about failure won't event attempt to fly and don't belong here.


You know I was right about the risk vs reward but he had a point. Some day you got to wake up and get into a mind set that "blank happens" and deal with it then. Has anyone gone thru this mind change.

abufletcher

The issue here isn't "risk" it's money. Some people have more of it or they have more of it they're willing to spend on RC flying (and building). I'm never ever going to own an RC jet worth $10,000. I suppose I COULD put that kind of money into a model if it was my exclusive focus. But it's not.

Likewise, I have no interest in the recent move to 1/3 and even 1/2 scale models, where the "price" of a WWI model easily goes over $3,000. Models crash. That's a fact. You can reduce the likelihood of crashing by not flying as frequently. But the fact remains that models crash.

People who want to be at the "top of the game" are usually extremely committed people (or maybe "people who should be committed" ) and will do or pay anything. That's fine. Everyone has different priorities in life. Some people have an expensive home or a nice car. Some people go on expensive vacations. Some people are single and some people are married. Some people have kids and some don't.

beepee

I agree, money, but also complexity. This is a hobby at which we intend to have fun. The more complex we make it, the less fun it can be. There are those among us that have fun BECAUSE it is complex. To each his own. We are a diverse group.

Bedford

abufletcher

My son's comment on "risk" when I asked him if he was nervous flying again after several years. His answer: "No. It's not my model."

TomCrump

I've always felt that if it's about the money, you are in the wrong hobby. If you can't afford to lose a model during flight, you most likely are in too deep.

In a proper perspective, modeling funds should come from "disposable income". You spend it. It's gone.

I encounter a "reluctance to commit flight" with models that I have a large amount of time invested.

I'm retired, living on a fixed income. Modeling funds are limited, but that doesn't keep me from building what I want to build. With proper planning, even one of those $10,000 jets is attainable.

It's not about how much money you have, but what you want to do with the funds available to you. For me, the investment in time is a more important factor in deciding if I want to fly a certain model.

I get my satisfaction from the time spent building. Once the decision is made to fly a model, I don't worry about the money it cost to get it there, but I may cringe at the thought of the year+ that it took me to get it to that point.

abufletcher

I feel the same. I certainly don't mind spending $1,000 on building a model over 2 (or even 3) years. That's about 75 cents a day. Once the model is complete, I don't think of it as a "one thousand dollar model." It's just another model...one that I may have a certain natural pride and fondness for...but just a model nonetheless. In fact, I'm surprised at how little I care about finished models.

There are so many different aspects to the RC hobby. For example, I've never spent a single dime (yen) attending any type of RC contest. For some folks this is almost the most enjoyable part of the hobby and they don't mind spending hundreds (and hundreds) of dollars attending multiple events during the year and even schedule their work holidays so that they can attend.

cocobear

My Feedback: (2)

Abu, in one respect, you have it very wrong. If you want to have a crash, don't fly a model often. If you want to enjoy it, get to know it and fly it often. You will fly it better and fear will disipate. If you fear to fly it because it might crash, hang it from the ceiling or sell it today. Best way to over come fear is to take a model and spend the day shooting touch and goes. The fear lifts and the joy begins. I am far from being rich but I fly all my models for the joy of it. I have dog fights with planes that have won national championships. When you get down to brass tacks, we are boys (and some girls) with toys. Toys are meant to be played with, not feared.

dave

abufletcher

I know what you mean. But frequency is relative. when I hear someone say that they've had a model for 10-15 years, the first thought that crosses my mind is that they probably don't fly it very often (as in several times a month in all sorts of conditions). Maybe that's just my experience.

I agree with you though that there's no point being prissy about flying a scale model. If it doesn't fly, it deserves to crash. And that if you fly frequently you're more more likely to reduce the number of ''unfortunate landings."

stang151

It sounds kinda harsh but, if you can't afford to loose it don't build it . In reality there are three kinds of model aircraft ,those that have crashed ,those that will crash , and those that never fly( and even those can fall off the shelf).There are all sorts of sayings that we all have heard at the field but it comes down to if you can't face a rekitted airplane then leave it in the box.

TFF

Risk is about the threshold of your money in this case. I know the score, and smile when someone talks to me about their 55%Yak with me flying a .60/1.20 size plane. Both sides have to be cool and not take it as a class war. Heck I bought a real airplane minus engine for $2000. Im not going to pore $15K into a jet model. Another friend is complaining about his autopilot in his 4 year old RV7. The will spend $100,000 is about 5 years to build another. Everybody has different agenda. What do you think the rubberband modelers say about $100 props when their modeling budget for the year is 1/2 that.

John_M_

Interesting point of view... its almost as if he was saying if you can't afford the hobby then get out of it... nothing wrong with being frugal... I wouldn't want to chip a 100 dollar prop either... I'd rather be flying, even if the prop was out of scale... I'm guilty of keeping my airplanes as shelf queens; mostly because that was back in the days of 24-72 mhz, when you had to police your own frequency; I just got feed up with being shot down by some idiot that didn't check to see if the channel was in use... risk is part of the game unfortunately, but if you are fortunate enough to be prosperous, then the risk factor is some what over looked... but for the many that are on a budget, and still enjoy the hobby, the risk factory is always going to be on their minds.

Just recently I just watched a youtube video where a guy maidened his 1/5 scale F-16 turbine jet... very scale in detail right down to simulated electronics in the cockpit, very nicely built... he must of mortgaged his home to build it, because the flight was brief, with a very sketchy approach and landing... after the plane was safely on the ground, he dropped to his knees and then kissed the ground and then held up his hands in all glory, thanking the RC Gods for keeping his model in one piece... all I'm saying is that everyone has a different perception of what risk is to them; doesn't make them not worthy of participating in something just because they are overly cautious.

John M,

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Fly em like is not yours, just my $0.02.
if you are afraid of crashing it leave it at home

mikes68charger

My Feedback: (34)

I think about this all the time, as I consider my self a new flyer (only been fly for 3 years now) but I will admit things have gotten way out of hand compaired to my first $150 parkzone foamy.

I have lost 2 Top Flight Gaint war birds last year (one TFG P51 becouse the 4.8 nicad in my New DX8 went bad while flying and shut the TX off) and the other has to been becouse a bad Y harness, as Spectrum say my RX was good to go (it was doing a high speed fly by about 15 feet up and with no change incontrols from me it rolled upside down, but I still had control of the other parts of the modle.

It was $$$ very hard for me to take, and I actuly gave up on war birds for a while, but moved on to Turbines.. While now the cost of my modles are even higher Im haveing more and more fun! I know one day I can lose one of my 3-4k turbine modles, and I will brake down and cry, but I will not stop.

I think what gets most peaple ( I know it dose me) is when you have a very high dollor loss and it was not your falt directly, ie you did not lose site of it, or you stalled it)

I find what works for me is a nice little $200 per week RC alowance that gose into a seperate account. I can save it or blow it on goodies, but when I do lose a plane I never have to keep paying on it becouse I charged it on my credit card. I would lose my mind paying for a modle i no longer had.

Also to pay for my first Turbine Jet $1600, I sold 4 other rc planes and several nitor motors I had laying around. Why so while the prices of some of these gaint war birds and jets seem high, you have to decied what is important, haveing 20 planes or have 5-8 really nice ones,

Oh and the wife keeps me on a 10 plane limit. LOL

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

When I started flying $ was a big deal. RC stuff cost LOTS. Radios (Kraft) over were $400 for just 7 channels and nothing else. I guess its the $ factor for me as well. More so than time. I have spent a great deal of time building some planes (years). That's not a huge issue, time.
I can fly any one else's plane anxiety free! No problem for me lol.
The best way to deal with risk is to have a qualified pilot (not just a pal) fly your new plane. You can watch your creation and let the pilot trim it etc. That way if its a successful flight you'll have confidence in the plane.
OR convince yourself that its a hobby with risks. Do the best building you can and take the normal cautions etc. Or if its too expensive to risk it, even though you built itc. SELL it, or admire it etc. ITs ok !

cymaz

The most expensive plane I have cost about £2000 with engine. I fly it and enjoy flying it but I sure don't do anything stupid with it. I don't risk it, its pampered well looked after. So if I'm lucky it will last longer than a £90 winter hack. I suppose I asses the risk and fly accordingly.

toolmaker7341

Fly what you can afford but Fly It Like You Stole It.

cymaz

Short and sweet

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

Many points of view, and they're all correct. I've always said if you can't afford to lose it, you can't afford to fly it. But it's not just about price. I build my airplanes. As has been said here, if I spend a year or two building an airplane and put $1,500, $2,000 or more into it, that was cheap entertainment for lots of evenings at home. But my investment of time is much more valuable to me.



However, as I told a friend when he finished a giant scale warbird and was ready to fly it, "Here's what I always tell myself at this point, it's no longer a project, now it's just an airplane." What I meant by that was that during construction, every little detail had to be perfect. Just because I like building that way. But when you start flying such a creation, you have to distance yourself from all those hours and the dollars. You have to remember the reason you built it in the first place.



"Now it's just an airplane." And airplanes were meant to be flown.



Dave

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

DITTO ! Very nicely worded.

jtotten

Before retiring, I use to perform analyses of business decisions - Risk is half the equation, Reward is the other half. So the big question is - does the Reward justify the risk and cost. For most, model flying is a recreational activity - a choice among many alternatives. Studying industry stats on fishing, golf, car restoration , auto racing, bowling, the sweet spot is in the range of $750 to $3000 per year. Most of the money comes from those spending in that range, and thats where the bulk of commercial activity is focused. The trick is for the consumer to locate the activity that is most satisfying for the time and money invested. I have heard the same risk argument from dirt track stock car racers - is the activity justified given the risk and cost?
So each individual must find the balance point - where do i get the best feeling (reward) for the cost (in time , money, and risk).?

hookedonrc

I like reading the different responses to this thread. For me, I waited most of my life before I got into the hobby. My son was in his senior year at college and the expenses were behind us when I decided to get in. I then went in with eyes open and knew the costs, but was willing to pay them. I spend a large amount of time putting my planes together because I like to tinker with them in the garage at my bench. I have tried building, but for me, kits are not as enjoyable as it is for other people. What I like to do is fly and if I buy it, it's going to spend time in the air, even if I lose it on the first flight. Yes, I will be very disappointed, but I don't buy what I don't want to lose. That way, the decision has already been made long before I get to the field.

Larry882

Hey Guys, I have this old Tower Hobbies Kaos 40 with a Supertiger 45 on it with a MAC Tuned pipe. When I'm doing a High Speed inverted low pass 2 feet over the runway I can feel my heart stent throbbing. What a RUSH!!!!!!!! Thats how I deal with risk. If you can't afford loosing it all go to the Post Office and get a starter kit. This is a brutal hobby that requires complete attention and concentration. That 7 year old Kaos is still flying because I check and double check every screw, battery, hinge and control surface after I fly it.
Larry Kopecky
Conyers, Georgia

stevekott

I was poor all through my twenties. The idea of spending $100 on something fun that I might lose in a crash was out of the question.

I worked hard like a maniac and became successful through my thirties and forties. I spent a lot on Family houses, cars, University educations for my kids. I'm 58 now, all but one of the kids has moved out. I've got enough money to last me until I'm too old to do fun stuff.

I've never heard of a guy on his death bed say "Gee I wish I had more money!"

I've owned Full scale airplanes and to me the cost of models is very reasonable. And when you do something stupid in a model .. well it's not a life ending scenario.

The great thing about this hobby is there are so many price points to get into it and have fun. You don't need to be rich.

But what you need to do is HAVE FUN WITH IT. If you don't and you are all worried about crashing you have wasted your money no matter how much you spent

This is boys with toys. It's not meant to be taken seriously.

Don't bring any negativity to the field .. Don't be a Buzz Kill .. We are there to have fun!

Happy Flying,

Steve

Tony Iannucelli

My Feedback: (193)

Modeling axiom: If you fly, you will eventually crash.

Ask me how I know.

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Have to agree with you 100%.

I have crashed model planes and club members have asked me, how can you be so calm about it. I just say, well it sure as heck is not a life threatening situation. Not cancer, not a heart attack, nothing of the sorts. Just a model airplane that can easily be replaced with just some time and money.

I am retired from the real life aviation industry and have lost a lot of friends and co-workers as a result of aircraft crashes. Have stood right along side a crashed airplane and viewed the pilot that had just burned to death in the crash. Now, that was something to get upset about. Do you really think that putting a model airplane into the ground is going to upset me ? I sincerely doubt it !

As was stated, just have fun and enjoy the hobby while you can.

P.S. Very well stated, Steve !