I instruct others how to tune engines, and what equipment I like using and how to build if they ask me, but I don't have the patience to instruct on a "buddy box," I leave that to our clubs designated instuctors to do. But when it comes to advice or sharing our tricks to solve problems, we all work together in our club and if one doesn't know something, someone in the club usually chimes in to help that does know the answer.
That leaves the beginner with choices, and doesn't give the impression, " Do it my way- and if you do it any other way you're wrong." ( like the ol' timers with their trainers, telling people they are wrong all the time, thinking they know better.) You see this happen in RCU often and in some clubs, but in my club they don't allow that type of behavior, and we believe that time under the belt doesn't make anyone have the right to judge and act like a know it all. That kind of behavior does chase beginners away over time, I've seen it happen even at my old private club I once belonged to. "Clicks" got a love em. NOT!
The beginners often come up to admire my WWI Warbirds, and the only thing I usually tell them is on average, it takes up to about 3- 5 years of flying before they are ready for it. And some aren't ready for at least 7 years depending on the person and how well they advance their skills. Me it took me 8 years because I'd take a step forward, then take 2 steps back in my learning development, so I was a little slow being able to fly Fokker Dr1s and some other scale aircraft I've chosen to fly.
How many times we've seen newbies come to a field with a glow or gas warbird that they bought used? Then want to fly it and don't know the first thing about how to get started? A handful of times. And yes we who have been around a while know what happened in the end.
Some love to instruct, me on the other hand rather just fly, and build the eye catchers and talk about the history of scale aviation. I'm a simple man who likes to build and fly complicated aircraft.
In simple words, it takes a club to instruct and to do it right, and not make the beginner feel that they can't ask a question to anyone anytime. Call me a RC club Socialist!
Pete