ORIGINAL: RC_Fanatic
Went out to the field this morning. Perfect flying day light wind right down the runway. Two years ago there would have been half a dozen flyers. Today - I'm out there alone. Is it the economy, is it the cultural change, or is it just that it's too much of an effort to go out to the field? Sad.
The picture at my "patch" is very similar ... fewer flyers than expected.
However, I do know that many of the "regulars" fly at other venues. Some of them have formed their own micro-clubs - something which was practically impossible until the advent of the electric park flyer.
It's a shame, I suppose. I certainly miss the camaraderie of a packed venue, but I can fully understand why people would choose to stay away from the regular flying sites.
With regard to the loss of flying sites .... seems to be a cultural problem that we share. It's the culture of collectivism, I'm afraid, which denies the existence of personal liberties and insists that all property is held for the common good. I think that many flyers take the easy route and, instead of fighting the bureaucrats, they try to slip from beneath their gaze.
For instance, a club near me has just been ordered to abide by a 70dB noise limit. This is an incredibly low level ... and all on the strength of ONE complaint to the local Council. Comparatively few electric models can meet a 70dB limit; so the club is guaranteed to wither and die. It already lost all its petrol engines, a couple of years ago, when an 80dB limit was imposed.