skylark-flier - You're talking about two extremes in the hobby. On the one side you have the ones you're calling the "good" hobbyists who like to build and are willing to delay gratification in order to have better workmanship and pride in what they have. I admire those guys too, and many are the backbones of their clubs. The other extreme is the "here today gone tomorrow" type who wants it all instant, including the flying skills. They aren't committed and treat the planes as toys instead of a serious hobby. I agree with you that those two extremes exist, but I disagree and frankly take offense to your implication that everyone who isn't in the first group has to be in the second. I also take offense at every older RC pilot who characterizes those younger than them as lazy, flippant, and unreliable when you see ARF planes or foamies. And I'm quite certain that not all younger pilots are dangerous and inconsiderate and on the verge of getting us regulated with a drone.
The truth is that there is a big middle ground between those two extremes. As I said above, I've never built a kit in 9 years of doing RC, nor have I even assembled an ARF. I buy used planes that I want, frequently doing minor repairs to get them airworthy, and I save a lot of money. Yet I've stuck with it for 9 years, I compete in SPA and plan to start IMAC next year, I've volunteered as a trainer, I'm a co planner for my clubs National Model Aviation Day event, I am as safe and considerate as I possibly can be at the field, and I do all of my own repairs even for bad crashes that I think are worth it. So I'll present myself as a 38 year old youngster who, according to you, should be a nuisance at the field, yet I have all of the positive attributes of the 60 year old pilots except for the ability to do a flawless silk and dope finish. It is possible for a pilot to make things easy on himself on the building side of things and still be an excellent pilot at the field and an excellent club member and representative of the hobby too. That is, of course, unless some old buzzard makes too many disparaging comments about his equipment and he quits in favor of a hobby that is more newbie friendly.