Uh oh...have I been caught here, foiled by my own earlier words? Nah...I said that, absolutely. But you might have forgotten the context though, that happens sometimes around here when points are trying to be made, amiright?

Not only is the hobby fine, it's doing fantastic. I'll go out on a limb to say, never better! Can I make a suggestion? I highly suggest and recommend going to a flying field in the near future. I think flying in a field by yourself has given you a false sense of what is going on with this hobby right now, I really do. Go to a local AMA club, perhaps one that you didn't belong to previously. Look up the next event that's going on (easy to do via the AMA website, or RCG or RCU, or that "rag" called MA ( ) Looks like there's 5 events going on this month in PA, at least per the MA pages (142) for those mags not currently being used to line bird cages. Of course more informal events may be going on that were not advertised. Don't want to be outside in this weather, no biggy, look for the free flight guys who have fun fly competitions or just general flying indoors. They are out there.

The hobby is alive and well, vibrant and exciting, and growing everyday. Of course the hobby has more scrutiny now than before, I don't think a single person has said otherwise. The FAA becoming more involved in our hobby is evidence of that. But what exactly has changed again other than the registration? Nada.

You made a personal choice to quit your club for economic and social reasons. So yes,things have changed for you, because you wanted it that way. I don't know anyone in my state, or the two other states where I'm a member of a club that has been forced to change the way they fly. I think the fields in DC even opened back up didn't they?

I see you shifted to the other technique of...well....the future isn't quite so certain. Another well known and often times used technique to question and worry about the future. With regards to the hobby itself, this has been going on for quite some time, with virtually nothing of substance and/or concern having come to fruition. Yet, the future remains to be seen...it appears to be in doubt. Maybe. Is anything really certain? Should we just give up?

I don't operate on that level of cynicism and doubt, it's just wasted energy imo. Yes yes, bring on the sheeple and rose colored lenses characterizations, yawn. I was at more than 10 different fields this year in 4 different states, and almost as many events. Sure, some had more participants that others, one event I flew a demo at had over 10,000 people come through that day....I think I can say without a doubt the hobby is alive and well. Lots of great events, lot's of great flying, lot's of different categories of flights, and of course the interest in the AMA continues to increase as well, yet another year of positive growth.

Someone flying recklessly and causing injury or harm isn't good, regardless of what they fly.