Originally Posted by AmericanSpectre505

All very good points.

STATE OF MIND: I think it's just the state of mind of the hobby right now, it's falling apart.


VENUE: I've said it a many times....... The hobby has lost the big grand events. Years ago the pilots selected for the TOC were pattern pilots, selected based on the pattern point system (IMAC didn't exist yet, it was eventually blended a bit towards the end). Pattern has no big prize events anymore, other than the FAI/F3A WC and that's uncontested year in and year out in the USA (no disrespect intended), so it's gotten stagnant. At least IMAC has the TAS money event once every two years and they have there own WC. You want to recharge the pattern community, bring back some similarity of the big venues that grew the sport for pattern. Who wants to fly from the west coast to the east coast to compete, I wouldn't. Muncie is a beautiful venue buts it's not convenient for everyone. We actually need two national flying sites that alternates between east and west (or centrally located in the USA that has reasonably good weather year round).

COST: The other issue is cost. No one wants to pay $2-$5K for an air frame the size of a 25% IMAC plane. The IMAC full composites like Krill and Composite ARF aren't even that expensive in comparable size. A 35% air frame is just pushing $2K. Therefore, the value is in flying IMAC or Extreme aerobatics these days, where the planes are multi purpose. Plus, they have a money event (a value add-on). Maybe the Nat's should consider a small purse for the top 5 or 10 pilots, where do the dues go exactly? Me personally, I'm financially limited after I buy a new new air frame and then attempt to save enough money to afford a week somewhere in a hotel or RV for a contest.

SUGGESTIVE: Approximately 1M AMA registered RC pilots in the USA at the annual monetary rate per year, you do the math.
NSRCA pilots and dues, same question.


PURPOSE: Competitive organized sequence flying isn't attractive these days. The majority of the younger generation doesn't have the time for it, it's not kool, it requires discipline, study and lots of practice weekly. No one scores a torque roll from 0-10, gyro's are more fun. Again, no disrespect intended, that's the most common thing I'm told at the field when I approach the youth about pattern or IMAC.


SPONSORSHIP: Sponsorship's are way down from 10 years ago, so unless you can travel and compete your dropped or left out. Those fortunate enough, have sponsors and the financial load is a bit less. Sponsorship comes commitments. So, if you can't travel to fulfill your commitments, you can't keep your sponsors.


THE RC LIFE: It'a a fantastic hobby of family, friends full of relationships and camaraderie's and that's what it should be. What I have written is a combination of my own opinion and what I have been told for the past 20 years by by all age groups. Pattern is to expensive, it's a specialized niche of aircraft. Not all clubs have Pattern members to mentor new pilots into these areas of the hobby. I'm the only one in my club and prior to my arrival there were none.


I personally love it, can't afford it and therefore don't compete currently. I still practice..............

1-Cost
2-The golden egg
3-Location
4-Club experience
5-Change the dynamic
6-Make it attractive
7-Revive the Hobby

Bill H.