Originally Posted by
Appowner
Unfortunately there are differences between your ad hock car show and a model flight line. Have you ever gone on "Cruises" with the Corsair? Or how about letting little Johnny sit in the cockpit?
With the cars you say "Here! Touch! Sit!" With the models you say "No! Don't Touch!". Makes a different impression. Especially on the little ones.
I agree clubs need to do things differently to draw in fresh blood. But what is also beyond me. I guess it remains to try a lot of different things and see what produces. And what works in one local may not work in any others.
At the same time all these different things take away from the members flying time. Which in turn will discourage members from either participating in the hobby all together or at least from trying anything related to bringing in new members. After all, when asked why do you do this hobby? Don't most people say build and fly models? Does anyone say bring in new members to the club?
Priorities needs to be examined and in some cases changed and re-ordered. Bringing in new members needs to be right up there with getting that new kit or test flying the latest one. And with most people I'm afraid it isn't even on the same page. Maybe not even in the same book.
But hey! Why do I do this? I enjoy the building. The problem solving. The knowledge gained about different aspect of flying and airplanes in general. I don't do it to educate anyone but myself. And maybe that's where the change of thought needs to take place? At least for a start.
The local RC hobby shop use to be the recruiting center all clubs depended on. But then the clubs had to jump on the mail order band wagon. It did after all cost less. Did it? Never realizing they were cutting their own throats. So tell me, how many new members has Tower or Horizon sent specifically your way?
The AMA from the individual up to Muncie could learn some lessons from the NRA when it comes to membership. Yes there are differences. But there are also a lot of lessons in the way the NRA does things.
Amen to all of the above.
What is seldom if ever said is the fact that bringing new blood means that someone has to bear the responsibility of providing the hands-on aspect, and on a regular basis, namely flight promotion/instruction.There then lies the rub.
I don't think there is anyone who actually looks forward to and enjoys sweating bullets teaching, to make a meaningful impact, it would have to be an endless influx of newcomers to the hobby.
I'm really not crazy about teaching, even though it is so easy for me, but I realize that it is something that is absolutely necessary to help secure our hobby's future.
So much so I am literally on call during the flying season. One does not need anything to fly but to come out to the field and take my tx, whether they can afford the hobby or not. I don't wait for people to come to me, instead I strongly insist that anyone take the tx for a few minutes. At least they will have the skill to fly if they ever can afford it.
The trick is to make everyone's first flying experience a pleasant one. In other words, like any business, provide excellent customer service. I fully realize some feel it's not their place to provide excellent customer service since clubs are not a business. You would be surprised of just how many at first either swear they have no interest or just out of fear refuse to give it a try. But after they finally take the opportunity, they quickly become "interested" and spend 20 minutes flying my trainer. After that, they are very much hooked. lol