I was searching for some info on a plane I am about to start building and came across this. The tone, attitude, grammar, and mindset sounds exactly the same as many current conversations about the AMA and the aeromodeling hobby in general by the so called "experts."
"I agree with Mr Helmick about most R.C Flyers. You people are the most inconsiderate, egotistical jerks I ever met. I seen you cause people to loose Hying sites because the wise guy had to buzz a house on Sunday morning I seen you people step on a tree flight model that hap*pened to land in an area that you where Flying in. How you even can consider your sell Modellers when most ol you don't even build your own airplanes. The only reason why the hobby industry, magazines and AM A sanction most of your B.S. is because of BUCKS The free flight and control line where around long before the transmitter and receiver You even have the gaul to put R/C in a good old time tree flight model. What an insult to the fellow that designed it."
Published in RC Model Builder, 1980
So let's see- New=bad, check. It's all a vast conspiracy by the industry to make money, check. People who like new stuff are all jerks, check. We were here before you were, check. Youngsters with their newfangled toys are ruining the hobby, check and double check, hurting our image with the public, check.
So what's my point? If you've read this far, hopefully I have you attention. History shows that this guy was wrong. Sure, the hobby changed, in some ways for the better and other ways for the worse. But it has adapted, survived, and even thrived. The constant complaining about drones will likely sound just as silly 39 years from now as the hobby will undoubtedly change, but will again adapt and hopefully thrive for years to come. I think this curmudgeon missed out on some good fun and some good friends by thinking this way. Let's don't repeat his mistakes.