What I find amusing is that the original post was a question to ARFers asking why they don't build kits. A large percentage of the respondents seem to be kit builders finding fault with the people who only fly ARFs. There were a moderate number of ARFers who did state their reasons. Things like no time to build, no interest in building, prefer to spend their time flying, don't think there is any financial advantage to building a kit over an arf, or think they can't build a plane to a higher standard of construction and appearance than an equivalent ARF. There were also a few of us kit builders who, like me, tried to give reasons why we prefer to build, either because we want a plane that stands out from the crowd, who have been dissatisfied with the quality of the ARFs we have either seen or purchased ourselves, or to some degree just think the sport/hobby demands that we be builders.

I would personally only be upset with the current apparent preponderance of ARFs if it resulted in a total loss of the supply of kits. I am more concerned with the loss of good safe flying fields and the apparent lack of concrn for others evinced by a few "Park Flyers". However, since I have a personal stock of over 130 kits ranging from indoor rubber free flight up to a couple decent rc scale kits, and a large stock of plans and building supplies, I am not especially affected by the growth in the ARF market. I will regret the loss of the designing and building skills pool that has brought this hobby/sport to it's current level, and sometimes I can't decide if I want to laugh or cry when I see some of the ARFs that claim to be accurate scale models. But, I take a lot of satisfaction in the improvements in the power, variety and reliability of today's engines, the fantastic advancements in electric power, and especially the dependability and versatility of today's radios.

Just consider me an old-fashioned builder who sees ARFs as a natural progression that is still growing and reaching for the level the best builder-flyers have achieved, and not as an imposition or threat.