For those following this thread, I offer that we just enjoy the "toys", after all, we do this primarily for our own fun, and not so much to impress others. Recognize too, that we are a very tiny minority in the overall population. Those that are not into this sport don't know, don't care, and have no reason to understand that these are real airplanes...just reduced in scale. I like to refer to the so called "real" aiplanes as "full scale". Moving into a much larger topic...Where we really shoot ourselves in the foot is by continuing to refer to our activity, as simply a hobby. Like it or not, there is an apparent stigma attached to that word. The word generates a distinct impression of useless, whimsical, table top plastic toys. I'm sure you've heard the expression..."grown men, playing with kids toys". That incorrect mind set will not earn much respect! Lets try to elevate our status by dropping that hobby word, and replace it with "sport". As Wil Byers wrote in his editorial in Dec, 02, "Quiet Flyer" magazine...We are losing flying fields every day. Noise, perceived danger, and lack of community support all tend to relegate our activity to the eclectic nuisance category. We are continually being moved further from urban centers, and many of us must drive for an hour in order to reach an approved flying site. This pushes our sport even further out of reach of the newcomers...typically youngsters, with very limited transportation. Our numbers are in decline. The cost to build and maintain a paved runway flying site is enormous, and even a grass strip is a huge expense. Our activity needs the active support of municipal, county, state, funding in order to merely survive, let alone grow. These governmental entities are disinterested in hobbys, but throw vast sums of money into the support of SPORTS. Look at all the ballfields, tennis courts, golf courses, jogging trails, etc. All of them under the banner of "SPORTS". It's a new concept, and one that will take time and effort to implement, but the rewards could be quite gratifying. This sport offers so much in the way of education as well as entertainment, but in order to survive, we must strive to improve our image in the eyes of the public.