Roger,

I've looked into this thread before over the 3+ years it's been up. Many good comments, some less so.

Two or more things I think we overlook, because they are so much a part of flying CL we no longer see them as outstanding benefits:

You meet great people flying CL. NOT precluding other model disciplines from that opportunity, but in CL, YOU have to be a good enough person that your buddies will trust you to launch their models, and THEY have to be good enough friends for you to trust to launch yours. (Unless your arms are 60'+ long, and then you don't need the lines...)

Also, CL is essentially for the FLIER, not the spectator. It is physical. It revolves around the flier completely. And the flier is close enough that 'he' can enjoy it thoroughly. No one else is as perfectly positioned for all that. And the flier stands on the ground, which is never very far from the model, either. That adds a sense of thrill, danger to be avoided, and good fuzzies for doing it the way you want to.

Because we must rely on friends who rely on us, we are a welcoming family for new flying buddies of all ages. The major task is to introduce new people to the world of CL. We don't generally buy a toy ready to play with. Some of us older. old-fashioned types don't think very highly of ARFs, but I doubt that ANYONE can argue against the idea that it still takes enough time and effort to put one together that there is a real feeling of putting ourselves into it. Some old-f**ts were complaining that the die-cut (die-crushed?) parts in kits of the 1950's were the end of the world. Nothing new under the sun, eh?

Sure, there are great modelers in all parts of model flight; guys who have decades at it. But, most we meet at local RC fields are just passing through, rarely sticking with it more than a few years. In CL, we make more effort, have more supportive pals, and because we are not the headliners in the mags, the cover photos, the 5-color 10-page ads types, we have to stick together better, to make sure we CAN still do what we enjoy best. Good sales points, but it seems we have to make personal sales pitches...

Bien Hoa, Jan68