ORIGINAL: Stickbuilder
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I don't see threads that are dedicated to discussing why you have remained a member. There are probably several reasons, and I would imagine that the number one reason is to facilitate club membership, followed by being able to enter competition, and maybe aven a few who belong in order to be able to teach others to build and /or fly.
The name of the organization is Academy of Model Aeronautics. By virtue of its name, it should be a teaching organization. I don't think that many ever consider that.
Who have you taught within the hobby, and what have you taught them? Who taught you, and what did they teach you?
In my years since I learned to fly CL back in about 1948, I have assisted numerous others in the CL world. I don't remember exactly my first AMA but it was around 1946-48.
I think I have been a member since 1950, but for certain since 1956. I became a CD in 1963. I have never even considered NOT being AMA since then. It was as natural as eating and sleeping to be a member of the national organization for aeromodeling.
I flew some non-competitive FF in the early '50s but never really learned FF until I had the oportunity to work under a great FFer (non competitive) John Valls of Laredo, TX, and the competitive, the late Russel "Bear" Snyder, at that time also in Laredo, time frame of 1963 through 1967.
I first got into really competitive CL back after 1956 in the Houston area. There were a number of helpers in that area, but I could fly the stunt pattern from high school days. While I enjoyed the competition, my main interest was building and flying. The number one lesson that I learned was that competition definitely restricted one into what one built and flew. Such restrictions also restricted one's freedom of expression allowed by sport flying, yet made one work to be more precise in their flying. (I'm, by nature, rather sloppy [:-] )
Back around 1970, my main interests were CL Stunt, and FF Class C along with FF OHLG. In 1971 I opened a Hobby Shop in Mt. Prospect, IL and found I needed to learn RC. Probably the straightest model I ever built was a German kit the "Mufti" very much like an Ugly Stick, ST .46, Hinode 27 mhz. radio. OK, so I tried it first all alone. Then I rebuilt it and went for HELP.
Two flights with the old "grab the transmitter" method and then I was SOLO. Mixed RC, CL and FF through '73 then all RC. I tried everything, pattern, scale, sport, combat, pylon and whatever came along. I liked Pylon best. Not judged by someone else's idea. Either one is out front or behind. I stayed mostly behind except in Sport Pylon and some Q-500 times.
All my help there was simply being in a group that flew together, rode herd on each other, drank a lot of beer while flying (No stinkin' safety-code back then) and just had a great time helping, assisting, and flying together even when competing against each other.
Back then it was a challenge to keep machines flying, and we enjoyed overcoming those challenges.
All the time without buddy cords, we helped newbies. Models were built up and when crashed they required rebuilding of trashing. If a newbie could not stay with it, we didn't care much. We offered help, helped, and went from there. One fond memory is of a later pylon buddy that just could not get the hang of things. He could get up and down but was a terror in between. He got into pylon with our club pylon stuff (sport airplanes) and within 2 months he was a sh
t-Hot flier. He forgot the worries and the problems, got into the frey, and went from scary to excellent in nearly no-time. I still see his picture every so often in
High Flight.
When I moved back to TX. I went bass fishing for 4 years. Then back into modeling. I have instructed and soloed many students. My solo requirements are high. I haven't done much the last 4 years because the club no longer stays with my personal standards, and I will not sucumb to their low standard which I deem unsafe. Personal thing.
Are you interested in learning more, or are you satisfied with your place within the hobby/sport?
Yes, but too many other priorities now. Too old to really get going again.
What would you like to learn?
Bill, AMA 4720
I'm working to relearn the CL stunt pattern, but the reflexes are very slow. SCARY!! [sm=red_smile.gif]
I would like to be a better scale builder. I would like to get into turbines, however the club will not opt for a decent hard-surface runway for scale and jets. I don't care to journey a great distance to use one. I have offered to build the runway for the club with no interest, and no payments until the club-owned property is sold.
There is plenty room for a decent hard-surface runway along with a grass runway.
The in-charge sport-fliers just seem too afraid of progress, or they want to keep the facility strictly for themselves. After a while I wonder who is going to pay for it for them.
Edit: typo and emphasis.