You teach them to fly and don't expect anything. Some will get bit by the bug others will get bored and move on. You can't control what people will do in the future other than giving good instruction that is fun and then let them decide if they will stay with it. I don't understand the sentiment of some about the need to give back or encourage people to stay or any other seemingly altruistic motives. I teach because I enjoy it, it makes others happy and frankly I like the adoration from the student that comes with being looked at as an instructor that helped them. Other than that and the good karma from teaching I don't expect to get anything out of it and I don't get upset if they move on to something else.

If you look at the amount of people that started as kids and then came back to the hobby later in life I think you'd feel better about them leaving the hobby. Many return but on the other hand my field is pretty crowded allready.

J_R,

Your post didn't factor into my reply to HC. To me, the simple fact that you have a long time modeler who has a lot to offer the Novice decided that if the club itself has nothing to gain, why bother. That pisses me off! If HC is not getting any satisfaction from instructing then he shouldn't instruct. One would think that if he enjoys instructing, he would have told this new guy I can only give two more lessons because of club rules and you can see me next time I come out. To tell him I can't teach because your not joining the club in no way promotes the hobby and completely deters people from becoming active club members.

At least the new guy was upfront and honest with his intentions. Those are the kind of people this hobby needs!

Hi BB

I love youth and exuberance. Most instructors start like you have… for pleasure and the respect of the trainee. Keep going for another 20 years and see how you feel.

At the same time, answer some questions for me, if you would:

How much do you pay a year to fly at your field?
How many times have you helped cut the grass at your field?
How many times have you helped in weed abatement at your field?
How many times have you helped remove mud from the runway at your field?
How many events have you been involved in running, so that improvements might be made to your field?
How many fund raisers have you been involved in so that the field might have restrooms or benches?
How many times have you cleaned the restrooms or porta-potty at your field?

In short, how many hours or dollars a year do you give of yourself for the field? IF the answer is none, do you suppose that might reflect on how willing you might be to help those that do not contribute to the field, IF YOU DID?

JR,
You know all the answers to those questions except I do help at events even though I'm usually entered in them. I did teach SCUBA for 10 years and never got burned out (the business yes but not the teaching). I might feel differantly if I did all the things you say but once you start getting self rightous about your hobby it's time to re-evaluate things.

Being self righteous is part of a hobby... at least for many of us. Perhaps you consider it a pastime.

Websters:

Hobby:
A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others; a ruling passion.

Pastime:
a subject or pursuit that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly):

Websters shmebtsers, they make Hobby sound like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While that may be true for me and others at times I didn't see where it said self rightous. Semantics aside JR, you know what I ment.

Well, maybe things will again get interesting here. So tedster, you are POed. Hey, that really breaks my heart.

The club's bylaws limit visits to THREE (3) prior to joining the club. The club OWNS the flying field and it is for the members and limited guests. Makes no difference as I have no intention of helping those that have no intention of joining the club. Five - six hours a day of my personal time and three gallons of fuel to drive back and forth for nothing returned is no longer my idea of a 'nice day'.

I get no particular *enjoyment* out of instructing per se. I like to see new people come into the sport, however it is no longer any perceived notion in my mind that they should be entitled to some free ride. Like it or lump it as I have paid my dues many times over.

Thank you for saying that the hobby needs people upfront and honest with their intentions as that is exactly what I did. Of course when you went to the local golf course, lessons were provided without any charges by the local "Pro", no member fees and/or no green fees were expected because you were just learning.[>:] Wake up and smell the real world.

You're in the Houston area so if you wish to compare what I have given back to this model aviation sport / hobby on a one on one basis, just let me know. A meeting could very possibly be arranged. [:-]

EDITED to add: This morning I and three other Jetero Instructors plus a number of members entertaind some 40 5th graders from Splendora Grade School. Each received 4 - 6 minutes of hands-on flight time under the one time rule using an airplane not belonging to the student. 6 adults each received flight time. I made eight (8) 15 min. flights stopping only to refuel and go again until time to recharge. 1.5 hours of flight time and 2.5 hours actual time, not including set-up time etc. Yep, we don't really promote the sport 'roud these here parts, nohow. [&:] Oh, not to forget thanks to the club's kitchen crew, our guests and we enjoyed a Jetero donated lunch of chili-dogs, chips and soft drinks.

If you follow those definitions...

If your hobby is not also a pleasureble passtime... it won't be your hobby for long. If you keep at it and ists not pleasureable... then its a compulsive disorder problem. (or a job...[&:])

*********************

Yes Hossfly... your club's bylaws set the 3 visit limit and from your reports... you wrote the bylaws. So using the bylaws as an excuse in your case is about as bogus as you can get.

Since you don't enjoy instructiing... quit. You think you've done your share. Thats Fine.

If someone wants to give free lessons in any subject, then the students will be willing to take the lessons. Some will show thier gratitude by saying thanks. Some will offer to give something... some will just take the lessnos and walk on. That's normal.

You can find people that will give free lessons in golf. You can also find people that charge for RC flying lessons.

I am an avid martial arts practitioner, and in our school we have a similar policy to your '3 visits then you need to join the club' rule. Sometimes some one will walk in off the street and we will notify them up front about our policy then invite them onto the mat. Since there is a substantial investment in equipment up front (not like this hobby, thats for sure...) and we don't want some one to go through all that and decided this isn't for them. Some of them come in and stay for a while some don't return after the second class. No skin off my nose if they don't show up again, but when they do it is pretty rewarding. I was really surprised one time to have a guy walk in and say a buddy of his told him about our place, his buddy didn't care for the style but recommended us still because he thought we were quite personable. Now this is inherently a learning environment in which teaching/learning is the norm unlike the flight field. My suggestion would be if you don't want to deal with people walking out on you or not joining the club/AMA or the politics involved then don't offer to teach. Save yourself the headache. Make something up, tell them you're not qualified or don't feel comfortable training, they'll never be the wiser.

BTW, we never had a problem with any one joining after 3 lessons, they either did or didn't.

Lead

If you don't play my way I'm gonna take my ball and go home.
H. Cain (age 7)

That would be H. Cain at any age....

Well, little children, there is such a simple solution to that which you are so perplexed about. Simply go forth and obtain your own ball, resulting in an environment where H. Cain's ball game is no longer anything for you to concern yourself with.

Now ain't that easy???

We get our own ball... and you insist on showing up to cause trouble.

Why would I get my own ball when it's so much fun to bust yours?

Fred,
Please don't agree with me as it really hurts my credibility.

Every club is different, and has different circumstances. I, for one, do not want the AMA telling our club how it MUST be run.

Some fields, such as the one BasinBum flys at are city owned and operated. There is no cost to the modeler, other than those involved in the pursuit of the hobby.

Other fields, such as the one owned by Horrace's club, are paying every penny of the cost of acquisition and upkeep.

Others fall in between.

It seems only reasonable that different clubs would have different attitudes and rules about when an individual must join. At any rate, it is the right of the individual club to make that determination. No one should be mandating that someone MUST be instructed, or under what circumstances. Yes, there are guidelines available as to what skills an instructor should have, but, no one is telling a club that they MUST follow those guidelines, and... that is as it should be.

There are some people in this hobby that are certifiable, but not as a flight instructor

And we too own our land. That doesn't mean we chase off the new guy. Our instructor puts on a smile and gives him his three visits. Stipulation- catch him when you can when he is at the field instructing. If you plan on or have already joined, he will work very hard to schedule training sessions for the new guy.

Seems that instructing is more of a bother than anything else. Is there another club instructor to share the load? If not, Kudos to you for giving up your time.
I don't play golf and never will. As far as I'm concerned, this is Apples and Oranges.


[/quote]

I am very well aware of your involvment in the hobby. I also don't believe anything was taken away from you. Only the way in which you treated this young man. Indeed you were honest and upfront. So was he.

We can meet. Odds are, I'll be at your next fun fly event. I like going home with other clubs prizes!!

I was club secretary, I didn't have the free time need to do the job and the secretary position is almost a full time job itself. I declined running again. I now enjoy the hobby again. I volunteer where I can and have even used personal vaction time from work to help out the club.



Congraulations!

If they all showed up with their own planes, said they wouldn't be able to join the JETERO club any time soon and still wanted a free lesson from HC himself , then what?

This thread reminds of me of a movie "Grumpy Old Men"! I love to read these threads they are so entertaining! Man I can't wait until the name calling starts!

Brian,
You're a jerk. Happy now?


Edited for the grammar police.

I think I hit a nerve! I enjoy this little p*ss*ng contest you guys have going here. I think it is funny at how trivial it all is! I mean this is a Hobby right?

Simple entertainment for simple minds. Isn't life great!

Brian Watford
Jedburg Flyers
Pro-bro #714

I bet you enjoy rule 9 of the safety code, as well. To each his own.

I guess I'll let you smart fellas get back to kicking dirt on each other. I just can't imagine why you fella's spend hours arguing with each other when you could be out flying! I guess we simple minded people couldn't understand that![:-] LOL Thanks for the laughs.