sukhoi_sammy

Here is the outline of this thread.

I want people to post their ideas for reaching new individuals and getting them involved in model aviation. I also want action on those ideas with updates on your progress. This way others can use this to help implament something in their area.

I posted this in the AMA forum in the hope it will empower AMA members to promote the AMA through outreach to the community.

So that being said lets try and keep this thread on subject.

Muroc1

I posted a flyer in my area LHS's with an aerial photo of our field with its location and my contact info. We got four new members this year alone from it.

Plus our club pays for a subscription of MA for the public library.

I also drop my old MA issues at our LHS and also at the dentist office, wal-mart auto repair waiting area and other places that people sit around and have time to kill.

Frank

Muroc1

You should also start this thread in AMA's forum also. I'm sure you would get some pretty good responses there as well.

Frank

sukhoi_sammy

Ok, since I started this here is my idea.

I relocated a couple of years ago due to my job. In the area Im in now there is no interest in gliders. I enjoy gliders because it is extremly challenging. There is only one other person in the area who flys gliders. He has been flying from a very well kept farmers field.

I want to start a glider / electric AMA charterd flying club. The tentitive name is the Syracuse Silent Flyers. I will need to find five people who will participate in the club to get it started. Since we will be in the middle of a farm field we will build a small outpost station that is green energy. It will have a solarcell with battery bank and charging station for members to use ( I will post a drawing of this for others to use). I have been listining to people talk about the money involved in memberships. So, the club membership will be $10.00 a year and if you are new to the hobby and just spent all that money on your glider and AMA then your first year is free. Full AMA and Sport AMA will be allowed to fly here. We will host fun-flys and contests during the year to raise money to pay for our annual charter. As the club grows I would hope we could spend some time participating in the community to help promote the club and attract new members. We will also host "Fly a glider day" where we invite people out to try their had at gliders. I would also like to work with school science teachers and get after school programs going that promote STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, math). Also other community groups such as boy/girl scouts.

This is alot. But, any of you could go talk to a group of people. Lets say a scout group. You contact the scout leader and schedule a troop meeting to appear at. Then bring in a model and talk to them about aircraft. It doesnt need to be very in depth. This is the wing that is the aileron and it makes the plane roll. Maybe show a video or better if you could have the troop meeting at the field with a flight demonstration and let them get some buddy box time.

So lets hear some ideas. And if your in the Central NY area and want to join the Syracuse Silent Flyers please let me know.

sukhoi_sammy

Some very good ideas Muroc. I like the one with leaving you magazines at different places. I would add a 2x4 avery sticky to the front of the magazine with the clubs contact info on it. We did post a flyer at the local hobby shop. Sadly, it did not generate any interest though. I may need to post another with cool images and some color to it.

sukhoi_sammy

Post deleted by poster.

vpresley

My Feedback: (162)

Actually the sky is the limit. Newspapers, Mall Shows, Community Centers (Both Youth and Senior), High Schools, Colleges, Grade Schools, Cub & Boy & Girl Scouts. Any place that let you put up a Flyer advertising your Club. All this takes is time and a little money to get the word out. Have an information sheet of costs and places to look for information ready to hand out.


Vince

sukhoi_sammy

Has anyone here every hosted or participated in a building clinic? Where you get a group of people and everybody builds the same model?

fliers1

Yes, I held a building clinic at [link=http://www.daleassociation.com/history.htm]The Dale Association[/link] I had a half dozen people build Eagle II trainer kits. I also help create a glider building class in one our local schools. This has been going on for over 10 years. The technology class builds Gentle Lady gliders and gets graded on building and when the flying season rolls around, they get graded on flying their gliders.

What I think is the problem of lack of growth is how stressful teaching can be, therefore, too few people are inclined to provide the much required flight instruction. Too bad someone doesn't have a easier way to teach, maybe more people would want to do it.

CCR

fliers1

Eagle 2

sukhoi_sammy

Fliers1, what airplane did you build? Any pro and cons looking back on the whole process.

fliers1

I didn't build anything, just running around helping everyone build their Eagle 2 kits.

The pro was getting people into the hobby, with building and later flying.
I can't think of any cons.

CCR

KidEpoxy

If you guys want to get some buildy things going,
I just heard (news to me) that Lonestar Balsa is back from their fire

Jim Thomerson

If your club is interested in attracting young people, keep two things in mind: the kids will need transportation and parental support, and, many parents will want to be with their kids at the flying field.

I would suggest finding your local Home School Association. HS parents are willing and able to put a lot of resources into raising their kids. The kids do not have the school-based organization of their lives which allows no time for models, and the parents will be glad to have them socialized with a bunch of nice older folks like us.

Look at the kids on detention and in-school suspension in the local school system. The administration may be glad to have them baby sat by us. Also these are kids not marching to the drummer, and maybe might respond to someone trying to pass on an enthusiasm, and being concerned that they have fun.

Girl Scouts are looking for good wholesome activities which are not "female" as such. Also, girls of that age are much more focused and tractable than many young males

Hossfly

Jim, you, as always, have magnificent proposals. I especially like the Home School idea.

OTOH, I would never touch any kind of looking out for other folks' kids for anything. In this day with this country's current tort system, one would be a number-1 target for anyone behind in their rent or car notes. You must surely remember that one of our very prominent engine mfgers. spent some time in the "Many-Bar Hotel" just because he allowed the neighbor's kids to use his swimming pool, and that was way before things got totally out of hand. I had a very good friend whose brother lived in the area, and said brother, a named pylon racer in those days, swore that eng. man never did anything wrong except be nice to other people and their kids.
No kids, except my own grandkids, in my workshop without the parents.

cj_rumley

Jim-

You are no stranger to positive thought provoking posts, but this one really stands out.

Maybe it was especially the part about getting the girls involved. One of my most vivid and satisfying recollections is of my then 10 year old daughter completing a plastic model of the Space Shuttle, and doing a job of it that was well earned prideful. There is a tenable link from that seed that has passed to my soon-to-be 4 YO grandson.
You make a very good and too often overlooked point.

Cletus

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

How bout flying some cool models everywhere possible...parks, schoolyards, church yards, disserted industrial areas etc. even at the field... Be open to everyone that shows an interest and let them see how much fun you have...someone ought to try that.

sukhoi_sammy

Hello everybody. Sorry I have been absent here for a while. Just returned home from traveling and stopped by Muncie while out. Had a good talk with everybody there and got good info on starting a club.

You guys make a good point. In todays atmosphere we must be weary about laws and how lawers twist them for their clients. I dont want a babysitting program for troubled kids. A disgruntled teenager is going to be disgruntled intill he or she chooses not to be. Nothing I do will change that. Now what I really want to hear about is programs that have been successful in the past or something that you are doing now. Lots of great ideas here, how about putting some steam behind them.

The build clinic is good. It gets everyone involved. Nobody sitting on the bench while one person flys. Those that follow the build through to the end will get rewarded with their own flying model. Then, they can use it to learn with. It should also provide them with some basic workshop tools for future repairs or building.

My first priority is getting an AMA chartered club up and running. It has been difficult to find the five people interested. After that I will work on community outreach.

Ken Erickson

For a number of year, I have used your idea of the magazines with stickers on the front and back, left at Barber shops, car service places, etc. I add a sheet of printed business card material with the contact information and a promotional message. It is glued into the mag with gluestick. Folks can tear off one of the cards and take it home without taking the entire mag. Eventually, the mags dissapear.

Ken Erickson