krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

I have been in and out of RC a few times in the past.
I have belonged to clubs and flew at their fields. I have seen planes get away from people on the bench and many other close calls and injuries. I have also seen nice planes taken out of the air by people that don't know how to fly.
Now I really prefer to fly alone or with a friend or two that I know well. Maybe I am just getting to old and set in my ways for stupidity.
I don't like waiting to fly or having reckless fliers around me that I have to watch out for. And I have seen a couple of fields set up that should not even be where they are in my opinion and some that are set up in a manner that forces fliers to fly over people or cars in the area. To me that's just wrong and has too many liabilities.
I am fortunate enough to live in an area that had lots of open land and areas to fly at. I know that many don't have that situation.
I currently fly at a commercialconstruction site that is huge just on the outside of town.
Nice and flat with no buildings even close to it and with the economy the way it is the construction halted some time ago and the land is for sale. The area must be 5 football field square and even has a street on the one side that's paved and makes a pretty nice runway. But other than some light industrial buildings at some distance away there are no homes or anything else in the area.
I fly electric now and needless to say I don't leave any kind of a mess behind and nobody has ever told me I could not fly there.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I really prefer the camaraderie. I'd rather be with a large group and not even get a flight in than to be out flying by myself.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

Well first off unless you have permission to fly on that construction site you are trespassing. Have an accident there and you could be in some trouble. Where I come from you ask for permission before you walk on property that doesn't belong to you or isn't public ,
That being said, I would rather fly with a few people around rather than by myself and do it on a club field. You always run the risk of injury and it's good to have someone there with you. As far as waiting to fly, or reckless fliers, you can run into that at any club and you patiently wait your turn and if a known reckless flier is out ,wait for them to land or you land and wait for them to finish.

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

This is AZ and land is pretty open here. We don't get paranoid about people being on open land unless it's posted.
This is a very low density populated state with BLM and other federally controlled land everywhere.
The construction site is all but abandoned, no activity there for over a year and for all I know in foreclosure by a bank like many properties all over the country.
And I don't want to wait my turn, for anything. I think you missed my point.

MetallicaJunkie

+5

i agree

acerc

What's the point, you don't like people and are selfish. Personally I say stay where you are.

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

You make a lot of assumptions that can get you in a lot of trouble my friend.

acerc

That's what I read into it, not meaning to insult in my responce. So set me straight, what's your point. Most of us know the risk and reward's of flying both way's.

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

I asked where you like to fly and such.
And I explained my reasoning.
And you come in and assume I don't like people and I am selfish because I would rather fly alone and not have the problems I have seen at many flying fields?
You just don't seem to get it.

acerc

Ok Ok, my apologies. Bored and can't go fly and just I don't know. Again, My apologies.
I do know exactly how you feel. I have a club where most of the time it's pretty good. But on the day's when a select few show up, I don't enjoy flying and usually won't. And I too have open land to go fly on as well. But I do like the comaraderie associated with a field. All in all I prefer the club setting.

krashkart

My Feedback: (5)

And I do like people, believe it or not. And I am certainly not selfish.
I share ideas and help people.
But I am getting older and some of the younger generation sometimes just does not have a whole lot of sense if you know what I mean.
I have seen rookies show up, fire off a bigger gas motor and see that plane take off toward spectators too many times in life. And it's not just where I am at now, I have flown in 4 states with many groups.
I don't want to be put in a dangerous situation or would I want to endanger anyone myself.
The last club I was a member of had so many restrictions due to their location that it wasn't even fun to fly anymore. One old timer had taken so many planes out of the air at the field that most preferred he did not fly at all.
And when it comes to taking turns time is an element here too. If you did not get there early enough at this location the winds can come up here in the peaks of the mountains quickly and you may not get to fly at all. If I remember correctly at that last field they only allowed 4 planes up at a time and about all you could do was take off and fly parallel to the landing strip due to the flight restrictions at that field. Not much fun and the altitude was limited too due to being on an approach to a real airfield.
Besides, flying electric is almost like flying a glider at times being so quiet. Sometimes the peace and quiet is really nice.
Kinda of like fly fishing alone on a stream to me.

weathervane

It all depends on the day.

Some days I love to be out at the club field. It is a blast hanging out with the guys. Seeing all the different type planes they bring. Whether an ARF or a kit build. It is just nice to see all the typs of planes that people like.

Then there are those days when I like to get in a quick flight or two or three by my self. I will grab a smaller plane and head out to the school field or church lot for a few quick laps of fun. Some times I will get a few kids come over and watch. You know the normal questions that goes along with it.

Then there are the days that I live for. The big events. I love to pack up the shop grab a bunch of planes, hook up my camper and head out for a few days of fun. Getting to see friends from last years event and catching up on all that has been going on. Watching the compition events and demos, seeing the vendors and what's new. Just a lot of fun.

But my most favoret time to fly, no matter where. Small field, big event or club field. I love night flying. Flying in the dark is a blast. It is normally very quiet and no wind. Pulling out one of my night flyers and putting it up in the dark sky. It is like my therapy. It is so relaxing. Plus it is a lot of fun showing off my night flyer creations.

So basicly I like to fly. It does not matter where, just as long as I can get in some stick time.
-Andrew

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

I have no idea where in Arizona you are but suspect somewhere up on the mongolan Rim, Hm pretty high up there have had loads of fun visiting the Sedona Boy as well as the Flagstaff folks at seven thousand feet.

Well I am a proud member here at Kingman, thirty four hundred feet. And guess what we also have plenty of room to fly at all sorts of places and even a beautiful big dry lake not to far away (just flew from the kingman RC modelers field to another dry lake just over forty miles, yup across some open desert and some highway.

So you see we to are blessed many possibilties however our club flourishs and is now twice the size it was not to long ago just before I was elected in as president. Serving just one year is all that I promised and we have had many firsts this last year with remarkable participation.

Club membership can be far more rewarding than many think. But that requires you to go in with a good attitude. If one goes in with a poor attitude then of course they are definately gonna come out with a worse attitude than they went in with and have no one to blame but themselves.

Another down side to this solitary man bit is how are you gonna share the joys with some new folks. Most truly old timers who are active such as myself (I fly Every flyable day of the year and not just little parkies either) just live to train new folks and guide them into truly realizing their dreams. That just cannot happen if you live and fly as a solitary man.

Share the dream Krashkart, That is what makes it all worth while as an old timer. You would be amazed.


John

Team Geritol

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

I was going to post a reply but by the time the page loaded, I forgot what it was! [:@]

Thank goodness for copy and paste................I am a member of two clubs and also have the fortune to have two private fields not too far away that I can fly at. I enjoy both BUT, too many times club = drama and sometimes that's something I can do without.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

I didn't miss the point . If you don't like waiting, having to interact with newbies, or with a club in general then you need to be off somewhere else,isolated ,doing your own thing when you want to do it. I like to be alone every now and then and I usually get my wish towards the end of an afternoon when most club members leave. I've got acres of fields by my house that I can and do fly on but I prefer my two clubs fields and whatever little baggage that goes along with them as the positives clearly outweigh the negatives IMHO.
I know all clubs are different as a long time member of my one club moved out to Nevada and he says the club he joined has everything you could imagine a field to have but it's missing the most important thing he was used to.......very friendly .outgoing, and warm people. He says the atmosphere is so cold, people are divided into cliques and want nothing to do with each others groups or anyone else. Even though he is there with 20 people , he is by himself.

guver

My Feedback: (325)

I like to fly right out my back door. It's about 10 acres or so. I've been to 2 fly fields and 1 indoor facility (all 3 times as a spectator) and I know that I'll love it there too when I get to it.

hemiflyer1

My Feedback: (2)

Down the road about 5 min. there is a 1500' paved "runway" that me and a bro or two or one of my sons will fly at . No drama, no mid-airs just good flying. It's a gas refinerys drive and I have permission. I was asked not to fly over the fenced area...not a problem. But it really depends on the plane. I wouldn't fly my blue nose there because the runway is a little narrow. My brother has a 700x60 grass runway, but he's 50mi. away.  There is a school complex 10 mi. away for the bigger planes, but only on weekends. And again, don't fly over the school.  

bogbeagle

I prefer to fly in company of others; but, I don't play well with authoritative types.

So, I probably have the best of both worlds. My field is public and huge. There are perhaps 2 dozen regulars, but not one of them would say, " You can't do that; I don't like it."

We generally liaise via the internet, such that we meet at specific times.



Our system works really well. I recommend it to you.

EGRUNE

My Feedback: (10)

Krashkart, I know exactly what your saying, andd agree. I'm certainly not "Anti-Social" but sometimes you just feel like flying, not talking, dodging other stray aircraft etc...Completely up to you! On other days the company is nice etc. And yes, I think it is reasonable to fly at the abandoned site, no mess, no noise, No Big Deal, if they ask you to leave, then leave, no biggie. I'm not even that old yet , but like my solitude on certain days...To each his own

MetallicaJunkie

after i soloed and started flying on my own(still a kid 13,14 or so), i would always "pray" that there be no one else at the flying field... not because im anti-social but because i didnt want anyone to see me goof up or land like crap.... now almost 20 year later, and proficient at flying RC, i do pray that their be a nice group of buddies to fly with or at least one other person to keep each other company

Instructor

My Feedback: (16)

[:@]From what I read in this thread, krashkart likes to fly alone. There's no reason he can't. But when he say's he doesn't like rules, then he has to put up with people flying all over the field, that's what the rules are for. I fly at the same field that flyinwalenda flies at. When the first person takes to the skies at any given day, we use that pattern to fly. If the wind is blowing from the left, we fly aright hand pattern. If the wind is blowing from the right, we fly a left hand pattern. If you fly at a field where there is no pattern, then you have to acept the way people fly. When we are flying, I try to call a manuver when I'm in the middle of the pattern. If someone takes off and goes the wrong way, when others are flying, we make sure he is aware of it. They either change the pattern to match the others or they land. Having these rules save a lot of accidents and helps to keep others from getting out of control.....

bogbeagle

The absence of rules does not necessarily mean the absence of structure.

Groups of flyers will organise themselves, spontaneously ... such that they can fly together without problems. Like I say, there are no written rules, nor hierarchical structure, at my site. But, it isn't at all chaotic.

Try it, before you knock it.

BobbyMcGee

I like the videos that come from China, Korea,and Tawain that depict people flying their jets off of streets and highways that are also being driven on by real vehicles (cars and trucks). No one thinks twice about it!

As for me, I fly small electric planes in my backyard, and on my neighborhood street. Couldn't do this with nitro planes, but I can with the electrics because they are quiet.

I also go to school parking lots... they are huge!
I also go to home developments that were under construction and since abandoned ... lots of those in South Florida. Plenty of long, vacant streets to choose from. Several people also go there. It's like a mini-club.
I also go to an R/C field, but that's much further than all the rest of my choices.

wildlifeguy

My Feedback: (5)

I can understand what the thought process is.  I'm sure you will get a few responses about how it is wrong to fly in an unregulated area for the various reasons.  Although I do not have the accessibility to public lands as those in the west, I definitely know what it is about.   I am an introverted person and love doing many hobbies alone so I can concentrate and have alone time to think.  Especially when I haven't been able to fly in awhile, I prefer to be alone and fly, fly, fly until I get my "fix".  Once I settle into the good feeling, it will usually last a few weeks.  Then, I prefer to have other people around to talk about mistakes, techniques and see how others solve issues.  I will usually learn much more about flying in one day with a group than multiple days flying by myself.  However, I think this can work up to a point.  I have never flown at a crowded club, therefore I can't really make assumptions.  My thoughts though are that I wouldn't like only getting 1-2 flights in an outing.  I prefer not having to worry about being on someone else's channel (yes I still use 72 mhz).  I'm glad I can piddle with my stuff while others are flying.

Instructor

My Feedback: (16)

Been there, done that, won't do it again. Didn't feel confortable with planes all over the place. Don't want to loose my investment and hard work to someone that flies reckless. When these people crash, the first thing they blame is their equipment. They don't have a clue what it takes to make a model aircraft, or a real aircraft, fly. They are the ones that know all the answers. No I don't have all the answers, but I keep my aircraft a lot longer than most people do. And yes, I fly just as much as they do......