My wife has poked fun at me for years over my models. We have debated whether its a hobby or a sport. I race some pylon, so it is a sport, at least in that respect. Also, it takes some real piloting skills to fly the extreme aircraft discussed this forum. She thinks its just nerdy. Given the importance of unmanned aircraft overseas, I now have the upper hand. I told my wife not to call my planes toys anymore. They are drones, or unmanned aircraft.

Paul

Toys to some but to us that are addicted it is another way to breath!

And get away from the wives that take time to think of names for our addictions. Works for me!

sorry guys, but I can't resist.

While I do wish folks would get past the "nerdy" image we usually get, I cannot justify calling my R/C activity a "sport" -- even when I compete (pylon, combat, thermal duration)

To partake in a sport, you must physically exert yourself. That's my own personal definition, and you can argue if you like. No Golf, no fishing or hunting. Even table tennis is a sport if played with considerable skill and vigor. Ya gotta break a sweat -- and not just cause you're nervously burning calories.

HLG throwing can get pretty intense, and F3J towing certainly requires muscle, but doing that pilot stuff is all reflexes, practice and coordination. You don't need to strengthen your thumbs lifting weights to excel, even if you do think it's a sport. (Man, did you see the size of Chip Hyde's thumbs? Wow, just like Arnold's biceps!)

Oh, and the Predator pilot flying over Bagdad isn't sweating either, unless it's hot inside the trailer.

But they certainly aren't toys!

Junkie, I beg to differ. First, I never thought I would say this to a fellow RC'r, but you sound like my wife. You even race pylon. Shame on you.

Nevertheless, your post inspired me to walk over to my bookcase, pull out my American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Ed. (1982), and look up sport. It states: "An active pastime; recreation. A specific diversion, usually involving physical exercise and having a set form and body of rules; game." I think the key word is "usually".

It is not Chip Hyde's muscular little thumbs, but his ability to move them exactly where he wants to based on his oberservations, that makes him special. Similar to a racecar driver. It's the hand-eye coordination and incredibly quick reflexes. It's a skill. In the case of the top pylon racers, a highly developed skill.

Paul

You want exercise?......Try retrieving your aircraft from a dead stick landing a hundred yards out into the soybean field! You walk, you jump (over tangled vines), you run through the beans (when you hear the strange rustling at your feet) all the while toting an eight pound model balanced over your head. Now that's a full day's worth of exercise!

I run my mouth a lot at the flying field. I consider this exercise of the mouth.

Yes, I know who I sound like, but as a sports participant, the things I use to distinguish "my sports" I don't seem to find in my hobby. These are the euphoric effects of adrenaline and endorphins, and being able to test your limits physically.

Yes, we get adrenaline, and lots of it with R/C, but we don't get endorphins (well, maybe Goodtimecharlie and other unlucky pilots turned hikers do, but I'd wager they don't enjoy the experience).

Of course I realize that Chip Hyde has great reflexes and talent, and he competes to test his skills. I also realize there are many ways to be "a good sport" or conduct yourself with "good sportsmanship" in R/C, but I've always considered sports to be a physical endeavor, and in this light, I propose a better analogy is to make the distinction between an athlete, and a video game player.

Now, who would YOU be more likely to compare Chip Hyde with : The national champion of "Quake", or Michael Jordan?

I would like to say, however, that I do consider car racing a true sport. Those guys take a real beating with the G forces and general rough handling of a car on a track at high speed. They need conditioned upper bodies, and general great fitness to endure the long hours of exertion.

I'll be the first to agree that what I consider sports and the R/C hobby do share many, if not most traits, but, like I said, for me, ya gotta break a sweat, or it's not a sport.

Or, more simply, sports are for athletes.

of course its a sport...football, baseball, soccer, etc are simply games!!!

They call curling a sport....................and heck it's in the olympics.

A sport is something you do for fun ( synonymously, 'for sport' ), regardless whether it is physically demanding. A toy is something you play with, regardless of the complexity or skill involved. A competition is a event in which you are measured against another person or other people. These things aren't exclusive of each other, so we use some of these words interchangeably sometimes. I try not to worry about what other people call my stuff, especially since there is so much ambiguity. My 2 cents.

banktoturn

Shoot, they have Poker and Billards on ESPN. Thats the Entertainment and SPorts Network.

Come to think of it, I might sweat while playing poker..probably why I fly airplanes instead.

What about sitting on the can. While reading a good magazine at times I do break a sweat and sometimes put my body through extreme exertion. Eyes roll back into head and the mental and physical skills are truly tested. Some times it becomes a mind over matter to complete the task.

I seen this on ESPN also...LOL...j/k

Most people consider them toys until they see them fly. I usually just hover my helicopter around and do some mild forward flight, to start out with, when people who have never seen one fly are watching. Then when they least expect it, I let loose with it. Then there jaws drop because they can't believe what it can do.

Frankly, I don't care what it is called. I enjoy it whether it is sport, hobby, or just one step above twiddling your thumbs.

rc-mike has it down. Now I'm off to the field to twiddle MY thumbs!!

Very good points BanktoTurn. I would have called "something you do for fun" a "past-time" or more specifically "a hobby" in our case, and not necessarily a sport. The language is very imprecise here.

I have no problem with people calling my toys toys, or even R/C a nerdy hobby. It's their problem if they dont' see the fun. I like to start a fire around people who see themselves as "missionaries" and try to brainwash everyone into their way of thinking.

RC Mike is absolutely right. I play devil's advocate when I see someone who appears to be defending the hobby by trying to glorify it as a sport -- especially because so much of the world will not see it this way. No one person's definition is right, but it's fun to watch the fire spread. You can learn a lot about your friends this way, and it's not as dangerous as talking politics or religion. Try it at the field sometime.

now to go practice for the potty olympic trials...