Well I just figured you just buy a plane, little radio, and gas and off you go. I didnt realize all of the crap you need to buy. This hobby really nickle and dimes you to death when your getting started. For example, extra batteries, field boxes, all the lil tools you need, prop balancers, chargers, blah blah blah....

Did you guys know what you were gettin into?

I wish it were only nickle-dime. I need to buy stock in TH

Price wasn't bad, but learning to land was a bear. Lots of broken props and bent landing gear.

Yeah I knew it was an expensive hobby.

I tried to keep it cheap when I first started. Mainly because I
didn't know if I would like the hobby. Started with a Goldberg
Gentle and 4 channel radio. Even put the covering on with a small
travaling iron that I had. I thought I would out go to the field maybe
once a month or so. Boy was I wrong. 26 years later and I'm still at it.

Golf clubs, Mtn bikes, ATV's, planes.....etc......What hobby isnt expensive?? But look at the enjoyment we get out of it. This hasnt been too bad expense wise for me. I knew it wouldnt be cheap after coming over from offroad racing where you could plan on spending a minimum of $25 per night for entrance fees and parts. A $100 night wasnt uncommon for the number of cars I raced. You dont have to buy the best of everything right from the start. work up to it gradually and you will get all the stuff you need. If you become concerned about the price, it will ruin the enjoyment of it.

I've not found this to be an expensive hobby. I'm 3 years and 4 planes in now, from 1/2a thru 38cc gas.

I've spent 375 in MAAC and memberships, 160 in fuel, 1800 in hardware (planes, engines, radios, field equip), and really that's it.

So, I'm in for under 800 per year, about 2400 in the 3 years I've been doing this I fly 8 months a year, so it's maybe 100 a month. How many hobbies or sports can you really participate in regularly for this?

Hockey? No chance. Golf? Right. Hell, a gym membership could end up costing nearly as much, and that ain't much fun.

Now, I could have not built the 4 planes I did, or I could have saved money by choosing ARF's instead of kits, but that's not how I swing. I've never totaled a plane, or even needed more than 1/2 hours of repair.

This hobby is as cheap or expensive as you want it to be, or as you allow it to be. A frugal pilot could enter for about 300 dollars, for an RTF trainer, and grow with that trainer for several years before actually being able to out-fly the plane. Very few people actually master their trainer. If you can't do reasonably clean patterns or even basic 3d manouvres with your nexstar, you're not trying to get your money's worth. I think it's a symptom of our culture, when you get the basics of flying your trianer, and you realise that clean slow rolls with it take alot of coordination and skill, first thought these days isn't "I'll practice more", it's I need a new plane. No, you don't. Just go fly.

Instant gratification is expensive, not this hobby.

J

I was fully aware of the cost when I started, what I didn't understand was the power of
the ADDICTION!!![sm=drowning.gif][sm=spinnyeyes.gif][sm=drowning.gif]

I guess it might seem expensive at first. Once you are established, its one of the cheapest hobbies around. Just stay away from the Jets.

Well said. That's exactly how I feel about it! [8D]

I was actually surprised how inexpensive it is. I priced it many years ago and it was much more expensive then.
Compare it to my high power rocket hobby. I can easily spend $80 per flight (for fuel grains) on a rocket that cost $1,000 to build and equip. That is a level 2 rocket with a J size motor. When I get to level 3 and an M size motor I can spend $500 just for the fuel grains for one single flight.
RC airplanes are relatively inexpensive.

Compare flying planes to a typical golf club membership...

It's a cheap hobby.... my clubs get no use now and I have more fun.

But I still sometimes sneak planes in at night... as I have them all over the place!

I inherited a hobby gene from my father. I've had numerous hobbies all my life and I'm getting very close to sixty. In the past I've dabbled in drag racing, back before I had a family and you could by a factory muscle car for $5K, oil painting, hunting, skeet shooting, black powder guns, handguns (pre-brady bill), homebrewing, astronomy,which led to amature telescope making, which led to mirror making, which led to making a ccd camera, which led to digital electronics, which led to computers. I'm now building and flying rc airplanes. Compared to all the other hobbies I've had rc is about medium middlewize as for as money spent. Cheaper than astronomy and more exspensive than brewing beer. My best friend of over 30 years says he's been able to experience and participate in all these hobbies with out spending a dime. Wish I knew someone like that. Any way the fun factor far out weighs the cost. I've often felt sorry for a lot of people I know who never experienced the thrill and excitement of a new found interest. Besides as long as you can stay away from flying ,full size airplanes, or sailing you should be able to get by with out a second morgtage.

Oscar

I knew it could be if you let it. I started out with mostly used gear except for my radio and over the years I slowly bought really good stuff but mostly on sale items, almost never retail.
I was mostly into U-control and free flight most of my life and knew how much RC would cost if you let it.
I still scratch build my own planes or get kits at auction for almost nothing and change out gear as needed when I'm tired of flying one of my planes. I just happen to be out of good servos right now and have A nice plane on my bench but nothing I'm flying I want to hang up so I'm stuck for A while.
Maybe I will make A mistake and kill something?? Hasn't happened in A long time but it could.[)]

The hobby is a monster if you let it be.... I have been lucky and had great mentors in the hobby. I have aquired a few used planes, ARF's, Kits, engines, and lots of other stuff for free or atleast great deals just thru the friends I have in the hobby. We all like to pay it forward and help the newcommers join in the addiction that is RC airplanes. I have also been blessed to have a wife that enjoys going to the field and atleast trys to understand "why so many?"

So, to answer your question: Yes, I knew what I was getting into, but my wife was a little shocked at first.

Around 1,000 a year according my Tower Hobbies account plus e-bay shopping, plus LHS item$, but at the end, the big smile I have when I successfully fly and land my planes is PRICELESS.

My other half can't understand why I need more than one plane. She doesnt get that you get BORED flying just one and how each plane has it's own flight characteristics which makes every new flight fun!

Couldn't have said it better myself. I knew it could be expensive, but there's always the possibility of 'bare bones' - do I NEED a 6ch computer radio? did I NEED to get OS? COULD I have bought a Tower Trainer and been happy?

I'm already shopping for my second plane and my first has yet to leave the ground. I've got my 'economic stimulus package' spent already, along with ANY other extra $$$ that comes my way.

Didn't I need a new pair of shoes? Sure, but what the hell's a little foot pain when you've got an OS tugging your plane around?

You'll never become a Platinum Member at that rate!

C'mon, get with the program!

Yeah, I pretty much knew how expensive this hobby is from my dad. I remember the day my Hobbico Nexstar ARF came in, I got it downstairs (the workshop) me and my dad looked over everything, started building (I built, he supervised), and while building he told me that one thing you need in this hobby is $$$$$. I've been in this hobby for a year or so, now I realize, boy was he every right !!!


TakingFlight96

I think what has led to me parting with my discretionary income in such a joyous manner is more my enthusiasm for the hobby rather than the hobby's need for constant spending.

Getting involved was less expensive than I imagined, but once I was in I was having so much fun at everything that I just kept wanting to try new things.

This is one of my cheaper hobbies.

Try :

Boats
Guns
Camping via travel trailer
Trucks
Astronomy
Motorcycles


As far as bang for the buck.. Well this is one of the top 2 in my book.
When ya get older. the old saying: "The difference between men and boys is the size and cost of their toys" is oh so true....

The key for me is to "keep it simple..." Complexity is expensive, and the ones with the fanciest of everything
seem to complain the most about cost... [8D]

Well most of of money before this went into a 2002 Camaro SS. Which is on stands right now awaiting its 9" rear, new driveshaft, trans rebuild, and new clutch. That cost 5,000. Not to mention the extra rims, drag radials, exhaust work, and other bits and pieces I have done. Comparitively(sp?) this hobby is cheap. But so far in just over a month I have bought:

JR9303 2.4 Tx with servos and extra rx
Nexstar RTF
GP minnow with OS91 surpass RTF minus Tx (used)
VQ Me-109 ARF with magnum .70 4 stroke
Triton charger
extra props
exra batteries
and well most supporting tools and junk

I need to slow down....

3 planes in your first month? Now THAT'S an addiction!

I never knew how addictive and expensive this hobby was going to turn out for me.

I am well and truly addicted and all I seem to think about these days is my next trip to the field and how I can improve my aircraft and my flying skills.

Being relatively new to the hobby still, I have a couple of aerobirds which are now gathering dust. I regulary fly my JP.Prangster and am now confident that I can improve its flying abilities. Then in my hangar I have Parkzone FW-190 and Parkzone P51-Mustang, along with a Black horse SuperAir, which i am currently building..

I have also now started the process of obtaining a decent size Spitfire, even though I definately am nowhere near capable of flying it.. I just cannot stop.. its the addiction and dream of flying the spitfire one day thats taking over me.

The amount of kit rquired for this hobby was certainly a shock to me.. so many spare parts and bits are needed and a lot of this needs to go to the field each time I go flying.. always hate some tiny thing falling off (e.g a wheel grommit) and not having a spare.. which can cost me a day of flying.. arrrgghhh..

totally hooked...