aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

This poll is directed to pilots who flyglidersof some kind, whether pure or electric.

Are you a member of a club or are you flying on your own?

If you are flying on your own, not a member of a club, how long have you been flying? Where do you fly?


If you are a member of a club, how long have you been flying? Where is your club?

Please feel free to post anything you like about your flying experience whether part of a club or not.


This survey is not here to convince anyone that they should or should not be part of a club. I am just looking for a feel about what percentage of the forum members are members of clubs, whether they are AMA or any other kind of club.

In the context of this survey, club means an organized flying group, typically with rights to use a flying field of some kind. If you have a bunch of guys/gals, a set of rules, a group name as well as a place where you are allowd to fly, then you are in a club, in my opinion.

evan-RCU

Flying 40+ years member of many clubs since I was a military brat and then in the military for 20+ years. I've started clubs, been officer in clubs... Currently vice president of the Flying Aces Pilots Association and member of Metrolina Control Line clubs both in Charlotte N.C. also on the board of directors for the flying park we contract from oour Parks and Rec.

I feel clubs are vital to helping new pilots and for the future of our hobby. The bad about clubs is there is always someone that is not happy that the club is there, they don't like rules and think that what we have attained should be able to be used by anyone for nothing with no rules, no AMA, no anything. Also even though we share the same hobby we all have different personalities that cause friction. But when we choose to work together we can really accomplish something and have a great time.

Frede2

I've been in two different clubs beginning in 1976. Bodth were centered in the same flying site in Metro Nashville parks. Possibily the oldest AMA flying site in the U.S.A. One member was flying there the morning of Dec. 7, 1941.
I wish there was an active sailplane club closer than Tullahoma (about 90 miles away). []

tlar

The club near me isnt very active in gliders. Mostly nitro.
If there is anyone any Tallahassee Fl area wishing to break off and start an AMA soaring club...ok electrics too. There is a possibility that Gadsden county has a field we can use in exchange for keeping it mowed.

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

My club is also mostly nitro. Lots of IMAC stuff. It's not a very welcoming place for sailplanes. A few guys have flown electric gliders there, but that's about it. For glider flying I'm off at the slope or to the sod farm near where I work. Yes, I'm a club member, but for glider flying I'm mostly on my own.

papermache

MaxAdventure

My Feedback: (7)

I'm currently VP of LEAF, Longmont Electric Aircraft Fliers. http://www.leafrc.com
I primarily fly electric due to how close this field is, and how relaxed everyone is and as an electric field, forces me into doing mostly electric.

I also happen to be a member of BAS, Boulder Aeromodeling society http://www.boulderaero.org/
This is where I learned to fly on an Eagle 63 around 1980. This club has a great facility, float flying SIG I'm a part of and where I go for my IC powered planes/helis.

My primary interest these days are sailplanes and helis, and I find I prefer electric helis so LEAF suits me well, especially with some great thermals at the field!

Several things I like about being a part of an AMA club:
I spent a lot of time flying out of my yard in my youth, 10 Acres in the middle of hundreds of acres of cow pasture and government property - and having an actual field with a runway is so much nicer. I started into heli's 20 years ago thinking it would be easier to fly at home, nope! I still prefer a real RC field for my heli flying. I also really appreciate the piece of mind of the insurance, especially every time I read a story or see a picture of a serious RC related injury. Just think of those Florida Helis flying in the park we all talked about this last spring.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks for posting your comments.  keep it coming guys!  I would like to get as large a response as possible.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

After letting this run for a few months, it looks like the majority of the glider pilots are members of clubs, AMA or non-ama clubs.

isoar

My Feedback: (1)

When this darn FAA thing kills soaring, they'll wish they joined AMA so we'd have a bigger lobby. It is 140,000 strong now, but could be 4+ times that big if not for those too cheap to join. Rebals, free spirits, who needs a club - yeh right, see how "free" you are when the goverment makes their move.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I agree that we need every person and every voice gathered together as one with AMA speaking for us. 

ARUP

Member of Green River Lake Radio Control Club and the River City Radio Controllers. Haven't renewed membership with Louisville Area Soaring Society. It's a great club- just haven't renewed membership.

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Hi,
It is really hard to beat a club when you want to learn to fly or learn to fly another type of RC plane.
As with all things man made problems do come up, and having help handy is priceless.
Besides it is great to have friends to share the brats with and to help get my plane out of the trees.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I am still tracking this poll if anyone else would care to vote or comment on the topic?

skylark-flier

Been flying(CL)since 1955, RC since 72. Have been in several clubs around the world, not presently though due to distance to the nearest one, although there are several guys in the local area who do get together when circumstances permit. No doubt about it, flying is great but flying with others is a whole lotbetter and usually quite educational and entertaining.

AMA - wouldn't fly without it (member since 1972), but I'm somewhat like others in that I think it could be run more to the advantage of all us fliers. It SHOULD, after 75 years, be a whole lot better known and larger. If it was, FAA would be more likely to listen a whole lot more in the upcoming "whatevers". Still hoping this all works out though.

Steve Steinbring

Been modeling and flying for over fifty years on and off. Presently belong to two clubs the AMPS club in Miami, FL and the Golden Hawks in Deland, FL. Both clubs require AMA and run sanctioned events each year.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Are you guys mostly dedicated glider guys or do you fly fuel and electric airplanes too?  

ARUP

I fly 'wet' powered scale airplanes and scale sailplanes. I build mostly from my own plans. I'm tending to like sailplanes more and more. There is a certain purity of flight that is becoming more desirable with sailplane pilotage. I plan on attending the upcoming JR Aerotowing Event with a new scratchbuilt vintage sailplane.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I would love to attend one of those JR events one of these days.  I have a 3.4M Ventus 2C set-up for Aerotow.

qldviking

I am currently not a member of any club, because mainly its too far to any club and I do not care for some of the wankers running loose at the nearest club[:'(]. The next closest is over 90 miles away, which is too far on my very limited budget.
I fly all types of aircraft, from small electric to giant assers, gliders both both powered and not, heli's and I even had a blimp a while back. The only type of plane I dont have is jets.
I will definately be joining another AMA affiliated club again in the not too distant future, but currently all my flying is from neighbouring farms where the only ones to see me goof is the local wildlife and cows [&:]

jcstalls

My Feedback: (7)

I think the first RC Sailplane club I joined back in the early 80's is still the oldest AMA sanctioned Soaring Club in the USA.

I have joined a few others along the way

I joined a RC Sailplane club out in my area a couple of years past, but have not renewed yet due to not flying. Hope to rejoin this year. The club field is the best in our Nation.

I was really disappointed after I moved out the central Indiana only to find no clubs nor place to fly sailplanes in less then an hour's drive, each way. Just cost to much.

One thing I do know;
To keep a RC Sailplane club a RC Sailplane club, is to keep it only, a RC Sailplane club. Period!

wind junkie

My Feedback: (1)

I agree with jcstalls on segregation if that's a priority to you to keep a club strictly soaring.

I fly everything from GS to EDFs to indoor to slope and thermal. Warbirds to 3D, basically everything with wings no helis for me.

In my local area I belong to 3 fuel-centric clubs, one thermal club, one electric only club. I also belong to a few other loose associations nation wide for slope centric groups. In my local area only the fuel centric clubs have their own fields with a dues-paying membership. None of these clubs are extremely "active" as they seldom hold meetings other than our informal flying gatherings.

Since I don't use a winch or histart, I'm really never in direct conflict with any of the fuel power flyers (as there are no lines to clutter the runways) and sharing the airspace is no problem. the other clubs are really "vagabond" in character as we maintain contact through e-mail or online and decide when/where to fly based on weather and personal schedules. In rare occasions we do aero-towing which involves one or two of the power flyers.

When I bring a glider to my fuel centric clubs I'm in "instant ambassador" which is fine, but it seems I might as well have brought an electric train set to the field as only in rare occasions does anyone new ever bring a sailplane to that same power field in response to my initial demo. This is usually because I'm playing to the same crowd over and over, with the only variable beng a different airplane for show and tell.

Sometimes a new glider pilot will arrange to meet me elsewhere for a soaring session, which is usually more appropriate for the mood and/or weather and geography dependent flying involved.

Joe

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Are electric gliders taking over in soaring in your club?

jetmaven

Not if I can help it , I preach the gospel of the winch ,all else is %#¥£ . Don't get me started .

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I say fly it all. I fly winch, HS, HL and electric. And, of course, slope too.

I fly club contests in Ulimited winch, RESwinch and ALES.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

It is interesting that this survey was started in 2010 and continues to pick up responses. I have this running across four forums.

..............................Y - LT2 Y - .MT2..... N - LT2 N - MT2........Totals

All Power Types---13.14%----56.64%-------11.41%----18.81% 100.00%

club members ?
Total Responses Yes 69.78% No 30.22%

Comments:
This is not to be viewed as any kind of scientific sampling
The surveys were posted in the beginner/trainer sections of the Electric and fuel forums of RCU, RCG and RCH as well as Wattflyer. RCH has since shut down.
They were also posted in the glider forums

If the surveys had been placed in forums other than the training forums, they might have had a different result.

Trainer/beginner was chosen under the assumption that the newer pilots would be here, but that is an assumption, not a fact.

It should be noted that many experienced pilots, say those who have been flying over 2 years, have more than one type of plane they fly.

I, for example fly both gliders and electrics, but I do not fly any fuel planes. Some pilots may fly all three.

No surveys were placed in the Heli sections

The surveys remain open and continue to gather numbers, but the distribution has stopped showing any significant change, so this report will be considered representative of the general result.

In many cases the posts tell the more important story. They tell the why more than the what.