flite test crew /dwindeling

[PsyBorg]

Oh I am sure someone from FT has poked their heads in here. They have a lot of changes to handle not only with staff changes and a new business partner over seas. It takes a lot of work to do all that and its not something that in most cases can be done over a phone long distance.

Even if things are slowing down a bit I think they deserve a break they have been hitting this hard for several years now. Like us I am sure they get burnt out at times too. I think things will pick back up a bit with the new full scale stuff and the vlogs as well once they get the partnership in Europe ironed out and functional. Winter time is fast approaching so things slow down more but they pick up the slack with small scale indoor stuff about this time of year.

 

[Rasterize]

Youtube is a tough venue to "make it". FT has done a wonderful job reinventing themselves and trying to keep it fresh. Reviews, crazy antics, periscope, Facetime are all part of the mix and I'm sure more will be added as technology evolves. FT is still changing and growing, as I think it needs to. As it does, it will give us new things we like, things we may not be so fond of as well as new episodes with that "old feel" we sometimes get melancholy for. Just as landing is mandatory, change is inevitable. I for one think the Vlogs are a great idea. They have kind of a "Casey Neistat" feel to them. I hope they keep exploring that particular media. Rock on FT, rock on.

 

[airhawk]

I agree with both of you.I think it would benifit ft if they took a break to get things ready to publish.it would definitely help the quality.

 

[earthsciteach]

This topic comes up regularly now. I'd say about once per year it reaches a head, FT takes in the feedback and makes changes, which have kept people fairly satisfied.

The turnover at FT is not surprising. First, David made it no secret that he had to return to his wife and home in Sweden. There were a lot of complaints about Peter when he joined FT, but his cleverness and creativity won people over. He is a very young guy trying to find what works for him and he has the smarts to go out and make it happen. I suppose, in his view, it was time to move on to something new while helping his family (just my uninformed take on things). Eric was great on camera and is a very talented guy with all things RC and is an AP professional. But he had his own business to run and working at FT didn't work with that.

I think that Alex has really stepped up on-screen and I very much like what Stefan brings to the videos. I love the V-logs, too. I would bet that the Tiny Trainer episode came about as the result of reading comments such as are on this thread. But, that's just my guess.

FT is kind of in a no win situation with the events and travelling. They are working hard to make FTFF accessible to people all around the country, which is much in demand, while bringing new content to their episodes. People complain that they are stretched too thin while complaining that the content is not what it used to be. Personally, I wouldn't do well in their position because I wouldn't be inclined to be as accommodating as they try to be. But, I'm just that kind of asshole.

 

[JohnnyJiuJitsu]

I think Chad is a very talented attribute to the FT team.
The stuff that he is doing behind the scenes is pretty cool as far as I can tell in the VLOGS.
I look forward to maybe a design by him in the future.
I also think Stefen is a funny dude and another valuable asset to the new FT crew.
I appreciate his enthusiasm. I wish I could have that attitude all the time.
The realistic issue is you can't please all the people all the time.
I appreciate FT for what it is. An awesome community that is free.
Free.
I'll say it again.
Free.
I don't feel the need to elaborate further.
Just reflect on free for now.

I am excited about the spear! Definitely going to build that as soon as the plans come out. Eh hem, The free plans.
I love my blunt nose versa wing. It looks like the mini arrow and the blunt nose versa wing had an offspring.

 

[gregp]

I think Chad is a very talented attribute to the FT team.
The stuff that he is doing behind the scenes is pretty cool as far as I can tell in the VLOGS.
I look forward to maybe a design by him in the future.
I also think Stefen is a funny dude and another valuable asset to the new FT crew.
I appreciate his enthusiasm. I wish I could have that attitude all the time.
The realistic issue is you can't please all the people all the time.
I appreciate FT for what it is. An awesome community that is free.
Free.
I'll say it again.
Free.
I don't feel the need to elaborate further.
Just reflect on free for now.

I am excited about the spear! Definitely going to build that as soon as the plans come out. Eh hem, The free plans.
I love my blunt nose versa wing. It looks like the mini arrow and the blunt nose versa wing had an offspring.

Did you mean that this is actually free. Both videos and plans as well as fun and wisdom?

Although i miss David and Peter a lot i'm looking forward for each new episode. This is great project and we are blessed to enjoy and learn.

 

[PsyBorg]

I'm old so my expectations are not the kind that needs to be fed constant input to keep me amused and happy. I learned along time ago to appreciate what I have or get. When put in context with what I get from the FT experience as a whole there is enough here to keep me busy for the rest of my life.

If I get burned out or am not as interested in part of what I see here I have no problems gettin off my arse and go do something else instead of complaining I am not being entertained 24/7. After all its Flite Test not baby sitters club.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

It's very hard to complain about the extraordinary amount of high-quality content provided free to anyone who is interested.

I discovered FT in their earlier days (in the summer before the first Flite Fest), after a ~30 year absence from the hobby.... The FT gang (and the entire community) has challenged, encouraged, and entertained me for those 3+ years, giving me the support I needed to become nearly obsessed (and almost competent) with model aviation, again.

My knowledge and experience has grown tremendously over those years... Certainly, I expect FT to grow and evolve as well.

Do I miss some of the zany adventures of the past? Perhaps, but I also see the need for the organization to mature in order to become a commercial success. Do I miss David and Peter? Also, yup. Like an organization, they, too, have to evolve and adapt to their changing needs. Besides, I can still see both of those fine gents on their YouTube channels.

As it always is when new personalities come on board, it takes a while to get used to the new chemistry they bring to the mix. And having met most of the new guys at FF16 (as well as the "old" crew and many of the behind-the-scenes folks), I got a huge appreciation for the love of the hobby that they all have and want to share with the world. Plus, they are ALL completely exceptional persons in every other regard.

No matter what, however, the core function of FT has remained unchanged all these years -- to get people involved in model aviation at a very low cost and with an easylearning curve. The tools needed to do this are still here -- the original tutorials, build videos, and zany adventures are still available to introduce new generations to this amazing hobby. And the STEM development is a great part of that.

So, to the FT gang, I say "THANKS!" I look forward to seeing how you continue to grow over the years... and keep me inspired with new/different projects as I head into my retirement in a couple of years.

 

[airhawk]

I loved the latest wing Kenya episode I hope they do more of that