“Bringing Hope to the Hobby”

[FTCA Director]

Lee,
I’m glad to see that you are taking the time to come here and try to communicate with the true FT fans and advocates. The big social media outlets may have the numbers but I believe this is where you will find the people that will benefit the most from being able to communicate with you and the others at FT (if you can bring them back here to us). Are you going to be handling FT questions AND FTCA or just FTCA?
Many of us deep down support FT and want to see nothing but success for the business and the people involved. On the other hand there have been LOTS of complaints about the direction things seem to be heading. That largely has to do with the lack of communication and not necessarily the choices that are being made. Most of us do understand the need to protect the business and intellectual property but there is still the feeling that FT is drifting too far from its core and is becoming more about the money and the YouTube subscribers and Facebook followers etc.
Heres a line of questioning that may or may not be in your AOR. It’s great to see that new designs are now being released again. What’s the actual plan for the plans? Will the free FTCA members only see a portion of the future plans to be released and those that pay with have access to more/all new plans? Since Overstreet has sooooo many designs “ready”, and there seems to be a schedule of three new SBK’s quarterly, will everything get a plan released? Will some planes only be SBK’s, some only plans?
I have little desire to delve into the political debates, especially in your intro/hope thread, so I would suggest creating a separate thread that deals specifically with the FTCA/FAA interactions and try to keep the hope thread a happy place. Maybe even create several threads to reach out and confront the most prominent questions that are being asked throughout this forum.
Thank you for your time and effort.

I agree with moving a lot of this discussion to a new thread. To be honest, I don't know if I have the capability of doing that or I have to have our IT guy do it (ignorance on my part).

As for your questions:
Are you going to be handling FT questions AND FTCA or just FTCA? - Yes. I will handle any question that I am capable to handle (keyword- capable). My goal is to learn more about this aspect of our community and be able to further communicate what we truly are standing up for in the hobby.
What’s the actual plan for the plans? - Due to the abuse that was experienced by individuals that are most likely outside of our community, the new plans are no longer going to be free for everyone. (If you want to see more how all that unfolded you can visit the thread on FB.) The plans that are in the old index will be there for people to access.

Will the free FTCA members only see a portion of the future plans to be released and those that pay with have access to more/all new plans? - The free FTCA members (Spectators) will not be receiving any new plans, other than the one they received in the Starter Package. The paid FTCA members (Ground Crew and Aircrew) will receive a new plan to download each month with their monthly membership email.

Since Overstreet has sooooo many designs “ready”, and there seems to be a schedule of three new SBK’s quarterly, will everything get a plan released? - No. From what I understand, John's Master Series will not have plans available for download, but there may have some printed versions on the store in the future.

Will some planes only be SBK’s, some only plans? - (refer to previous)

 

[FTCA Director]

Please don't do that... getting all Facebook puffy with that "Ill keep my tinfoil hat handy" I am 57, college educated person who was brought up with morals and common sense. I have not killed my brain cells smoking weed or abusing other substances or alcohol power drinking on weekends. I turned down some seriously high bonuses to get into the Navys Nuclear Propulsion programs to be involved in aviation based jobs. So please don't talk at me like I'm one of those people who didn't finish high school or cant pull my pants up let alone speak a proper sentence.

I have been on these forums for coming on 6 years now. I believed in and have supported Flite Test that entire time as shown by the number of "Helpful" posts I have being the top poster here on the forums. I spent a TON of my time helping people here when Flite Test core team has pretty much ignored since the migration to Facebook began. If I didn't know something I would go out on the internet and learn it just to help people who would come here and have their questions sit unanswered for several days or longer. At the very least I got to know a lot of people here and gone that did have answers and pointed the person needing specific help in the proper direction.

So basically you can put that tin foil hat in the closet with your fuzzy bunny slippers and teddy bears and we can have a real discussion. That discussion needs to have added into it other things directly effecting what is and will be happening to the hobby to be effective. Beyond politics the things like the afore mentioned drug use as over half of the Entire new base of pilots following you are relying on for support use it and alcohol on a regular basis WHILE flying. Then add in mandatory tracking gear that not only adds weigh to aircraft meant to be small and light but will be cost prohibitive no matter how cheap foam board is. So many people here cry poor so much that they complain over $2 for a servo. These are ALL things that need to be considered AND addressed from your position if you want to truly have success.

Just because there is a huge following numbers wise on Facebook does not mean that there is as large a community willing to stand up for the hobby or persevere thru changes when regulation hits a tipping point. MANY people are already moving on to other things and walking away from RC flight already because of current and proposed new regulation which should also be a metric for how you engage in this battle.

The people in the hobby are talking to you guys and although your intensions are good they are telling you they love YOU and support YOU but they will not be supporting an over regulated over taxed hobby. Which means they wont be paying a CBO, they wont be flying at approved fields. They wont be buying regulated over priced products with mandatory tracking gear. Most of all they wont be buying some mass produced piece of junk that has to be sent to an "Authorized or Certified" company for repairs that happen very often as you well know no matter how much good intentions anyone has to keep the hobby alive. They will simply find something else less intrusive to do.

Dont just think out of the box. Think outside of the warehouse the box is sitting in full of things effecting the hobby.

I'm really not trying to be "Facebook puffy", I don't even like FB. I was actually just trying to be funny...(I'll work on that). I apologize if I offended you or your intellect, that's not my MO. I too can tout the credentials needed to stand toe-to-toe, but that's not my MO either.

I do hear what you're saying, but I also think that you're jumping to conclusions about me and my objectives within my role. I want to understand you and the community that you may represent better, and I intend to do just that. I really don't want to continue a derogatory dialogue when we can be using that energy for a better use. I believe that we are really on the same team.

As for "MANY people are already moving on to other things and walking away from RC flight already": I cannot say that you have not witnessed that, but what I can say is that I have personally been a part of seeing MANY come into the hobby as of recent as well. I'm not sure if these numbers offset each other, but I do think it shows us that there are still plenty of people out there that would enjoy the hobby we currently do.

I'm not sure I would agree with your last paragraph, but time will tell. I am optimistic in what we have to offer to those individuals that truly want to see the hobby growth, and are willing to do their part to make that happen. I have already been blown away, in the short time that I have been in this position, seeing the response that has come in for what we Arte trying to do to preserve the hobby and make it accessible for the future generation.

I hope to have some great interactions with you in the future.

 

[PsyBorg]

@FTCA Director

My apologies Lee.. I took the "tinfoil hat" thing to be the standard way people blow others off when they cant or do not want to handle tough issues. Its not the understanding us and what we want out of FTCA, FT, or the hobby that is the issue. Its the F.A.A. desire to complete their plans no matter what. That is obvious in how they are by passing our own nations rules on how to make rules as well as side stepping other things and dumping them off as a "voluntary" thing people wanting to participate in RC flight will HAVE to do. The biggest question is where is the tipping point where the hassle to fly out weighs the desire to fly. I know different types of people have different limits so there will be trade offs in the statistics I am sure. In the end it boils down to conform or die off.

I too want to preserve the hobby as I love to fly. I STILL want to get fixed wing in the air at least once for a full pack before it all gets shut down. I loved the way the OG Flite Test team approached the hobby and the principles behind it. But like others I cant get on that bus the road it has taken in the last six months to a year agreeing that our part of RC flying needs ANY regulation let alone going along with Rid or any tracking at all. The Core principles was getting people into the hobby SAFELY and promoting growth while building a community. RiD is not safe for anyone at our level in the hobby and supporting it in any form is very dangerous specially for the young pilots entering.

We all know there are bad elements to humanity and people have already been attacked and hurt while having their gear stolen. Once RiD gets enacted that number WILL rise as they will just give a new tool to bad actors to make it even easier for them to find people to rob and or hurt. At the very least it gives "Karen" an even bigger purpose in life to be able to actively and conveniently seek pilots out to make their lives miserable even if they follow all of the rules. How many parents are going to allow their children be subjected to that kind of stuff?

Second and less obvious is throwing in with DJI. The hobby part of DJI is nothing more then a test bed for their main business of commercial operations. Their whole "anyone can fly a drone" campaign is what started the demise of our hobby in the first place and now I know more about them and see what they are doing its obvious that it is a planned program. That new piece of junk is a test bed for that whole "Must have certified gear" as well as a platform for integrating RiD.

I get the whole FTCA concept but is FT also vying to be one of those certified manufacturer's? If not pretty much the whole of the FT store goes bye bye and at best gets filled with out sourced products mass produced in the worst ways. I believe that was why they started making foam board planes to begin with? So the way I see it either Flite Test will be restructuring their entire mantra to work within the new laws and guidelines or just become a new version of AMA to stay in business with a limited type of clientele.

Neither logically proves out to be sustainable long term AND keep let alone grow a big percentage of RC pilots as it all reverts to pricing a good portion of them back out of the hobby. RiD IS going to happen so more then likely the next round attacks from the F.A.A. will have the mandated you can not fly home built aircraft making the foamies illegal to get more RiD enabled gear into the wild.

How will that play out in schools for young people to get into the hobby. What happens to stem programs when everything has to be certified and is overpriced. They wont fund any of it when so much of RC aircraft get damaged in the learning process will have to be sent back and forth for expensive "Certified" repairs. The ripple effects of all this outside the FTCA / FT will also be a huge factor as to who and how many join / stay. How many parents would be willing to pay extra school taxes to keep these programs AND pay into the hobby outside of schools?

I am not against keeping the hobby alive I am just looking at things realistically and present probable scenarios that will play out on the current path of Cooperation vs an Oh hell no stance. Sort of a more wonky "Devils Advocate". It all plays into your role in some form or other as the FTCA director. Looking back at these last two posts I realize I am lumping FT AND your position as FTCA director into one. I'm not sure if the two can be separated as they are closely tied together. Maybe I just need to shut up and let it all play out.

 

[fliers1]

@FTCA Director

My apologies Lee.. I took the "tinfoil hat" thing to be the standard way people blow others off when they cant or do not want to handle tough issues. Its not the understanding us and what we want out of FTCA, FT, or the hobby that is the issue. Its the F.A.A. desire to complete their plans no matter what. That is obvious in how they are by passing our own nations rules on how to make rules as well as side stepping other things and dumping them off as a "voluntary" thing people wanting to participate in RC flight will HAVE to do. The biggest question is where is the tipping point where the hassle to fly out weighs the desire to fly. I know different types of people have different limits so there will be trade offs in the statistics I am sure. In the end it boils down to conform or die off.

I too want to preserve the hobby as I love to fly. I STILL want to get fixed wing in the air at least once for a full pack before it all gets shut down. I loved the way the OG Flite Test team approached the hobby and the principles behind it. But like others I cant get on that bus the road it has taken in the last six months to a year agreeing that our part of RC flying needs ANY regulation let alone going along with Rid or any tracking at all. The Core principles was getting people into the hobby SAFELY and promoting growth while building a community. RiD is not safe for anyone at our level in the hobby and supporting it in any form is very dangerous specially for the young pilots entering.

We all know there are bad elements to humanity and people have already been attacked and hurt while having their gear stolen. Once RiD gets enacted that number WILL rise as they will just give a new tool to bad actors to make it even easier for them to find people to rob and or hurt. At the very least it gives "Karen" an even bigger purpose in life to be able to actively and conveniently seek pilots out to make their lives miserable even if they follow all of the rules. How many parents are going to allow their children be subjected to that kind of stuff?

Second and less obvious is throwing in with DJI. The hobby part of DJI is nothing more then a test bed for their main business of commercial operations. Their whole "anyone can fly a drone" campaign is what started the demise of our hobby in the first place and now I know more about them and see what they are doing its obvious that it is a planned program. That new piece of junk is a test bed for that whole "Must have certified gear" as well as a platform for integrating RiD.

I get the whole FTCA concept but is FT also vying to be one of those certified manufacturer's? If not pretty much the whole of the FT store goes bye bye and at best gets filled with out sourced products mass produced in the worst ways. I believe that was why they started making foam board planes to begin with? So the way I see it either Flite Test will be restructuring their entire mantra to work within the new laws and guidelines or just become a new version of AMA to stay in business with a limited type of clientele.

Neither logically proves out to be sustainable long term AND keep let alone grow a big percentage of RC pilots as it all reverts to pricing a good portion of them back out of the hobby. RiD IS going to happen so more then likely the next round attacks from the F.A.A. will have the mandated you can not fly home built aircraft making the foamies illegal to get more RiD enabled gear into the wild.

How will that play out in schools for young people to get into the hobby. What happens to stem programs when everything has to be certified and is overpriced. They wont fund any of it when so much of RC aircraft get damaged in the learning process will have to be sent back and forth for expensive "Certified" repairs. The ripple effects of all this outside the FTCA / FT will also be a huge factor as to who and how many join / stay. How many parents would be willing to pay extra school taxes to keep these programs AND pay into the hobby outside of schools?

I am not against keeping the hobby alive I am just looking at things realistically and present probable scenarios that will play out on the current path of Cooperation vs an Oh hell no stance. Sort of a more wonky "Devils Advocate". It all plays into your role in some form or other as the FTCA director. Looking back at these last two posts I realize I am lumping FT AND your position as FTCA director into one. I'm not sure if the two can be separated as they are closely tied together. Maybe I just need to shut up and let it all play out.

You hit the nail squarely on the head. A lot of people claim they want to save the hobby, but when I presented a proven means of doing so, it gets ignored time and time again. I emailed Lee several times and he won't even respond. Can't figure that one out, but he's not alone. I've even trained one of AMA's top officials using my method and he appears to be scared of publicly getting this out to the public, although he did write about his experience with me many years ago in his Model Aviation column. They all are on the same page of ignoring something that will change the hobby's, downward spiral. All got their sugar high with this summer's events. But what happens when all of the hundreds of thousands go back home? Back to square one. I've got 50 years of experience with clubs and the inner working of this hobby/sport and how they are run and nothing is going to change unless 180k AMA members really want positive change. That change is them going whole hog on the instructional flight line. It's quite obvious that will never happen. I'm very serious about this and you explained in detail how things are going to end for the greatest hobby/sport that ever existed. This hobby/sport is on borrowed time and there is really nothing that anyone can do to save it. I'm able to help and in a big way, but my question is, what is everyone I contact afraid of?
I've been bringing hope to the hobby for over 50 years and most of the time, get flamed for it from those who already know how to fly. Those I've trained were extremely grateful, but dare not say so in the wrong company for fear of getting shunned, which has happened many times.

 

[PsyBorg]

You hit the nail squarely on the head. A lot of people claim they want to save the hobby, but when I presented a proven means of doing so, it gets ignored time and time again. I emailed Lee several times and he won't even respond. Can't figure that one out, but he's not alone. I've even trained one of AMA's top officials using my method and he appears to be scared of publicly getting this out to the public, although he did write about his experience with me many years ago in his Model Aviation column. They all are on the same page of ignoring something that will change the hobby's, downward spiral. All got their sugar high with this summer's events. But what happens when all of the hundreds of thousands go back home? Back to square one. I've got 50 years of experience with clubs and the inner working of this hobby/sport and how they are run and nothing is going to change unless 180k AMA members really want positive change. That change is them going whole hog on the instructional flight line. It's quite obvious that will never happen. I'm very serious about this and you explained in detail how things are going to end for the greatest hobby/sport that ever existed. This hobby/sport is on borrowed time and there is really nothing that anyone can do to save it. I'm able to help and in a big way, but my question is, what is everyone I contact afraid of?
I've been bringing hope to the hobby for over 50 years and most of the time, get flamed for it from those who already know how to fly. Those I've trained were extremely grateful, but dare not say so in the wrong company for fear of getting shunned, which has happened many times.

Well mate it seems to me you are comparing apples to oranges here. Teaching things vs fighting law makers is two TOTALLY different things. I get you may be up set about not getting the recognition you may deserve but look at it from Flite Test perspective in regards to what you present.

1st they get bombarded with ideas and suggestions hourly with over a million people following what they do.
2nd Even I looked at your activity within this community and am skeptic. You have been here since May 2019 and only have 28 posts. That does not seem very enthusiastic nor active in this community. I been here nearly 6 years have the most posts on the forum and still dont have street cred enough to influence FT to change what they have planned for their business.
3rd. They already have a coordinated and mapped out plan / method thru their STEM program they use to teach which has been proven not only accepted outside the community it is producing great results. Why fix what aint broken?

If you have something proven and viable don't just walk into a room and proclaim it make a video series, write a documented process to post as an article. Present it to as many people as possible to "Get the word out" If you have been doing it for 50 years and there is no traction I would have to assume there is a flaw some where either in the system or the way you present whether it is effective or not.

Finally NEVER fear what others think. If you believe in yourself and what you do pass that knowledge along to those who will accept it. No need to change the masses. I give out advice to help people and answer questions they ask. What they choose to do with it does not effect me in any way, shape, or form any more. I know at any moment I decide to go fly I can pick up ANY of my quads put a battery on it and it will do what I want it to EVERY time. If they don't use the help I give and their stuff sits on a bench or in a box it has ZERO effect for me. But if I pass on information and one person comes back and says thank you I am now enjoying flying its all worth it.