Gotta say... my first rant about FT.

[kdobson83]

I agree with a lot that has been said. And a bunch of what i see is people that love FT and want to support FT, but don't want to support others like World of Tanks and Amain. While FT grows, it's able to adapt. These changes we see ATM arn't necessarily permanent.
Now, with that in mind, why has FT not done patreon or something to that effect? I would GLADLY give to a FT donations tab on their website over supporting a website like Amain or World of Tanks. We've all seen what happened when Josh did the Founders planes and that whole airpark funding thing. Could FT use this concept to keep FT from having adds, cutting staff, or selling out their store to Amain?
I would personally donate. All the free stuff theyve given me? I feel I owe THEM, not Amain or World of Tanks.
Anyway, I still love the content and will continue to do the forums and build their planes and buy kits from time to time and watch the videos.

 

[PsyBorg]

Was or is it my intention to throw a grenade in the room. Not at all. Its more like waving a flag that there IS a grenade in the room.

My personal thoughts or "issues " aside.. I am not the only one wondering about certain things.

I am however a person who was raised to not sit back and watch bad things happen.

I have thought about this being a catalyst for mob mentality and I had faith the community here can as they have respectfully step up and confirm feelings of waning interest or support.

Am I looking for something particular to happen or wanting something not at all other then give more then one voice to a potential problem that has been growing over the last year or more.

If you (Fred) would like a more indepth explaination you have my contact info.

As for this thread it can be locked at your discression so it does not become the grenade. It has served its intended purpose to have respectful input heard in one place as a sample of where more and more people stand on the path being taken to that glorious destination of Edgewater Air Park.

 

[TexMechsRobot]

The civility in this thread is eye watering in a world where disagreement somehow equates to hate.

You are all awesome humans.

 

[thenated0g]

The ads thing doesn't bother me at all i honestly didn't even really notice it.

As far as amain i think this is a huge plus for customers. There were so many times over the years that i put stuff in my flitetest cart and then when i went to check out i just closed the tab when i saw how much shipping was. And when i did order it took forever to get to me. The shipping prices now for flitetest planes is CRAZY cheap compared to what it was before. I got my corsair in 2 days.

 

[Keno]

Negative thought only produce negative acts and opinions only matter if they're yours.

 

[jaredstrees]

I agree with Hai-Lee. Eat what you want, or view what you want. Flite Test provides everyone on here with FREE plans, videos etc. They need to support themselves. I personally do wish they had more updates on the forum. I don't care what anyone says about this though: Delete your facebook account. They are an evil corporation that has lied many times, sold your personal information and taken money from your children. They have no business even being in business anymore, and no one should be supporting them.

As far as the rest goes, Flite Test provides us all with more free content and plans than most companies would ever consider. Without them I would never have gotten back into this hobby, so I will always be grateful to them. Thank you Flite Test!

Oh, and this community is awesome.

 

[DharanFlyer]

It's the winter slow down to Fred's point that happens every year. Spring content will pick back up and be more engaging and fun. They've had some great episodes over the past few months that really feel good. All the Giant A-10 stuff, the tank, the Seaduck powered kayak (IMO had a real nostalgic feel to it), and the Fortnite plane.

Ads are part of our world and I don't begrudge them using them. All of my podcasts have them to some degree or another.

The store is a business decision that benefited them in some way so I can appreciate that. I don't like the store for interaction and search, but that's all I have to say about it right now.

 

[Hai-Lee]

WOW! This thread is rapidly becoming an US Vs THEM discussion! Whilst I enjoy the banter I would remind those involved that at this time RC itself is under attack by ill-informed legislators world wide.

There is NO way we should try to control the development of what is effectively a pioneering organisation. Sure its business model may not suit some people but it is evolving as it grows, as it must!

Sure I, like many, have found that social media can be effectively a "Troll Farm" but to use social media or not is my choice. There are those who do and so FT reaching out to social media to increase its customer base and the number of RC users at the same time is admirable. As for the DREADED advertising FT forum users are spoiled rotten! The forum has NO advertising! Other forums are tragically stuffed full of it. We should count our blessings IMHO!

My time on the FT forum started relatively recently but even in that time I have seen a pattern in forum users. Initially they are eager and often buy/build entry level FT products profusely and then they mellow out and start to buy/build the advanced designs, (by then though most do not frequent the FT store any longer). After that they start flooding out posts on advanced builds or other RC products they have purchased or built. Finally most tend to just fade away. Without reaching out for new potential customers FT would also just fade away!

Sure there is a little lag in communication in regards to the happenings in FT when not using social media but I do believe that the information flow will be rectified once FT recognize that social media users do drop off of the medium and settle in havens like this even if only for a reasonably short period of time.

I was taught to NEVER expect something for nothing! With my tight budget and a lack of a local FT outlet my support for FT is to give my time and knowledge to assist the forum users and the users of FT designs and products! RC can be expensive and honestly without FT I would not be flying and building model aircraft.

There are some extremely talented designers and builders that frequent the FT forum but they are not subject to the same battle to keep the doors open and the bills paid as the FT crew face daily! Personally I applaud their courage, ingenuity, passion, and their struggle to keep as much of the original business model as is possible.

I call on those who like what FT does to support them in whatever manner you can and then we keep FT around for future generations and get to watch it mature!

The above is my own opinion, right or wrong!

No matter what just remember why we are here! That is to -

Have fun!

 

[LitterBug]

My biggest gripe is that they aren't 2 hours closer so I could work there. Would be a heck of a commute every day unless I could fly to work... They need to get the airfield done sooner so I can build a Peter S. designed aircraft and fly to work.

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[FlyingMonkey]

WOW! This thread is rapidly becoming an US Vs THEM discussion! Whilst I enjoy the banter I would remind those involved that at this time RC itself is under attack by ill-informed legislators world wide.

I'm actually quite happy with the discussion to this point.

There's been a bit of back and forth, but it's been well thought out and politely articulated points. Once again the civility that this community is able to maintain makes it a rarity in the world of online media.

 

[Hai-Lee]

I'm actually quite happy with the discussion to this point.

There's been a bit of back and forth, but it's been well thought out and politely articulated points. Once again the civility that this community is able to maintain makes it a rarity in the world of online media.

AMEN to that!

 

[Tench745]

I just wanted to add a few tidbits.
When my friend (he's 50 something and previously a hang-glider pilot) came with me to FF Ohio, before we were there even an hour he turned to me and said, "I can't believe it, you found an entire group of people EXACTLY like you, do you know how rare that is?"
I think about this every time we gripe about FT and it tempers what I might say if you-all were a different community.

It was said earlier, "We all want FT to grow." I don't. Or at least, I don't want them to view growth as just getting bigger. I want them to grow like a Christian grows in their walk with God. (Using a reference I feel Josh Bixler can relate to.) You strive to deepen your understanding and love of something complex and possibly unfathomable. I want FT mature with its viewers, to offer more in-depth content as it's community grows. Which isn't to say they should stop doing things to draw in new people either.
Unfortunately for me, I don't think this is the direction they want to go, or at least not one they can do for a while. And so I watch every episode with hope, but lately end up skipping through more than half of it as they don't appeal to me for reasons I've mentioned before. And that's what makes me sad really, not that FT is changing, but that I feel like they no longer have anything for me and I don't know how to keep enjoying or supporting them.
This is why I stick around the forums; it's what I can do to help others and contribute to the community that FT brought together.

 

[SlingShot]

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

A little hyperbole appropriated from history. No offense to the crown intended 8-^)

 

[Gazoo]

Wow @Hai-Lee, I never realized that there is no advertising on this forum. This is the only forum that I am part of. Actually, I rarely go to the FliteTest website anymore. Every once in a while I watch a video but not much. I just really enjoy browsing the forum and getting ideas from others here...and helping out when I can.

I'm somewhat guilty of downloading free plans for scratch building and not buying much from the store. I bought a few power packs and some odds and ends from the store before the new store was a thing. I did contribute enough to the Edgewater project to get my coin though.

Well anyway, guess I never thought about how great this place really is. How the heck did that happen?

 

[Mad_Mechanic]

That's true, I never really registered that this forum has no advertising. No banner ads or anything.

Stark contrast to places like RCGroups or Helifreak where there are banner ads flashing top, left and right.

 

[Hai-Lee]

So very true the lack of advertising makes this place an Oasis on the internet! Let them advertise on social media where the revenue is greatest and keep the Oasis virginal!

I like the lack of visual pollution!

have fun!

 

[DamoRC]

So very true the lack of advertising makes this place an Oasis on the internet! Let them advertise on social media where the revenue is greatest and keep the Oasis virginal!

I like the lack of visual pollution!

have fun!

Agreed - just followed a link in another thread to RCGroups - I never knew Sean Connery was 88!

 

[kpixels]

Usually check the FT store first for parts, but also always shop around. I'm surprised how often the FT store beats other prices I can find for some items. A recent example, on the Tramp HV vtx, they were lower than any other prices I could find and I got it quick. I thought the Warcraft plug was weird, but if it helps to keep FT around I'm willing to deal with it.

 

[buzzbomb]

I might miss some points, but I think I've got a general feel of what's going on. We want the old FliteTest magically melded with the new FliteTest. We want multiple, high content videos per week, with dueling personalities and differing levels of knowledge.

We also don't want simplistic builds and slapping a video together just to get something out there and satisfy the masses.

We're disappointed that the store has been outsourced, because prices went up and availability went down, but we don't want the people making the videos to run the store, because then they can't make the videos.

We want more advanced content, better videos with a director and much more advanced builds. But we don't want adds in the videos, or increased prices in the store, or anything that would increase the revenue chain to allow all that.

We want Edgewater to be complete, we want multiple FliteFests per year, and we want the same what? The same maybe, ten person team handling everything? Handling all of the above, with no increase in revenue?

I am a self-admitting Fanboy of FliteTest. They are the reason I get to experience RC flight. If you've seen any video I've posted, you know what an excited little child that makes me.

I've got to listen to somebody talk about a tank game so I can watch the content. Stuff in the store is on backorder, likely. Stuff costs a bit more and shipping costs a bit more.

Personally? I do not care. I bought the batteries for my son's TT from elsewhere. They were cheaper and in stock. I bought the SpeedBuild kit and the A-pack from FliteTest.

It's those earlier videos that made me think I could fly RC within a reasonable price range. You all know that goes out the window pretty quick, but it was those videos that inspired me to want to do what was necessary to fly RC! I'll never look back, and those videos aren't going anywhere. They will continue to inspire and bring others into this wonderful hobby.

I AM a Fanboy. I'll continue to be one for a long time to come. Honestly? What's another eight bucks to build a plane and another 30 seconds of your time to watch a video you don't have to watch? All the joy I get from building and flying RC planes, is because of them. I am more than willing to give some back. I am happy to give some back.

I just want them to be able to grow and keep on doing what they've been doing, however they have to do it. I'm willing to support that.

 

[Arcfyre]

I'm in the same boat as many here, in that if I hadn't found FT, I would not be flying RC planes. The truth is that this hobby has a steep learning curve, and without the cheap, disposable airframes and durable electronics that FT champions many many people would become discouraged when they smash a $200 airframe. I know because I would be one of them.

I have taken advantage of FT's free plans on a number of occasions. I love scratch building and have amassed quite the air force in my garage. Say what you want about FT, their designs are excellent and quite mature by the time we get our hands on them. This, again, is invaluable to someone trying to get into the hobby because they can rely on a plane flying the way it was described. In my opinion they nailed it when it comes to their designs.

I have purchased a number of speed build kits from FT as a way of showing my support for what they are doing. I usually source my own electronics because I like to find deals to reduce the price of my flying even further.

As long as they continue to create quality designs, I don't really mind that they are growing the business side of the business. I use primarily free plans and my own electronics, as I said, so the Amain merger hasn't really affected me. I can understand why some people are put off by it, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. As far as I'm concerned, the new Master Series is exactly the kind of content and growth that I've been itching for, as my piloting and building skills have grown and I'm looking for the next challenge.

That being said though, I need to remember WHY my flying and building skills have increased to the point that they have. It's all because of FT. They got me into this constructive and rewarding hobby, and I will be forever grateful. As I continue to grow and learn, I will try my best to give back in my own way on these forums. It's the least I can do to say thank you to FT and the amazing community here.