Hope for the hobby shop

[fliers1]

Considering you have been at this for 20+ years without achieving your goals for the project maybe it is time for a new approach.

Got any suggestions? Unless I could use the old Jedi mind trick, there's not much else I could do on my own. I can't get any support from experienced RC pilots who have a problem helping me, you're attitude is a good example of what I've faced for more than 20 years. The OP got it, by saying that I'm trying to help hobby shops and the industry with my hands-on promotion method. It's not rocket science. You could help me by passing my plan on to others including hobby shop owners and industry members. You never answered my question. This is my plan to help with the hobby/sport, what's yours?

 

[SP0NZ]

Got any suggestions?

I posted this in the FTCA thread as well, but it bears repeating here:

Why not post a video of your training technique on YouTube? That would surely reach a much larger audience than asking people to travel to your location to learn it. If you are serious about growing the hobby, and believe that your solution will do it, this is the possibly the easiest approach to getting it out to the masses.

 

[fliers1]

I posted this in the FTCA thread as well, but it bears repeating here:

Why not post a video of your training technique on YouTube? That would surely reach a much larger audience than asking people to travel to your location to learn it. If you are serious about growing the hobby, and believe that your solution will do it, this is the possibly the easiest approach to getting it out to the masses.

Rc Flight instruction without a BuddyBox - YouTube

 

[fliers1]

Rc Flight instruction without a BuddyBox - YouTube

I've posted it several times, but I think it would be best to learn it one-on-one. It might be possible to learn something by watching the video. As you can see, there hasn't been any interest since it was made several years ago. A hobby-related business pays around $1700 a month for full-page color ads in AMA's Model Aviation magazines year after year, and the hobby is still in decline. In contrast, my proactive plan, if used, will guarantee an ROI and the cost would be the price of travel to my flying field for a couple of hours. AMA makes tons of videos and invites the public to come to their facility in Muncie regularly they pay hundreds of thousands for consulting fees and still are losing ground.

!st US RC flight school People come from all over the US to pay the owner $800 for a week of training and he has videos and a lot of written information, that AMA with all of its vast resources has in its magazine and many instructional videos online. That's not counting on room and board, which would add up to around $1200 plus. He's booked up before spring. People have to realize that people come there to just learn to fly, whereas my main plan is to teach RC aeromodelling industry members to learn how to fly and at the same time learn to teach their customers to fly. The quicker they learn to fly a trainer, the quicker they will buy more advanced airplanes. This worked great when I had my hobby shop, so it's not just theory.

 

[fliers1]

 

[bisco]

I can’t do that after four years, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

 

[fliers1]

I can’t do that after four years, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

I can't do that after 50 years in the hobby/sport. lol

 

[Piotrsko]

Actually you can train an old dog, it's just more time consuming. You also need to convince the dog it wants training. Not cost efficient however. ( Psyche 101)

As I see the problem, this is a high social expense, high effort learning hobby with no visibility and no fanboys posting madly on social media. So 1/10 of 1% of the population is mildly interested. Either raise that number or make it so cheap and easy YOU can do it from social media. Both methods still don't generate potloads of money, it's hard competing with cheap chinese stuff on Amazon or the 'net

There's also a lot to be said for having spare stuff obtained locally when you want things RIGHT NOW. I pay extra for that. Ymmv

 

[tom29]

Trying a new direction might pay off.

 

[fliers1]

Trying a new direction might pay off.

Have you got any new ideas? Which direction would that be? When the membership doesn't want the hobby to grow, there isn't anything anyone can do. How does my means to a solution compare to all of the other means to a solution?

 

[bisco]

don't feel bad, humanity is right behind the hobby

 

[fliers1]

There is no hope for the hobby. Hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets full first. lol

 

[Flying Cherokee]

There is no hope for the hobby. Hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets full first. lol

I don't know about that, there is a lot of new younger generation that is getting in the hobby, quite a few younger gen people I have met are actually interested in the hobby. I think the main thing deterring children from the hobby is the relative high price for their budget ( what Flite test is all about).

 

[Mr Man]

Yep, Foam Board is cheap, that's why I buy it.

 

[fliers1]

Millions of kids can't afford to get into the hobby and just as many would have no problem getting into it.
I'm talking about the big picture. AMA and MAAC are both having serious financial problems and they depend upon membership dues revenue to stay in business. Both organizations have been losing members and hemorrhaging money for many years.

 

[Mr Man]

Millions of kids can't afford to get into the hobby and just as many would have no problem getting into it.
I'm talking about the big picture. AMA and MAAC are both having serious financial problems and they depend upon membership dues revenue to stay in business. Both organizations have been losing members and hemorrhaging money for many years.

That’s what the FTCA is for.

 

[bisco]

and they are doing a fine job

 

[fliers1]

and they are doing a fine job

No argument there, but it doesn't help the rest of the RC aeromodelling organizations. AMA lost over $30,000,000 over 20 years and continues to lose over $700,000 annually...fact.

 

[bisco]

who is loaning against the deficit?

 

[Mr NCT]

AMA lost over $30,000,000 over 20 years and continues to lose over $700,000 annually...fact.

I'm an AMA member and I live about 30 from their headquarters in Muncie Indiana. I keep my membership for the insurance and the magazine. I joined in the 80s after visiting an AMA club in SoCal (SULA) and was approached and welcomed and mentored into sailplanes. What a great experience.
I got back into rc during the pandemic thanks to Flite Test. Once things calmed down I visited two active clubs near me and was ignored until I asked who was in charge and how to join. In both instances when I told them I flew FT designs I was told that "I guess that's kind of like flying" and they walked away.
I visited an independent hobby shop in Muncie and when I told the owner what I flew he went on a rant about how FT was ruining the hobby for everyone and was in fact the source of all the problems the hobby is facing and is why the government was instituting all the new regulations. He said he was very close to AMA headquarters staff and he knew this for a fact.
The take away for me was: be a clone of us or we don't want you, you're not having fun right. The AMA (and probably the MAAC) are shooting themselves in the foot and have no one to blame but themselves. It's too bad but it seems that the clubs are becoming like exclusive country clubs. Not for me, thanks.

Thus endeth my rant for today.