bhursey
The Geeky Pilot
I may be old school or something however comeing back to the hobby after 13 years I am noticeing a lot of negitivity tward AMA and clubs.. This may be because of some personal experiance or a general view biased view of clubs. I would like to ad my views.
Background: I started flying in 1998 after I got a job at the local hobby shop in highschool. Soon after I got given a gas trainer and an AM futaba conquest 6 channel radio. I joined the local club got a trainer and started. The instructor was great did som taxieing and learned how to start and tune the engine for my first lesson. I quickly found out i was not a fan of gas. I went out and baught a hobby lobby skimmer 400 electric balsa kit. I spent about 20 houers or more building it. Went out my first flight no one was at the club my trainer could not make it. I hand launched it glided perfict added throttle. Put my hand on the radio and hit the trim all the to the left and crashed her. The next day was a fun fly spent 8 hours fixing it. Went in erly to get a check ride. I did a flawless flight. First time flying rc.. Anyways i fell in love with the club every one was so helpfull and welcoming. Electrics were brandnew and people seemed excited. Fly club fayette flyers ended up starting the SEFF funfly now its huge and they still host it. Im sure many of you have gone. So in 2003 unfortunitly school caught up and flying time was on the back burner...
17 year old me At Fayette flyers 1999.
So fast forward to april 2015 i get a phone call from best friend asking if i still had my rc stuff. I upgraded and baught a tiny trainer and was hooked. I went back and visited my old club my frend is a member of now. I had a great time every one was welcoming. Unfortunutly they are 100 miles from my house. I am currently about to join a new local club. I have found out In reviewing the change in the hobbby/community it seems opinions of clubs have changed. If you ignore the cost. I want to see why people dont like them? Has there been very negitive experiances? Have all the people that have negative opinions visited more than one club?
Ignoring the cost:
Positives of a club:
1. Comunity of pilots
2 Safe and legal place to fly with amenities.
3. Family events and funflys
4. Most family frendly
Negitives of clubs:
1. AMA rules some people may not like the rules but they do have reasons
2. Posibly people have negitive views of new tech. I havent seen it when i visited but it may be at some. It was the same when electrics came out in the 90s.
Sugestions for positive experiance:
1. Before visiting or joining call or email the club finding if they allow fpv multiroters to get an expectation in what the safty rules are and expectation of procedures.
2. Visit multiple clubs get a feel for the people and flying envornment.
3. Bring a friend
I hope every one gets to experiance a good club in their life. I have some very good memories of my highschool years as a member of a club i miss it and am joining a new local one to share that experiance with my daughter.
disclamer typed with a phone..
Background: I started flying in 1998 after I got a job at the local hobby shop in highschool. Soon after I got given a gas trainer and an AM futaba conquest 6 channel radio. I joined the local club got a trainer and started. The instructor was great did som taxieing and learned how to start and tune the engine for my first lesson. I quickly found out i was not a fan of gas. I went out and baught a hobby lobby skimmer 400 electric balsa kit. I spent about 20 houers or more building it. Went out my first flight no one was at the club my trainer could not make it. I hand launched it glided perfict added throttle. Put my hand on the radio and hit the trim all the to the left and crashed her. The next day was a fun fly spent 8 hours fixing it. Went in erly to get a check ride. I did a flawless flight. First time flying rc.. Anyways i fell in love with the club every one was so helpfull and welcoming. Electrics were brandnew and people seemed excited. Fly club fayette flyers ended up starting the SEFF funfly now its huge and they still host it. Im sure many of you have gone. So in 2003 unfortunitly school caught up and flying time was on the back burner...
17 year old me At Fayette flyers 1999.
So fast forward to april 2015 i get a phone call from best friend asking if i still had my rc stuff. I upgraded and baught a tiny trainer and was hooked. I went back and visited my old club my frend is a member of now. I had a great time every one was welcoming. Unfortunutly they are 100 miles from my house. I am currently about to join a new local club. I have found out In reviewing the change in the hobbby/community it seems opinions of clubs have changed. If you ignore the cost. I want to see why people dont like them? Has there been very negitive experiances? Have all the people that have negative opinions visited more than one club?
Ignoring the cost:
Positives of a club:
1. Comunity of pilots
2 Safe and legal place to fly with amenities.
3. Family events and funflys
4. Most family frendly
Negitives of clubs:
1. AMA rules some people may not like the rules but they do have reasons
2. Posibly people have negitive views of new tech. I havent seen it when i visited but it may be at some. It was the same when electrics came out in the 90s.
Sugestions for positive experiance:
1. Before visiting or joining call or email the club finding if they allow fpv multiroters to get an expectation in what the safty rules are and expectation of procedures.
2. Visit multiple clubs get a feel for the people and flying envornment.
3. Bring a friend
I hope every one gets to experiance a good club in their life. I have some very good memories of my highschool years as a member of a club i miss it and am joining a new local one to share that experiance with my daughter.
disclamer typed with a phone..
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