littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

LCS, as you can clearly see in photo #2.....these boy's fingers are all cramped up and arthritic from playing 2000 hours of Nintendo every year since they were 2.
There's just no way we can expect them to be able to actively take part in our sport unless they rig their planes for autonomous flight....

Hossfly

LCS, that statement reference hidden flying sites as a refference to model fields is nothing more than absolutely pure Bull Feces.

Check out this in the Events forum. If this doesn't work just go to the forum itself not too many below AMA.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11...m.htm#11564478

The item is titled about clubs and events in the Houston TX area. Many are private, that is belonging to a club but owned by county or other land-holders.
A number of them are right on county/state paved roads. I have been to events at a number of them. I belong to two clubs in the greater Houston area and one other some 65 miles north, also backed up to a State highway. There are a few flying fields that are a 1/2 mile or so off highways but I have not seen such that has no large sign designating the facility.

Now there are some clubs that limit their membership to a high number, usually 100. One such club does that because the COUNTY OWNED site REQUIRES such due to the limited parking area, along with a drainage area.

I really do not have any idea why you P & M like you do. There are items that do need some attention, but Clubs that follow the AMA Insurance program is definitely NOT ONE. So WAKE up and smell the roses. When one of your machines goes on its own and catches some aeromodeler in the back side placing him in a wheel chair for the remainder of his life, I predict that you will be happy to have AMA contribute to the case. That will assist the finances but YOU will still have to LIVE every day with your contribution to his lifestyle. []
In addition why do you attack elders? Here on my Desk I see the latest issue of the bi-monthly "Flying Aces". These folks are, like me, ELDER". Yet many of them do RC very well, but hey also enjoy the small rubber-powered models. These achines are anything BUT EASY when it comes to real aeromodeling. They are works of total art.
If it were not for the elders there just may not be any flying sites at all. The young fellows mostly P&M about club dues and work days which they never attend. Without the MONEY $$$$ mostly donated by the elders, the youngsters all would be doing super-small models in the school yards. That won't support this industry.
SO, LCS, will you donate support to keep the sport alive and Flying Fields open? Wanna' compare notes? [>:]

Thomas B

My Feedback: (4)

Hoss, you know exactly why he does it.

98% of the reason he does it is to stir the pot, wind people up and elicit responses like yours. 2% of the reason he does it is that it has to do with his values and beliefs.

I do have one question for him, though.

LCS, do you hand make those very broad brushes you like to paint AMA supporters with, or do you simply wire together 3-4 smaller brushes so you can get that self assigned duty of applying tar and feathers to anyone who supports the AMA who is in within range of your personal prejudices completed just that much quicker?....

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Hmmm... when I went to Jetero...you know, the field/club that owes you so very much that you will never let them or us ever forget... I thought I'd never get there....a lot of boondocks had to be negotiated before I could get to the middle of BFE LOL... A very beautiful calm day it was... maybe a whopping four or five people came out the whole day. I'd say about typical...

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

i think there are some very screw up people on this web site i try to do things i do by the book and never once have been hurt

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Another great point! If people would just do everything by the book and as instructed by the book this would be a great world. Not sure why some people just can't follow along as you do. Must be really bad upbringing.

Live Wire

Well when some one opens a Out Law site where any thing goes ! Where will every one go until some thing happens[:@]

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

i never had a dad or mother raised by the grand parnets who raised you>>

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Sorry [email protected]... I wasn't talking about you in regards to bad upbringing. I was talking about all those other people that were not taught how to follow the book. Sometimes my grammer really sucks...and other times my spelling. I need more book time I think.[X(]

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Hoss deserves much more respect than this....petty beach slapping that you think you are giving him.

Hossfly

CP, Thanks much for the kind words, but I don't expect "respect" for my self, just for those that really wish to assist aeromodeling over their own self.

Any and/or all can make a bad move or moves every so often. BTDT! OTOH, anyone can usually hit the target if enough shots are fired AT the target! BTDT!

LCS has a lot of smarts, but he derails so often that one can never really know just which track he is on and/or which target he is aiming at. [:-]

And to you, LCS, had you advised that you were going to visit Jetero, I would have done my best to arrange a meeting for you with a number of members.
Jetero members do fly when they feel like it and when special events are on the table. Some days there is a full parking lot. Sopme days it is empty. After all the members own it so they can do as they please.
If just for self-flying, I like to go when the wind is above 20 mph as I can be lazy and fly as I wish. The youngsters with choppers, small electrics, and the pattern/3D types don't want to bruise a model, so I usually have the field all to myself. Other days I may well have a student.

I find it lots of fun cheating Old Gusty Wind. He is also an elder like me. We do have fun. Not too long ago Old GW tricked me. I had just come to a complete stop with a high wing airplane, as it was really strong and I decided not to taxi back. I shut it down, then a really strong gust picked it up about 5 feet, rolled it over and it rekitted the front end and behind the wing. But I fooled him then, and rebuilt it and it has served 2 days of a 5 and a 7 flight day with a student.

You most probably will not find another person there on my personal flying days. You are welcome to come again, but have that AMA card!

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

One day we need to get together on one of those OGW days... I too like to cheat Old Gusty Wind. Of course you are always welcome here but beware not every one has an AMA card[X(]...I wish that wouldn't be a deal breaker but you've been pretty clear on your position about that...

Anyway as you know we've had a long relationship here on RCU and we have exchanged a few PMs as well...and I am very sure you remember my commendations for the things you've done but I also know you know my position on aero-modeling and it goes much further than AMA... My hope is one day so will yours as I know you really do, deep down, understand all of us model airplane guiders are truly brothers... Some may need a little guidance and some we can learn from... To me that's at the true core of the real AMA and by that very relationship as a member our prime directive is to teach and learn...Model Aviation...No bounds.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

My field is real close to Utopia...you can't miss it.

phlpsfrnk

crank,
Whose book do you suppose will stand up to the test of time, yours or the AMA’s?

Regards
Frank

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

MY book or AMA's??? Kind of a weird question...though it very well may point to the root problem here.

OK, I'll play along...

MY book of course...

You guessed it...My religion isn't AMA...

My book has already stood the test of time...

AMA's good book has just got started...and at this point is about as insignificant as anything could possibly be in comparison.

My book encompasses all... even the misdirected that blindly follow man's books... BTW that also has been accurately predicted by my book...












































































































Just remember, YOU asked.

koastrc

It is strange what many people consider fun. I think it is fun to be a half crazy old man. To bad not many people share my feelings about the subject of getting old. Why the AMA is not growing? The people that post on this thing most know why the AMA is so called not growing. They know and understand that there is a limited supply of people that will mess with aviation. Any form of aviation. Full size aviation is either full blown commercial aviation or some sort of shade tree aviation. Commercial aviation has lost the thrill of flying, it is just a big flying computer. Shade tree flying is getting very expensive and becoming a almost gone. Model aviation is also losing it's adventure and excitement. My two clubs have been around 100 members for years and I mean many years. All this bull about not growing is just that, bull. Is the AMA run well? Sometime it is and sometime it is not. So to the fellows that have something to say about this subject, say it. To folks coming in to the hobby, learn to enjoy all of the hobby/sport including the opinions of us half crazy old men.

fliers1

It seems as though that those with a large contingent of members consider that AMA's numbers are growing. Then there are those with shrinking numbers who think just the opposite.

With some 2500 clubs in the AMA, how could anyone determine what the true significant growth or lack thereof is? Stats show that there has been growth recently, but that was not all that significant considering that in a US poplation of some 320 million, and that AMA has been in existance 75 years., the 10,000 or so of new members, mostly free youth, doesn't do much for our safety in numbers situation.

fliers1

captinjohn

Good going opjose...I did not realize you supported so many Dealers and had all those nice trainers helping people learn. Hats off to you for sure!!!

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

The AMA is not growing for the same reason other organizations are not. We have created more veterans in the past decade than ever before in history yet the American Legion, VFW, and other veterans organizations are not growing. Elks, Masons, Lions, etc. are not growing, Ham radio is not growing, nor model railroading, Boy Scouts are not growing. PEOPLE ARE MORE INTO THEMSELVES AND SEE NO NEED TO JOIN GROUPS. In a world of 'What's in it for ME' all organizations are suffering. As kids, a lot of oldtimers can recall forming the club of the week, just to have a club, we don't see that today

bogbeagle

Clubs facilitate the achievement of goals which could not be attained by the individual ... via the mechanism of co-operation.

Historically, the goal has been the acquisition of a suitable flying site.

Contemporary flyers do not need special facilities at which to fly; owing to the modern radio and electric aircraft.

Thus, the club ... as we knew it ... is becoming redundant. That's a good thing, because it indicates that the hobby is evolving.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

So those that prefer to fly where there are no amenities, such as shelters, defined flight lines, saftey fences, set up tables, and all the other things that organized clubs provide use public parks or whatever. That is fine until those sites are closed or flying is prohibited and flying as we know it is no longer a viable endevor. Is this the kind of "evolving" that we want to see? Advances in modeling is driven by competition. Without clubs who is going to drive competion? Without competion, there is stagnation.

bogbeagle

Who says that there are no amenities at non-club sites?

Who says that there is no competition outwith the formal club?



Shelter ... I take my own.

Flight line ... I define my own.

Fences ... don't need 'em.

Table ... don't need one; but, I'd take my own if necessary.

Competition ... well, afaics, only a vanishingly small proportion of modellers become involved with formal competitions. But, istm that most of us compete with our friends on a daily basis. You might as well say, "Without Government, who would build the roads?"



There is no evidence that model flying is stagnating. The choice and quality of equipment are greater now than they have ever been. Someone is buying that stuff and creating the demand. If you look through the lens of the "club scene" then you could be forgiven for believing that the hobby is dying ... because the newbies don't even appear on your horizon. If clubs become important, as providers of services and facilities, then they will see a resurgence in numbers.

The "model club" as a discrete entity, has no intrinsic importance though. It's just something that is created to fulfill a human need. Time to let go, imo.

AndyW

My Feedback: (1)

Well said, bogbeagle. As someone who started a club where there once was none, after some 40 years, I gave up on it. The reasons are complex but basically, ONE individual managed to nearly destroy it twice. I made an effort to provide an alternative and I was vilified for it. The psycopath had the audience and he used it to good effect.

So be it, I love the small airplanes and there has never been a park I used that objected to my activities, even with 1/2A with its high pitched whine. Many times, passers by would stop to chat and ask questions. I would direct them to the club in the area.

Now, I fly a lot of electrics, no noise, slow and low and they give me as much satisfaction as ever. And you sure can't beat the quality, prices and variety offered today. I still build the occasional kit and still do some engine work and bench testing.

Nothing grows forever, clubs included but that doesn't mean that the love of flying is diminishing. At the park, I encounter plenty of folks, adults and youngsters, giving it a go with the typical, Walmart, flying toy. From there, they get insight from the immense posibilities when they see me fly. From there, they get website information and sources for more sophisticated, models.

Often they show up later with new aircraft and I have company. But no one needs or wants any kind of organized involvement. We rarely trade phone numbers., people just want to fly when the fancy strikes them or they can fit it into their busy schedules.

In my opinion, we live in the best possible world for doing what we love. No stress, no pressure, no personalities, no politics.

It's a lot like my second love, fishing. No clubs or organized activities for fishing. Fishing can be solitary or with just a family member or best buddy. That diminishes it not in the least.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

A different thought process :
1)Parkflyers are the fastest growing segment with mini UAVs in the rc world (excluding ground/water vehicles)
2)they are flown in baseball fields , parks and any place that one feels they can take off .
3)EPO planes in general from overseas & now some US distributors are a trend that is not even visible to many dedicated RC flyers , veteran warbird guys and definitely misunderstood . Most still think of foam as "beer can coolers"
4)Non -club non AMA rc participation is probably at an all time high as this segment sees no need to join a club , the AMA or the rules that encompass both .
5) Surprisingly many , yes many as the segment is not only growing on new consumer entry but on repeat consumer purchase are learning to fly without the help of the salty seasoned veteran or typical RC expert that would scare off a Top Gun Competitor with preflight tips lol .
So my point is that AMA membership is not growing because the AMA membership is not adding value to the newest entry into RC .Some clubs are not growing because they dont care to add value to the hobby by inviting more of the curious onlookers into the water (remember I said some) .

THe AMA best PR person is a RC enthusiast , but one that is also a club member that can tout the benefits of club friendship, help, competition and everything that should go with a club. However because we are human in nature , clubs and how they are perceived is all up to its members.
I personally know some accomplished RC modelers /builders that will either drive 60 mins out of there way past one club , to fly at another that is more welcoming then the one they drive past .
Again , this reflects on the club and who is the club sanctioned by =====AMA .
A non RC example , Ice Hockey is governed by USA Hockey , if a minor club is not behaving and following the rules best suited for the general population of the kids that play , that club can loose it USA sanction and right to league play.

In this day and age if a membership is not adding value outside of the obvious "insurance" then many will question this as an un nessasary expense needed to fly at a club and I wont need that as I have no intentions of joining a club.

Again look at the trend in RC , its from one extreme to another . Its small park flyers epo , thru 1400mm EPO planes (some larger but the 1700 size is not the trend . Then look at the opposite end , you have Giant Scale ARFs . I would doubt you find any non-AMA-Non Club members in the realm of Giant Scale ARfs , but I would venture to bet that 75% and more of the epo parkflyers are flown by non-club non AMA members .

THis is not a political statement but a statement of affairs on trends in Rc and there impact on the current and past face of RC .
Good news ? yes , this same 75% of non-club non ama is trending much younger in age , something that despite the best efforts of club and ama could never achieve .