With all the stuff to occupy peoples lives how can we expect to get people to try control line planes. They are not covered in the magazines like when I was about 10 or 11 years old. While Mom was grocery shopping I would be at the magazine rack looking at the magazines. The store manager didn't seem to mind as I usually took one home after paying for it. Free flight is the same way and was the main interest back then.
When I joined the club and started flying with the guys, you were lucky if you got to fly twice. Me I was lucky in that I had a place to fly at where I lived. Even ball diamonds or football fields were available if no games were going on. Kids and some times parents would come and watch. Some would ask questions, But, then the competition end of it started to grow and with the contests being on Sundays and at another location, the old circle would be vacant as it was when I got to fly my Guillows Rat Racer for the first time. Mr. Brooks made the first flight for me. Needless to say the old McCoy wasn't broken in completely and we only got a dozen laps on a 2 ounce tank. Being a youngster I could get to the circle of Mom took me.
Later after I had gotten married and also having an accident a few months later I was not flying as much. But flying got me to work and get back on my feet and fly again. By then the circle had been moved in city park and we had a tree to contend with. Park would not remove any of it, so would have to stand off center to fly stunt or combat. Had quite a few guys started showing up to fly and a again it got so some only get a couple of flights. I took a weekend of to go to a contest. A week later I'm back at the circle and only a couple of guys show up. I asked where are the others, response was, they didn't know if I was going to be there or not. I was considered the expert for some reason. Things were good until I left for the NATS in 70. When I made it back to the circle only one person showed up. Guess the others found other things to do.
I even had a period of time in which I tried to get a local news letter out to the guys to let them know what was happening. Then I got hooked on F2C competition and there was only one place to practice. The Sunday regulars complained we would be hogging the circle. Any body in the know that it takes several tanks of fuel to see if the plane was doing any thing. So my pilot and I would go out during the week in the evening or on Saturdays and practice. When after I finally gave up on racing and keeping a pilot I went back to just flying for fun with my carrier and stunt planes. Got a few people going again and was having monthly sessions where we would have some impromptu event. Was going good until my son and a friends son started flying my planes and we got back to racing and carrier. We had a few that would tolerate us. But, as things would happen my work took over in which I was out of town for weeks at a time. The other times I would be working nights and weekends. So that meant less practice and we had to rely on our experience to do half way decent. Then the son got married and his activities put a stop to competition. We did get the step sons and Emmy out to Denver one year to fly in the Junior events. But, I do believe the thought of competition would take too much time and they just wanted to fly for fun.
Now Dave Trible has gotten us permission to use some park land for a circle. We need to take care of the brainless kid that thinks its fun doing donuts in the circle. I haven't been down there as much as I like with Church and family on Sundays. Also it's no fun flying by one self unless I just want to go fly and relax. But, really I think the competition end of it is what drove people off. I myself love competition and I think watching is more enjoyable, plus all the great people I have met through the years. But now I think of all those that I met just flying for the pleasure of it. The Topeka club had a fun fly and balloon burst a few weeks ago, which I attended. Only put up three flights and enjoyed watching the others fly. So if I show up at a contest, it may be to fly a couple of flights and BS the rest of the time. Can't get local participation if we aren't here.
Didn't post fast enough. Our RC club is dying because of all the park rules and the club dues. Not every one is millionairs,