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Open Forum / Re: 2025 Nats Qualification Groups, scores and final reports
« Last post by Rusty on Today at 07:30:38 AM »Interesting discussion.
I feel you guys may be the last of the builder's era. If local clubs are any indication of the future, it is not bright. I belong to 2 clubs. (It was 3 clubs, but 1 closed Monday.) The biggest club is about 150 members. Out of that, there is maybe 3 builders. I have pushed people to build, by giving them the kit and parts to make it. One person, a doctor took the offer and built (with a lot of help) a House of Balsa P51, 60 size. He converted it to electric. It took about a year. He was successful and I flew it for him. He was very, very proud of his accomplishment. I have given kits to 3 other people and none of those ever started the kit. The reason is they give is WHY? Why spend the time doing all that work, when they can buy a plane ready to fly and go fly. I explain that building and fly are two very different tasks. Building gives one a deep satisfaction and pride when they fly a plane they made. If you never built one, you cannot know that. Convincing people to try it, is nearly impossible. They make stupid excuses that programming the receiver and transmitter for their new FOAM ARF is more difficult than building. Bull Hockey!!! I know programming and it does give satisfaction, but not what you get building. And, as I explain to them, that very ardent task of programming cheats them out of reallyl learning to fly, because they are programming SAFE receivers that virtually fly the plane for them.
What does it mean to us? It means the hobby as we love it, is dying. Eventually, you will have to confront people like I describe and their demand to fly ARFs or you won't have many competitors.
I still think you guys that are here now, should consider, just for the hell of it, changing your rules as Sparky suggests. That would truly get the most out of you, who are the last of the best.
I feel you guys may be the last of the builder's era. If local clubs are any indication of the future, it is not bright. I belong to 2 clubs. (It was 3 clubs, but 1 closed Monday.) The biggest club is about 150 members. Out of that, there is maybe 3 builders. I have pushed people to build, by giving them the kit and parts to make it. One person, a doctor took the offer and built (with a lot of help) a House of Balsa P51, 60 size. He converted it to electric. It took about a year. He was successful and I flew it for him. He was very, very proud of his accomplishment. I have given kits to 3 other people and none of those ever started the kit. The reason is they give is WHY? Why spend the time doing all that work, when they can buy a plane ready to fly and go fly. I explain that building and fly are two very different tasks. Building gives one a deep satisfaction and pride when they fly a plane they made. If you never built one, you cannot know that. Convincing people to try it, is nearly impossible. They make stupid excuses that programming the receiver and transmitter for their new FOAM ARF is more difficult than building. Bull Hockey!!! I know programming and it does give satisfaction, but not what you get building. And, as I explain to them, that very ardent task of programming cheats them out of reallyl learning to fly, because they are programming SAFE receivers that virtually fly the plane for them.
What does it mean to us? It means the hobby as we love it, is dying. Eventually, you will have to confront people like I describe and their demand to fly ARFs or you won't have many competitors.
I still think you guys that are here now, should consider, just for the hell of it, changing your rules as Sparky suggests. That would truly get the most out of you, who are the last of the best.