Hey everyone - we’d like to address one particular section of the video we realized we failed to word properly to align with our true feelings on the matter: the camera drone/DJI market being a huge cause to the regulation of our hobby. We improperly used the term “FPV” alongside DJI which caused some of our friends from the FPV community to feel attacked. Please note that what we really meant to say was that FPV, specifically fixed wing and race/freestyle quads, is a newer hobby that is attracting some of the same people that might have joined the line-of-sight RC aviation otherwise. We also meant to say that camera drones/DJI operated irresponsibly have drawn the attention of regulating bodies and we as hobbyists have been caught in the crossfire. We conflated/merged these two points and the end result was not what we intended. Camera drones/DJI should not be lumped into the same category as hobby use RC helis, planes, and FPV freestyle and racing quads. In reality, we have a lot more in common with FPV than camera drones/DJI and we feel the same frustrations with regulation.
its too funny they got their feelings hurt over an obvious joke that YOU KNOW they make themselves about those people. I know we do ua-cam.com/video/hx5Es0bnulM/v-deo.html
Left the UAV Hobby and went back to the Ground ( Combining it with D.I.Y. Scratchbuilding: ua-cam.com/video/6XZXryXOO5A/v-deo.html ) due to all the regulations pretty much ruining the hobby where I live with stuff like not being allowed to take flight unless I have a Spotter which totally defeats the point of me wanting some piece of mind alone from everyone else. Also, pretty sure the thing that got the Authorities to the Table ( the ones in the US in particular ) when it comes to Unmanned Flight was when Trappy went full retard and released this video for the clicks: ua-cam.com/video/M9cSxEqKQ78/v-deo.html - As one can see... Neither a Drone nor a DJI... Just purely unassisted FPV.
Thanks for the clear up! I was about to go in the commends and rend about it, thanks that you see us(fpv pilots) not as stupid people. Great vid keep on going
@zuidspook No problem. We fly FPV fixed wings and quads as well so if our video was how we truly felt, we’d be hating on ourselves. 😝 We’ve got a fun FPV fixed wing video coming in the next month or so…stay tuned. 😁
Now you know how we old control line guys feel. Some 50 years ago, all we needed to do to find a flying field was walk to the closest school. A basketball court or baseball diamond. And the plane we all started with was the Cox PT-19: a well engineered model designed to handle the hard life of a primary trainer. With a handful of props and rubber bands, anything short of a vertical dive only took a few minutes of field repairs. And, when a wing or other major part broke fatally, any good hobby shop would carry spares.
@@plmsdevelopments Sure, but did it get you into the hobby? On a side note, there was a guy that put a Tee Dee engine in one and that made it fairly aerobatic.
better to light one candle than to curse the darkness so here goes - I saw a box in a store with a picture of an airplane on it and the inviting words "teach yourself to fly" - I took the umx plane to a ball field and learned the meaning of "fly, crash, repair, repeat". Then I discovered there was an rc flying field close by. There I flew, crashed, repaired and repeated my way up thru sport planes, warbirds and jets. One day a guy asked if I would teach him to fly. So I did. He recommeded me to another guy. Before long I was considered the guy to see if you wanted to learn to fly. The lessons were free. I just wanted to help people learn to fly without all the crashing and repairing I went thru. If I saw someone at the field just watching I would say hi - show them my plane and radio and if they were interested explain how they worked. If they were still interested I would explain how I could "buddy box" with them and teach them to fly and offer them a free test flight. I've had the joy of helping people join the hobby and become my flying buddies.
My dad, who has been into flying since the line controlled planes of the 70's, went out to try out a couple new foamies he bought and modded slightly. The flight line was REALLY busy, and since all he was really needing to do was some high speed taxing, he decided to just take his gear about a half mile to the other side of the county park, and do his testing in a grass field used for large event parking. This isn't even land owned by the same organization, and my dad knows the people over it and has permission to fly there. I guess some tally wacker came out of the flight line, saw my dad there with a dozen or so planes, and bee lined through the field at him, bottoming out his car's suspension many times along the way. The guy hops out, steaming mad, and proceeds to run his mouth off at my dad, who just calmly walks to the cab of his truck, make right tos a quick phone call, and walks back to the tailgate to have a seat. The guy starts demanding to see my dad's credentials, insurance, club affiliation, everything he could think of to trip my dad up. Even though he didn't need to, my dad started producing IDs and documents. After insurance and license, the guy took a gut check when my dad handed him his club ID. My dad was one of the 12 founding members, and the only one left active. My dad was only known by name by most members as he was working a rotating shift as the lead operator at a major petrochemical plant, ironically, which makes a very large volume of aviation fuel. The guy was shook, but that male Karen tried to stand his ground stating my dad had no right to fly there, and he was trespassing by doing so. My dad politely pointed out that city property, and the property the flight line was located, ended at the ditch on the back side of this parking area, and they were on county property. It was just about then that a county parks maintenance truck came rolling up. As soon as the door opened on the county truck, male Karen started in on how my dad was flying illegally, and needed to be arrested for trespassing. The maintenance man walked over to my dad, gave him a hardy hand shake, and asked if his kid's plane was ready. Male Karen just stood there dumbfounded. One of the planes my dad was testing was for the grounds maintenance guy's kid. My dad was donating them to several elementary kids that signed up for the RC plane club, but didn't have one of their own to fly. My dad had permission from both the club and the county to fly exactly where he was. Matter of fact, it's the runoff field during the summer. The county grounds guy was not happy about the ruts male Karen's car left as it kept bottoming out coming over the grass. Moral of the story: don't be that guy. Approach a situation with a quiet mind and open ears.
These are people who have no real authority or purpose in life, so they create these situations in order to feel important. I learned a long time ago that unless someone is being assaulted or robbed or something. to just look the other way and keep walking.
When I entered the fixed wing aspect of this hobby 10 years ago, I had different but unfortunately similar experiences. While enjoying my new hobby at local non control tower AIRPORTS after doing due diligence in all areas. The sniveling AMA lackies would regularly show up and "inform" me as to my major rule breaking procedures and concerns they were typically agast when I informed them of the multiple LEGALITIES which allowed me to fly there and the permission of the different airport managers to do so. I have three locations to fly like that. The stupidity of those types eventually lead me to just pay the ransom to the ngo hobby police to shut them up, join a club and experience the sniveling of the petty membership. Sure was fun telling em off for years though lol.
Best description of some challenges facing our hobby that I have seen. As someone that learned from his dad 60 years ago I appreciate you. Just to set the record straight, I have 40+ RC airplanes, Quads and even a 10 year old DJI product in the hangar.
I'm not really into RC planes, but the one about the hobby shops closing really hits home. Some of my best childhood memories were in Hobby Town or analogous hobby shops. I am currently looking for employment in my local one. Even in my short life (19yrs) i have seen so many hobby shops close, and really all we have left are mom and pop shops that are barely making enough money to stay open. It seems like everything derived from joy in this world is slowly being eradicated in favor of convenience and corporate soullessness.
I've only seen one hobby shop in my entire life and that one closed after 2020 so I missed out. Now all I see are soulless websites and it doesn't feel as wonderful.
Even know I started flying less then 6 months ago I strongly agree with this video. At my field I’m one of the only ‘kids’ (I’m a teenager, I know yuck) that fly out there while Most of my friends are inside playing on their computer. I was luckily enough to be given crashed planes and I’m able to fix them up and fly them, half of my collection is hand built or repaired planes.
Good for you, Mr Kermit! When I started in the hobby you had to pretty much build your own planes because ARF's we're too damned expensive to buy. In the course of building and repairing, I learned a great deal about Aviation and aeronautics. I even got my pilot's license back in the late seventies because I wanted the experience of flying full scale. Don't feel bad that you are flying planes that you have repaired and made flyable yourself. That shows an initiative and a level of intelligence that many people don't have. Your a credit to yourself and your family.
@Mr Kermit so glad you found a fun way into the hobby that you enjoy! Always remember that some people enjoy building, some people enjoy flying, some enjoy both. If someone doesn’t build or enjoy building it doesn’t make them less of a pilot. 🙂👍
When I was in college, I visited the local RC club's field and had a negative experience. A couple of older club members (who didn't fly a single plane in my time there) proceeded to tell me everything I was doing wrong in accordance with their club rules. I didn't have my AMA card attached to a flight board, I performed an aerobatic maneuver within a certain altitude ect. I left knowing I would never return to said field. Thankfully, my current hometown field and club are nothing like that. Also that club has since lost their flying site (imagine that)
@bobadingo3092 Ego? I was flying an avistar top wing trainer at the time and was still pretty new into the hobby. It wasn't that they told me what I was doing wrong, its the manner in which they did it. In no way were they inviting nor did they offer any assistance. They literally yelled at me while I was flying because I did a aileron roll, rather than explaining the safety measures they deemed it necessary to yell and distract me in flight. I'd like to add one more reason the hobby is dying. "Which is why your likes need to find another hobby"- people exactly like you. I've been introducing many new people into the hobby, spending most of my time at the field now as an instructor. I hope you see my point.
Well, It hasen't changed that much. I remember flying a sheet balsa 15" quickbuilt rubber powered converted with a Cox Pewe .020 free flight - badly trimmed it swooped and stalled all over the place and upset the "old timers" who were winding their rubber motors or tuning ther CL team racers. At the next meeting I was singled out for a stern rebuke, and I will never forget the comment that sheet balsa modeIs with miniature motors were "not in the true spirit of aeromodelling !" That was 1958, 1/16 sq, tissue, dope, and rubber, were the only respected norms in those days.
@@ericwillis777 Remember the Cox PT 19 control line rtf? That was my first crash when I was 7, back in the 50's. Next crash I did was the Cox P 40 crashes. After that I started building Ringmaster jr's with a Fox .15. Yup, I crashed that one more then once,lol. Now I have two unopened balsa kits to build with my 11 yr old grandson. For the trainer I bought a balsa kit senior telemaster,(96 in ws I believe), and a Balsa USA 1/4 scale J 3. Both models will be powered by a 2 cyl 4 stroke boxer. .19 for the telly, and a 160 for the cub. That should,(I hope) grab his attention.
I feel like the cost has gone down a lot from when I started as a yute back in the late 90s. I reentered the hobby last year. Flite Test has definitely blown the doors off the gatekeeping side of the hobby and reduced costs too. As for the regulation side, my friends growing up who were skaters have shown us the way. Outside of our fields we're just gonna have to be nice outlaws, eg when someone official tells us to move along, we do so, and find another spot. Flying RC (or driving RC) isn't a crime!
Totally agree, you can now get a complete setup ready to fly for less than $30. Sure it may be a really basic Chinese quad or heli but it will get you flying and the bug will bite.
My first ever plane was an Eaglet 50 from tower hobbies circa 1983? Gas two-stroke nitro engine... never did fly right after a nose-down crash. I think it bent the crank.
I beg to differ: while in the People's Republic of Minnesota (specifically Bloomington), I was detained for flying a model airplane without a city permit. I was released after the officer checked me for priors. The next week, I went to apply for a permit and was told it was either five or ten dollars. I filled out my name, address, and turned over the fee and got the permit without doing anything else. The whole thing was just a scam to get a few bucks out of flyers.
Regarding local hobby shops, a major part of the problem with that is that many of them have the wrong business strategy now, they're trying to compete with online stores, what they need to do is market themselves as a local hub of knowlege and sell quality rather than quantity, because they're never going to win that fight. Now how they go about that is going to vary massively, but trying to out internet the internet isn't going to work.
👍 with that being said, I have to give a shout out to my closest store, Hayes Hobby House in Fayetteville, NC. Seems like they stock at least a few of everything, prices are competitive, and plenty of knowledge and wisdom that’s free with or without a purchase.
Funny you should mention selling quantity. A buddy of mine bought so much stuff at the Prop Shop here in Michigan that they gave him a hat in appreciation😅😂
If a hobby shop wants to survive, it comes down to customer service. I asked a hobby shop a few days ago if I bought a $350 transmitter if they would make sure it’s up to date. The response I got was we don’t do that so I bought one off the internet. Why would I pay more for a radio with a bad lazy attitude?
My local place is terrible now. I grew up there, buying tons of RC trucks and upgrades, fuel etc. Got it if the hobby for a while and went there last year with my son to get something. The place was run down and dirty and didn't have nearly as much stuff as they did years ago. Plenty of static models and paint, hardly any RC stuff. It was sad to see
There are three RC hobby shops that have been recommended to me by my local rc club. The first is the closest but is the smallest, doesn't restock often, and the owner is not really friendly - they don't get much traffic, I'm the only one there when I've gone. Second shop is larger but a little farther away, has friendly employees and approachable with knowledge. I've been going here as my preference more often. The third is more than an hour away but is the largest in size and inventory. They have a small field for guests to try out planes, cars, tanks, and such. They have a large electric race track for weekly club events and a nice model train setup. Have inventory (or quick turn around times), friendly employees, and a reason for people to come back (i.e., race track, fly field, local events, etc. Anything to gather people of all ages to come back to a social event or interaction). The trick is to have friendly, approachable, knowledgable staff, and some inventory. I'd rather buy in person than online since I get to converse with others in the hobby and learn more.
I totally agree, the instructor at our field will lecture you for 2 hours about rules before you even get to fly. I’m 14 and been in the hobby since I was two so it is sad to see so many people show up and walk away.
I have to say this is true. I have been in the Rc car hobby field for only a few months but I can definitely say that cost is also a discouraging fact. I broke a control arm on my car a few days ago, and to replace it, I had to pay 8 dollars for a single pice of plastic I can make myself! And it’s one of the parts, in my opinion, that you break often.
@@dabdog6217 Have you looked into aftermarket brands for replacement parts at your local hobby shop? I found the same thing with Traxxas trucks until the hobby shop showed me RPM brand A-arms, wider front bumpers, etc. The RPM stuff is VERY tough compared to the Traxxas parts anyway, perhaps there's a similar option to keep your truck on the road and off the work bench.
I sold all my RC plane stuff... If I have to deal with the gatekeepers wont let you fly and I have to drive 50 miles to not fly. I now fly race/ freestyle drones pretty much wherever I can find enough space.
in our area, having rules was an act of survival for the community. there were people who didn't really like us being there, and many fields were being closed down because of people doing stupid things.
NEVER accept this argument. Just because some idiot did something, does not mean you should be punished, nor should you accept any rule or ruling that says otherwise. If they come for you, it's better to die a martyr for liberty than live as a slave.
@@smugfrog8111 I'm with you Citizen! "Give You Liberty or Give You Death!" Keep us updated on your experiences in Eastern Ukraine. You are on your way there aren't you? 🤔
@@theoztreecrasher2647 Yes, liberty or death. What does Bidens war in Ukraine have to do with anything? I'm genuinely confused because it's the lefties with pronouns in their bio that support Ukraine. At least get your stereotypes right. Z
And we wouldn’t have them in the flying hobby if every other simpleton didn’t go out and buy a drone and proceed to do stupid shit with em. The difficulty to fly was the filter for that kind of person before…
@@mojappa that is bullshit and you should know better than to say that. the reason hobby aviation is outright banned in the US (and it is) is because we got rid of 336. the whole point of 336 is the easiest way to integrate hobby aviation in the NAS is to eliminate it. that is why 336 was their. but corporate america did not want competition. so we effectively got no seat at the table. the AMA threw us under the buss or they were handed their hat and shown the door. As of right now hobby aviation is outlawed in the US. you can still fly 250g for now they also changed the rule so that is no longer a hard exception. they can infringe that as well now you can also fly at a CBO field but there is a deadline for adding those and after that no more can ever be added again. and lastly you could argue that you don't need permission to fly from your own property. its well established court precedent that you do in fact own the reasonably usable airspace over your own land. Otherwise. hobby aviation is outlawed. you have to ask permission to fly a foam glider if its over 250g and they can require permission for under 250g if they so choose.
When I showed up to my field after spending over $400 (a lot of money for me) I was hit with membership dues and AMA fees...really turned me off. Now, my retirement home will have my own strip where I can fly how I want, when I want, and where I want without being bothered. Other Government regulations, I think, are killing the hobby.
Honestly the biggest problem is the locations to fly at and price of these birds, I am 15 and go to my local club, but when I first started it was very hard to get going, but luckily I stayed with it!
@@r1m.dog78 Yep, and if we want the hobby to prosper (or even survive) we have to act as a unified community speaking with one voice. So sad that so many are simply not interested or unwilling to take a stand to protect access to this hobby for future generations.
As a Kiddo it is hard to find other kids that are passionate about aviation in my town. This hobby just needs one more ridiculous regulation before it goes down the drain. Luckily, there are still people in this world that encourage beginners to Build, Fly, Crash, and Repeat the process. ( AKA Flite test) Happy flying!
It's not your job to find out how to relate to crusty old men, it's our job to reach out to you! But try to find guys that fly the crappiest foamies, you'll find that they are probably the most down to earth and get to know them!
I hear quite a few people listing complaints about how difficult it is to go fly rc because of regulations or dealing with the older generation at rc clubs, etc. I would encourage you to do what it takes because it's worth it in my opinion. I love flying rc and it has taught me so much over the years I don't think I would be where I'm at in my life and career without it. I would also encourage you to try building as that is a great aspect of the hobby that many people don't get to experience these days. Once you have some experience it's also very rewarding to help new rc flyers get going. I've been a member of several clubs over the years and all of them have been overall great experiences. Yes a few fellow club members can be frustrating but don't let that stop you. There aren't very many activities that are more rewarding then spending months or sometimes years building your own aircraft, setting up the control system, tuning the engine or setting up the electric power system, fighting through the anxiety of the maiden flight, and seeing your creation soar through the sky and come in for a safe landing. This hobby isn't always easy but most things worth doing aren't.
Very timely video. I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks it’s totally insane to bag model Aviation in with drones. I wrote the FAA back in 2014 or whenever all these rules started and that was one of my arguments. God help us keep this category of STEM available to the coming generations.
Unfortunately "Drones" refers to all UAVs. I remember hearing the terms and being suprised it applied to my model aircraft. I was even suprised it applied to the quadcopter I was building. Back then I thought it only refered to the DJI camera drones.
Thank you for using this video to point out questions. I am a Taiwanese RC pilot, and Taiwan's laws are very “lazy”, because these Taiwanese officials only follow the laws of the FAA and even set more unreasonable conditions. For example, item 13 that you mentioned, the whole world knows that there are many type of flight objects. But only government officials do not understand. The things you faced are the same of the world. Your efforts and changes can improve the problems facing the world.
Maybe if the RC boomers didn't see FPV and drones in general as 1 braincelled idiots that are "out to kill the RC hobby" and adopted it as part of the RC hobby it would help out both worlds. For example why not host a racetrack for a fpv racers on a AMA field to draw those people in? Or invite fpv pilots to make awesome clips of your rc plane in mid flight?
Have you seen Xjet's new video on losing his wings? He got a letter with a warning listing no less than 8 conditions he would need to comply with, to legally and "safely" (by regulators' standards) fly his 20g Mobula 6 over his own property, while not exceeding tree top height. And remote ID wasn't even one of the included conditions, as that doesn't (yet?) apply in New Zealand. Madness...
The Hobby Shop fall is quite sad. I had a real trouble finding specific parts at my remaining local shops even tho I want to prioritize the local spots. And its specifically bad for RC Air only, and not RC Auto or even BOATS. I get why online is more prominent. Might’ve been the only way I could grow in the hobby to begin with. But I like buying products off the shelf, immediate grabs and impulse buys!
My dad was a WW2 Air Force veteran, so my interest in the hobby started as a child. I always followed the rules and safety procedures ect. then the FAA regulations, red tape, fees, licenses and prohibitions sucked all the fun and enjoyment out of the "hobby", my collection of models have since been grounded for good.
Wow. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Excellent video. Yes, whenever the government gets involved we can guarantee one thing, it's going to be worse than ever. What this hobby needs is no government regarding RC planes and more reasonable prices. On line stores offer only a limited amount of choices. The LHS always has tons more stuff than what is shown online. The last time I went to the field to pay my dues, the club president and a member at large grinded on me for over an hour about everything wrong with the club: there was some kind of hostile take over, the city keeps threatening to take our permit, no body shows up on clean up days, no one cares about helping, no one follows the rules, on and on and on. I almost took my payment back. Personally, I prefer flying when no one is around. It's peaceful that way and there's no one to bark at me or hog the runway.
“Wives taking away our credit cards” ha! Know that feeling! I’m 8 months into the hobby and just purchased my 6th plane, my CC will be on ice soon she says lol! It’s a great hobby and thank you to people like you that make this content. Iv learned a lot from all of your videos which has helped me out immensely!
This problem is very visible in the field I go to in Puerto Rico. Im 15, and the other youngest person that goes there consistently is around 35 years old. 😕 Cant forget to mention that the rest of them are veterans or just very old people.
Show up with some donuts or pizza and have a conversation the old guys amd veterans are usually really cool been thru and seen alot and alot of them love helping the newcomer....amd they will teach you technical flying....don't let the age gap deter you
I tried out the RC hobby when i was 13 (i was born in 2000) and dropped it some time later at 15 years of age. I reentered the hobby in 2021 and enjoyed it ever since then. IMO the number 1 biggest problem for RC (planes) in my area is that your options are severely limited without a car. There are two flight clubs for my city of 500k people and both of their fields are an absolute pain to get to without a car. Within the city, there are only few places where you can fly sub 250 models since most of the interesting ones are now illegal to use due to the ridiculous amount of regulations and the city banning models in the entire area around our river (previously the best option within city limits) to "protect the birds". Since this leads to much fewer people coming into contact with the hobby, it is no surprise to me that there is almost no interest from young people in it. The flight club that i am in is only growing thanks to an influx of middle aged guys (still a welcome and very positive development). I disagree with your arguments about a lot of the technical stuff. While the RC hobby is still somewhat cost prohibitive, it got slightly cheaper over the years. Todays internet resources also allow one to learn about any complications for zero cost. What is really killing it in my opinion is the rampant government regulation, that requires lots of research to fully understand, makes the hobby almost inaccessible without a club, and creates the only aspect of increased costs. It is blatantly obvious that the regulators did not care about the hobbyists in any way when they came up with new laws. They probably just "wanted to get rid of the annoying drones". I now need to carry the following documents to use the legal options i have: - ID card or passport - EU A1/A3 certificate - StRF chapter 5 certificate - insurance card - model flight association membership card Whlie i think that some of those regulations are understandable, i think that they shouldn't apply to flight clubs. Also, the 250g limit has to be raised (at least for fixed wing) or the distance regulations should be relaxed.
This is a good point, not having a car. There was a period of time where I was without a car for a while. While they were mentioned as a negative, this is where DJI's smaller folding drones help. Or some of the cheaper drones from sites like Banggood will easily fit in a backpack. I actually taught myself how to ride a bike again as an adult, and rigged planes on a rear pannier shelf and rode to fields that way. But yes, the regulations are getting quite insane. A decade ago, flying a foamie at a park would have the odd passerby become quite interested and ask you about the plane - nowadays they look at you like you're about to commit genocide or something.
@@Razor-gx2dq If i could choose, i'd go for the full kilogramm. Realistically, 500g would already make things a lot easier without a significant amount of danger that the model could pose.
1kg is more reasonable for drones and fix wing. Why? Drones are only seen as bad because the price point of entry is slow low. Its also the same for rc planes but news of bad actors with those are just washed out with stuff about drones. 99%+ drone pilots dont do anything wrong and are equally as annoyed at the rules. Its only the 1% who think they are clever
Ok....this earned you a subscribe...even without AJones being made head of the FAA. Good points all....and I say that as someone getting "back" into the hobby after being on the sidelines for 10+ years...and a Part 107 Drone pilot (but I don't fly DJI). I'm amazed at the innovations "foam" has had over the past 10 years...and one of the two planes I have obtained to get back into the hobby is indeed a large foam glider (Horizon Radian)....the other is a traditional balsa/shrink cover bird. As I get comfortable flying again...I might even tackle "building" my own (again)...yeah...I truly am a throwback (but always welcome new flyers...I don't want to see this hobby die). Thanks again.
Hey there, young folk here. Theres two main reasons I struggled (and still am struggling) to get into the hobby. Reason 1 is the cost, spending $300 on a plane AND $100+ on a transmitter can be daunting to many people. And definitely gatekeeping at local fields is an issue. Its difficult to want to pay for insurance AFTER the cost of the airplane.
There are a lot of less expensive ways to get into the hobby. It may not be the plane you really want, but some of the Flite Test options are a LOT less than $300.
stick with park flying if at all possible. older guy here, and I also avoid AMA fields with a bunch of grumps. there is no benefit to the AMA anymore, it's become a detriment
One of the reason I went drone instead of RC planes is its way easier to find places to fly. I don't need a long landing field like a little airport. I've taken off out the window of my car before. Pull over to the side of the road, hold the drone out, and take off. fly around, come back, hold my hand out and hand catch it. But they just dont have the same pizazz as a 36" wide piper cub on balloon tires.
@@DavidSmith-jj5pr one field here requires a spotter while you fly what bullshit. That's after they've tested you to make sure you all ready know how to fly AND buy ama membership for the insurance. I stay the hell away from ama fields. F that
I'm 17, and I design, build and operate very advanced ultra-long range fixed-wing UAVs. Absolutely nobody in my country does this. I haven't even managed to find anybody under 30 who has anything to do with RC planes. Not many teens are interested in laminating fiberglass in 3d printed molds and building antenna trackers. I am resorting to non-compliance when I fly these upon the introduction of new regulations. The police can come and take me away, if they somehow catch me. I will happily keep flying my 30km and back missions until then.
@@lucasvanhamburg4937 Yeah, it's been an incredible journey. It's awesome how much one can accomplish when one has a passion for something. I'm heading for university in hopes of getting a master's in aerospace engineering in 7 years or so.
Sub-discussion: The thing that made me stop going to hobby shops were the hobby shop snobs and ones that really presented a bar to those just trying to get it. The same is true for a few other sports, I hate most gun shops because of the imperious attitudes of some owners or regulars at the shops.
Great perspective video THP. I agree with you guys. I'm not putting down quads because I like planes but has anyone noticed that "drones" aren't really in the news anymore??. I think it's mostly because the airheads lost pressure and big business figured out it's not a viable endeavor. Conspiracy?? Who knows. As you said, our hobby is, and will always be the safest part of aviation.
@twerkingbollocks6661 yes, your absolutely correct. RC airplanes, fpv racing quads, tiny whoops and the like, are more or less "toys". The bigger quads/drones are most definitely used everyday as very helpful tools. Tools, as we all know, are a double edged sword. They can be used to create or destroy. Those tools have been used by irresponsible individuals in places they never should've been, ie, airports, stadiums , the top of skyscrapers etc. We have never seen a model airplane or jet, in the news, causing trouble. Model aircraft have been flying safely since Orville and Wilbur Wright. Yes things change and move forward. I agree with Tail Heavy Productions, there should be two classifications. As I said, I'm not against ANY rc aircraft. The whole rc community shouldn't be in turmoil due to a segment of it. Especially a segment with a safe, long proven track record. Be well friend, fly safe and have fun doing it. AirHammer out!!
30 yrs ago you spent $100 and 80 hours to build a trainer and $200 for an entry level 4ch radio system. That makes todays trainers pretty cheap when you factor in 30 yrs of inflation! Now, with ARFs and simulators, the care, diligence, and emotional investment in a new plane is missing, leading to more "chuck it and f-it" carelessness ON AVERAGE, today. We have had signed off pilots, young and old, that are so reckless I just wont unpack until they leave. They used to be 1%, now 5-10% of members. Then came 9/11. Amazon talking aerial delivery. Both scared the snot out of the FAA in terms of potential airspace conflicts with existing air traffic and "terrism" enablers. Much as I don't like excessive government control, those are both valid safety issues at the national level. I will grunt and hum the FAA tune and continue to enjoy my friends of 30 years at the field! I love training stormtroopers, young and old. OK "stormtroopers" was Swyped "students" but I didn't have the heart to delete it.😂
I've always loved flying, maybe at least partly because my dad was a Navy Aircraft Structural Mechanic. Unfortunately, the way life turned out, the only gear-oriented hobbies in which I was able to indulge myself were stamp collecting (as long as I tore the stamps off the letters I could find), coin collecting (from change I found at random) and rock collecting (from wherever I happened to be walking). I used to dream of having RC aircraft, and even tried designing some on paper (despite not knowing specifically how they work). Flash forward about forty years. I want to get out of the computer tech support field and into something that consistently pays above the median wage and offers me freedom from an office cubical. I happened to have a bit of money, so I decided to get into real estate photography. I bought a quadcopter only to help me shoot real estate photos. As I learned all the trouble I would have to go through to use it, I've often thought I should have just bought a long pole with my camera on top. Nevertheless, I have persevered, and I am nearly ready to take the FAA's Part 107 exam. I enjoy flying my drone, but I'm not looking for a new hobby. I really need something that can earn money; lots of money. The complaints made in this video are true of pretty much every hobby or even small business that exists in this country today. People are obsessed with telling everybody else what to do and making them do it. That's one of the biggest roles that government has; fulfilling society's need to boss everybody else around, even if for no particular reason. In the case of sUAS, the FAA seems to believe that my three-pound flying piece of plastic has the operational characteristics of an RQ-4 Global Hawk. The pre-flight checklists that several entities offer is a joke on my drone. I've tried to think of all the worst-case scenarios that I could for my drone, but I see surprisingly few ways that I could cause significant damage or injury just from what the drone itself could do. If it were possible to cause significant damage or injury with my drone, I probably would already have done it, just learning to get my drone to fly. I've crashed it (or, it crashed itself) into all kind of things, including its spinning blades into my bare chest. In six months, nobody has died, and no permanent injuries. I haven't even had the police called on me (for the drone, I mean). I could do more harm with a baseball. Please don't identify the sUAS segment with DJI. I intentionally don't buy or fly DJI, because of the company's connection to Communist China.
A problem at a club where I used to fly was what I called "elitism." Those with lots of money basically demanded that the rest of us stayed grounded while they flew their turbines and huge qas-powered 3D Yaks, one after another without allowing anyone else to fly. People new to the hobby with their little foamies never got a chance to fly at all on some days. There was a lot of gatekeeping as well.
@@TailHeavyProductions I also experienced that. Grumpy guys feeling their egos, even on their particular political views. They wanted me to make an insurance about a 100g micro drone, wich I agreed. But then while speaking to an insurance agent I discovered their were flying near to a little airport. I told them about that in the sense that no insurance would cover us there, and they never wanted me back. Now it's their personal illegal flying field and nobody is insured. That was my short experience with RC guys.
I've been flying stuff for just over a decade. I would never step foot near a club. I've found you can go quite a long ways with a very early morning and large playing fields.
I tried to get into this hobby last year but was greeted with many of the issues that were talked about. I had a little 100 dollar foam P51 Mustang and at first I tried flying it at the local park. That didnt work because even though I wasnt flying anywhere near any people one guy still thought I was somehow using it to spy on him and his family. Unfortunately he literally lived right next to the park so I couldnt fly there. I tried checking out the local club in my area and was basically told that it would cost me about $1000 and a buch of certifications before I could fly my tiny little foam plane at their field. Not to mention the elitist attitude I got when I told them what I had. They acted like their airfield would be insulted or something just by bringing my plane on the property. So yea, having nowhere to fly because people are dumb paranoid animals and others are stuck up snobs kinda makes the whole hobby kinda pointless!
As a 14 year old who is very new to this hobby, I definitely agree with a lot of the video. I sometimes struggle to figure out why there are so many different types of, well, anything. And none of them are compatible with each other. My battery charger has 9 different types of connectors and I can never figure out witch one is witch. By the way, I really found the videos on taildraggers to be helpful (I fly a Carbon Cub).
If you don't know the name of connector, use Google image like you use a photo of the connector anf it will search images with similar connector and eventually thé name
Do not get discouraged... Follow flight test, get yourself some foam boards and make your own design. This is so much fun and a lot cooler that wasting your time on a smart phone. Just keep it up, forget about the Gyros and flight controllers and INAV and just try to build a nice little aircraft with cheap engines, cheap propellers, tiny batteries and a few cheap servos. It works!
Just lost our R/C Field to Development. It was a Private Full Scale Airport since 1930 and a coexisting r/c field since 1975 One Noise complaint about R/C from an Old Lady that moved into the ajsent (2200' away) complained we were scaring her cats.
I bought my first radio control unit in 1972, and I have been in love with the hobby ever since. I joined two clubs in my lifetime, and in both cases I ended up meeting " that guy", you know the one. The cop wannabe, who appoints himself the club rules Enforcer, and points out every rule and regulation that he feels you are violating. Every Club of any kind seems to have one or more. Thus making the whole club experience unpleasant and disappointing. Unfortunately trying to find a flying site today is really difficult if you live in a city. I can't fly anymore today because of health issues, but it has not reduced my love of the Hobby and I would really hate to see it go away. As far as the government goes, I think that the idea of Ordinary People having access to a sophisticated surveillance device, like camera drones, scares the hell out of them. That's a technology that they feel they should have exclusive an right to. You know, they can watch you, but they don't want you watching them.
FPV remotepilot here. A couple years ago when I was considering getting back into RC planes I discovered Tiny Whoops. Quadcopters aren't as interesting to watch in the air as planes, but first person view goggles can let you explore a space on a whole new scale. Being able to fly inside can be a godsend on nasty days-- I was considering a pattern gymnasium flyer-- small quads need only a bedroom. Anywho, I'm glad we can both hate on DJI.
You hate on dji because…? What exactly? Most the drone instances dont involve dji. They just get labelled as dji because they are the largest company in drone manufacturing. Plus most camera shots are only made available… because of dji. Dont shit on a company because you think you are special with using dedicated fpc equipment 💀.
Don't forget expense. With RC planes it seemed there was always something else to buy. My DJI drone turn-key package was so much easier. I didn't have to pick a separate transceiver and everything. It was: open box, charge stuff, plug into phone, FLY. When I built an electric RC plane it was a constant expense stream. buy buy buy buy buy... done? Nope. buy buy buy.
My favorite things about @TailHeavyProductions videos- 1-Relating to at least one dude-bro your video calls out, in my RC life. 1a- The warm, fuzzy feeling i get while watching several times 2- Considering whether I present myself to fellow RC pilots, in one or more of the crappy ways, the dude bros you rip present themselves. 2a- The awkward feeling i get while rewatching your videos, solely to make sure I'm, " not that guy..." 😂 Love these videos! Cant get enough. 👍
Another informative video summarizing all the BS in a nutshell, especially now that we probably are going to have to put a transponder on board anything that weighs more than a stick of butter. Well done Zack and Ben.
I remember my 2nd or so early first flight I hit a parked police car on the road next to the park I was flying in and the cop gets out and actually flew models himself and taught me that day, I asked him with my mum there too what should we do about the big crack in his cars windshield and he said "ill say it was a bird that did it" haha
Great video! So much to comment on. I'm a noob. I came from RC cars (and still enjoy them) and also have a mild aviation background, so I knew some of the jargon. I got to spend an afternoon at the local field in Phoenix because somebody invited me. But I noticed that if you actually wanted to JOIN, it costs something ridiculous like $275 and then $125 a year in fees. While there, everybody was nice, but I was the ONLY person there with foamies. Everybody else was flying mutli-thousand dollar jet-fuel powered mini-jets or similar. Pretty neat but also kinda like showing up to the car show in your old (but clean) Camaro when everybody else is driving supercars. Speaking of fields... I'm visiting SW Utah right now and there's a field in St George... BUT, you cannot get entry to until you PAY UP or get invited by a member. Well since I don't know anybody in the area, and it'd be a one-time visit, I guess I'm not flying there. These fields are NOT welcoming. Drones... I got into drones a few years ago. I think they're monumentally BORING. I use mine from time to time to get some aerial photos of where I'm camping, and that's about it. Until they make one that can actually follow you while avoiding obstacles (no, Skydio ain't it), they aren't much use to me. FPV would be cool but it's yet another expensive hobby I don't need to get into. Remote ID... the FAA can go fuck itself. I will never put Remote ID on my planes; I fly out in the open desert anyway. The day my DJI drone refuses to fly because of it is the day I find out how flat I can make it by driving over it with my truck. Rules.. you may have already seen this, but visit pretty much any of the drone groups on FB and you'll see the "drone police" in full force there to inform everybody about what they're doing wrong, even though it may not apply to the poser's country. Hobby Shops... these places are actually few and far between unless you live in a major metro area. And when I'm close to them I like to patronize them. But.. one in particular (which shall remain nameless) refuses to deal with emails, even though I have no cell service where I'm currently camping. So I'll be ordering more from AMain in the near future. Also -- remember that all the RC manufacturers have price-fixed everything, so the price is the same whether you buy locally or from a hobby shop. News orgs won't cover the hobby unless there's a way they can negatively sensationalize it. Best to hope they never discover it. Quality control... yeah don't get me started about Flex Innovations and the bad servos in the left wing of my RV8-10E and their less than great customer service (like wanting me to pay to return the bad wing). Wives and Credit Cards... if you don't control your own money, you need to grow a pair and get a new wife.
Was flying my plane. Huge thunk and a commotion. A helicopter had just crashed into my truck. Everyone lept into their cars and left. The club officers ran away. The insurance has a deductible. The pilot didn't want to pay the $250. The club said don't call your insurance company. Six months later I called Progressive and they tracked down the guy and made him pay. The club was terrified that I'd ruin their perfect record by making a claim on them. Their field is insured too. That AMA insurance is pretty worthless.
My son and I have played with cheap drones and they didnt spark his interest. This summer he expressed an interest in airplanes and blimps so I took him to every Aviation museum here in the SF Bay Area as well as Moffet Field and the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. He couldn't stop telling me how he wanted to try a flight simulator, and he even made his own thrust controls, gauges etc one night out of construction paper. I recently picked up a joystick/thrust controller and downloaded a couple flying sims...RC plane seems like the next step for us which is how I landed on your video. We havent bought anything yet and tbh the idea that we need to take courses and pay fees/insurance AND deal with gatekeeping is a huge turn off. Great video btw.
This video really nailed it!! Im 14 and live in Germany. The regulations are so strong it took me a lot of time to finally be able to legally fly. Sadly there is no rc club next to me so I always have to search for good spots which is really hard in a town with a lot of people which have no understanding for this hobby. Its also really hard to find some friends with the same hobby, thats why I always fly alone. But i love you content. Its really nice and I always enjoy it :)
Great video as always, the problem we have in the UK is that the clubs where set up in the 60’s/70’s and the original members are still there who won’t roll/cut the grass often enough to allow anything with retracts to fly and only suitable for high wing trainers.
I am a boomer and been flying for well over a decade. Blame who and what you want but the fact is long before quadcopters, the FAA or CAA the model aviation hobby existed and was self regulated with no issues. Model Aviation has a much better track record than the agencies trying to tie the hands of who have been flying in model aviation for decades. It's not a coincidence that the same agency that killed over 340 people with their decision to let Boing self regulate (which did cause both crashes) is attacking the model aviation hobby. Follow the money, it's not the first time the FAA has done exactly the same thing ( look up the Fine Air Crash flight 101 crash).
These guys make trolling videos for clicks - funny if you are not the target of the trolling. I have now set UA-cam to no longer recommend these alpha hotels!
Hi, I'm 19, flying since I was 10, and I know what you're talking about with the youngsters not coming to the hobby anymore. I have some insight into this that may actually surprise you. The problem isn't computers, it's lack of a way to try it without paying money or spending a shit ton of time in the simulator. Most people I've met and told about this hobby say this is really cool but that the fact that you ususally have to pay AT LEAST 200 euro s for a good beginner setup turns them away, and if they'd try it risk free and like it, they would definitely join the hobby. I have a solution to this problem and a I know a lot of y'all won't like it. At your next event, have one or two planes with gyro, stabilization, whatever you want to call it, so that it basically flies itself (kinda like a dji drone) and a shit ton of batteries and let people try it for free, no strings attached and only have a more experienced pilot near them to be able to take over if something happens. This, combined with good marketing, and I mean GOOD marketing, and the experienced pilot mentioned above can bring tons of people into the hobby, we all know it's enough to get them addicted. Plus, what do you really have to lose? It's going to be a foamie, if you crash it, you give it to your local scratch builder and it'll be back up and running within 15 minutes.
Or have a simulator running for anyone to try flying on. After flying for a few years I find simulator practice to be very valuable for keeping my reflexes sharp and learning differences in aircraft designs. It does also suck that flight sims have no standard in controller compatibility
Spot on guys. If there ain't a sign saying NO MODEL AIRCRAFT I will fly there. I'm done with clubs and now fly HANDLAUNCH models on a huge public open space quite often drawing a few spectators who love my displays. MUCH MORE APPRECIATED THAN AT THE DEPRESSING CLUBS.
I wouldn't say the cheap stuff is all that bad. Years ago I bought a crappy coaxial RC heli from a drug store. I flew it, it broke, but it didn't stop me. Next I bought a hobby grade heli, then a collective pitch heli. Then I signed up for flight school. Now I've been working as a commercial heli pilot for the last 5 years, best $50 bucks I spent all those years ago..
I think you're wrong about the hobby shop point. As a 16 year old who has visited hobby shops and also does online shopping, I just don't find hobby shops to even compete. They have less options for actual customization, and when I know what I want or I know what I want to do, going online is practically the only option. The only things I have seen better at hobby shops is ease of battery selection. Maybe my experience isn't like others tho. 🤷♂️
The hidden costs of joining a club. First: you MUST be a member of the AMA AND have insurance. Second, there is the "Legacy fees" for the club. Finally there are the yearly dues. All of this just to find, when you show up at a field, there isn't anybody who will help teach you to fly. Save your snarky replies ... its a FACT.
This happened to me. Went to my local club to have a chat to the guy who owns it. I already had BMFA membership so that was sorted. Shown where the key to the field was and that I could come and fly whenever I want, paid my yearly membership only to turn up to fly and be told, your plane isn't big enough,bought a bigger plane now to be told someone has to watch you for 2 weeks to judge your not a liability flying before you can just come and fly on your own. No one wanted to help/watch me even though I think I'm a decent enough pilot. I left after that. Bunch of grumpy old men to set in their ways. Then, about a week after, they enlisted someone a lot younger than them to set a Facebook page about the club asking for new younger members to come and have a look at the hobby 😂😂
@@theRCcarguy21 Thanks for the kind invite, but I'm up in the hills of north Georgia. BTW, it's just not Model Plane clubs ... it's also Shooting Clubs ... exact same deal. You have to belong to the NRA and then there are all the legacy costs.
I love the small park flyers because I still enjoy the stick planes or slow flyer. Lol now planes have safe modes and I haven’t crashed anything in a few days lol
Entirely too accurate. Wish there was a way to make the fields more inviting to people. It's funny because you either get the guys that are jerks and just glare or the guys that won't stop talking.
"Misunderstood Control Surface" ... Drying my tears... You guys are so spot on! BTW: General Aviation suffers from the EXACT same issues! Kids simply lost interest in flying for the same reasons they do not get into RC anymore...
There is something you can do about point 12. Advocate for regulations that stop car dependency. This is especially important in the US. Kids who live in suburbia often can't really get anywhere on foot or by bicycle because the distances are too far and the infrastructure is just not safe. So they need their parents to drive them to most places. This results in a big barrier for kids to play outdoors and for friends to quickly meet up somewhere outdoors.
Yes, because when I think of a solution my first thought is, “Man, how I give the government more power over where and how I can live my life. I know, I’ll have them regulate my means of transportation! That will never come back and bite me in the end.” Big government is killing your hobby, so we need a bigger government to solve it. Galaxy brain.
There couldn't be a more braindead response to this. It's like a Euro admonishing the US for not being efficient enough for them.. Listen Pal, Americans WANT to own several vehicles per family, there's nothing wrong with that. Live your own life, "recycle" all your plastic so it can be buried in a foreign country with the lowest bidder, and stop putting your green ideals on the forefront of conversations with others, because it's Politics, loaded "science", and a loaded subject.
@@horatiusromanus I think his point is not about regulating or banning cars themselves, it's about urban planning so that you don't NEED to use a car all the time. Having stuff like a playground/field, grocery store, school, etc., close enough to walk or bike to. I grew up in an accessible area like this, and I can attest to it having a hugely positive impact on my childhood. As to how to go about fixing car-dependant suburban hell, I have no idea.
I agree with all of this. One of the biggest detractors when I got out of the hobby and then got back into it was the high dollar know it all snobs at the field that didn't exist when I got into at Whidbey Is with WIRCS. WIRCS was a great group of old guys who got into the hobby back in the 40's and up into the 90's. They taught me to fly and everyone helped each other fix and get into the hobby. When I was transferred by the U.S. Navy and didn't have the time or money for it at first. The I finally got into a position where I could and went to the local field and was met with don't get near my plane and I know everything rich boy snobs. You know the guys who spend most of the time sitting with their $3,000.00 dollar plus planes than could do anything. Then take to the air and show off, you know to show everyone they were king of the field. Then when you try to talk to them about their planes you got the cold shoulder because you didn't know the latest, jargon, gadgets, techniques and owned a plane that looked like you pulled it out of a Cracker Jack box. I watched the field turn into a have and have nots snob vs poor new comers. I just got fed up with going to the field because it wasn't about learning and helping and chatting airplanes anymore, it wasn't fun, it was a mental burden, so I left. Last I heard the snobs drove all the new members off and the field closed. I guess the rich guys no longer had anyone to impress so they put their planes in the attic until the next club was formed. I miss the old poor and rich guys who had class. They would do anything including buy the poor guys parts, engines,give them NICE hand me downs and do everything in their power to get the kids into the hobby, including donate planes and take them under their wings. W.I.R.C.S. then had instructors, Safety Officers, Field Marshals, etc. You didn't have to pass a test to fly with an Instructor, you didn't even have to pay if you didn't have a plane and flew with an instructor or even have an AMA membership. If you did have a plane and wanted to fly you could come as a sponsored guest if you had an AMA card with insurance of course. This is how I ended up with the club and at one point for a few years I was the Clubs News Letter Writer, back when we had to take the stuff I wrote to the local printing shop and hand stamp and mail them. W.I.R.C.S's is still a viable club I think, at least they still maintain a website; wircsrc.com/ if you're in the Puget Sound area drop them a line and see if they're still in operation and what the rules are to fly with them are. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
You just described the challenges that EVERY hobby faces these days. Elitism, gatekeeping, laws and regulations, disappearing shops, land speculation and prices, grumpy boomers, inflation, overcomplication, bad QC in entry-grade products and stratospheric prices for high end stuff, with no middle ground. Also applies to guns, live music, every motorsport (motorbikes, cars, karts, trucks, you name it), gliders, paragliding, rafting, hunting, fishing, even photography! The absolute worst are the useless regulations and the fear it all may stop someday soon.
Im 16, so I…uhh…dont have a car. So the soccerfield is just going to have to be enough to fly my jets and planes. Although carrying planes by hand or in a beach cart looks a little dumb, it works
if you lived in my area I would take you under my senior wing and help you. So maybe find the closest club and flying field and make some visits. Someone there may help you.
One thing that kind of drives me crazy is the death of the ARF. I like setting up my planes with my servos, my motors and my receivers. Specially for the reduced cost. However it seems that all the cool models now come with a receiver that if you don't like you're screwed and you're forced to pay the price, and for some reason I feel like I'm missing out or maybe I just got the wrong radio.
64 yo beginner. I joined a club of seasoned flyers and I'm having a blast. The guys gave me a trainer and most of a simulator. I've been flying twice with a "buddy box." We're all having fun, with the guys enjoying and encouraging my progress and laughing good-naturedly at my missteps. It's a fun hobby if you find the right group!
I am a instructor for a fairly large group and the one thing most people fear entering my program was regulation. I had to make program that does indoor flying then expands to the outdoors, the only area we struggle with is finding a prebuild very slow flying indoor fixed wing. We have simulation, we have aero scouts, But the slowest plane we can find is the duet for indoor.
You are so on point with this. Because of most of the things you just said i stopped this hobby after years of having fun with it. I'm from the Netherlands and there is just no more fun in this hobby here. Everybody complains about noice (even about electric airplanes) and privacy ( "they are flying way to close to my home" ). Houses are being build next to RC airfields and then they complain about it. The fun is over because of these people and it hurts me to say this.
I think the main reason is the money. Lots of my friends don't want to even try it out, because the say, they don't want to "waste" their money for a piece of foam. And since theyre in my age its hard to get 300€ for an rc plane. Im so lucky that i have grandparents 😅.
me a 13 year old who just got done building my first plane and getting my thumb cut off because i was being dumb and still exited to fly my plane for the first time with one less finger to take care of
Great videos my friends, you hit every spot on the list, I think logistically it also has to do with no one wanting to buy a plane and then have to drive 30 minutes or more to a field to fly and only for 6 minutes, RC cars are a super growing industry as you can drive anywhere and cars run for 20 minutes or more so you get a big bang for your dollar, horizon hobby is doing a good job selling umx type planes that can be flown in a small area like a park or baseball field but many parks and stuff are starting to not let you fly there anymore which is stupid, I can go there with my friends and play softball, drink beers, get loud even get hurt playing a game but I cant fly a little plane for 15 minutes that wont hurt anyone?
I train the new guys to fly. I ask them to read the club rules and review the AMA guidelines. I always say please ask questions if you need help. The new pilot needs to take on their own responsibility to read the bylaws and club rules. Other than that I fly with a low stress attitude. My Kadet LT-40 has a Spektrum ASX receiver with stabilization. Guys can fly my airplane in minutes without any pressure. We had a great time last weekend. With ASX I buddy boxed a new pilot last Saturday. I had him land my plane on the first day of training. That is truly amazing. If you have a grumpy old fart bothering you at the field. Be nice and ask them if they know who Statler and Waldorf are.
That said, Flite Test is putting up some VERY, VERY large a/c ... that scare the hell out of the general public. I've been flying models since 1962 and some of the stuff they put up scare the hell out of me.
@@oddshot60 thats pretty ridiculous. They obviously fly for comedy, and only on their own property...unless karen is their neighbor no one is scared by their antics
@@snoriverrc3842 Sorry Sno ... KAREN is EVERYWHERE. No sense in antagonizing her with model a/c nearly the size of Piper Cubs ... or lose control of one and have it fly through the side of her house. It's pretty ridiculous to think it can't happen.
I've been in three RC airplane clubs that got kicked out of our fields over the years. All were in farm country that got sold for housing developments and one day the new owners of our fields (their older parents died and they sold off the land) sold their farm land, and boom we were out of there and out of luck. Around most major cities these days you have to drive at least 35 miles or more to find still usable flying fields. With the absurb prices of gas for cars and airplane fuel always being high, it is gewtting tough. The new trend has been to go to electric planes to keep noise down but one errant plane into someone's back yard starts the whole NIMBY movement and for long your out of there too.
Hearing you attack drone pilots as 1 brain cell Havers is absolutely the exact same mentality the FAA has towards hobby flyers lol. You kind of proved them right : /
Not to mention that a lot of the younger pilots in the hobby are flying FPV while the older pilots tend to stick to fixed wing. If the fixed wing pilots continue to shovel this hate on the FPV community, then it's their half of the hobby that will die out.
Most of your points are accurate and well. I take umbrage with your comment about boomers not wanting to change. That might be true of some but most of us embrace innovation creativity and success. I especially agree with your comment about RC airplanes being treated differently than big drones
Thanks! Our boomer joke wasn’t meant to be targeted at all boomers which is why we worded it as “who refuse change”. It’s definitely important not to paint everyone with the same brush. There’s people who refuse change of all ages.
Dji drones and a fpv quadcopter are two different thing don't put them in the same category . Fpv quadcopters are nothing like dji drones that fly themselves
Was going to say the same thing. He's talking about DJI drones and then shows a clip of an fpv quadcopter. Then goes on to talk about how anyone can fly those DJI drones (or guide them around at least). Anyone who's tried to fly an FPV drone in acro knows that it's incredibly tough to do. Not to mention how many of the FPV quads are built from scratch - and even if they aren't you know you'll end up replacing parts.
It's painful to see how ignorant he comes accross towards an entire half of the hobby. I’s just like when older folks refuse to stay in touch with younger generations and insist that the old ways are the only ways. The hobby is changing. It's up to them to see that and adapt how they "advertise". Fixed wing is really cool. Sadly a lot of fixed wing pilots are not so cool towards FPV polits.
@John Smith 🤣 exactly. If you are going to do a video on a subject, do the research. Especially when you have a picture of a dji drone with a💥 on it . SMH
@@falljazz Well from the title he seems to think that fixed wings make up the "RC Hobby". They are part of it, and they are very cool - I'd love to try it in FPV (don't think I could fly it LoS), but it's a big hobby with a lot of other segments. And if he wants to find young people flying RC he should check out any FPV quadcopter race - kids love fpv and there are amazing young pilots all over the place.
As always.. You guys made a great video.. Today I brought my nephew to the field for his first time flying EVER.. It was too windy for him to play with a fixed wing trainer, but he got a chance to fly my DJI FPV with that fancy stick controller (easiest way to learn). He was giggling non-stop through 3 batteries.. Then, I had some fun with my OG Turbo Timber and he filmed me doing some STOL fun stuff in 20mph wind. He said he can't wait until next weekend to learn to fly a fixed wing trainer.. He announced, "if it flies, I like it...." Of course he said that, he's my nephew.. Lesson: Bring a kid to the field and introduce them to ANY that flies, make it fun and the rest will follow... Thanks for letting me share.. - Will
You are part of the problem, you even mentioned how other aspects of the hobby should be regulated separately. No buddy, we're all in this together. The only points I agree with you are the first few points about old men and rule Nazis but you completely left out the single biggest reason associated with those old men, the AMA! I can fly my multi-rotor around my house and other places without having to deal with people and their rules, no AMA fees(AMA hasn't been effective keeping regulations away, in fact they made it so they are required by regulation!) I am however also an AMA member and do belong to a club where I fly my EDF's and do fixed wing FPV. NEW people want multi rotors because they can fly them anywhere, they do a lot more, and no AMA. Have you ever been to a flite test flying event? Did you ever notice that no one cares if you have AMA or not with them?
I am a beginner at the hobby, the two things that are keeping me from rage quitting is practicing on a rc sim and making time to repair the plane after EVERY FLIGHT! Glue is like fuel 👍
[I'm a Brit living in the north of England.] Like many people, I started out with balsa-and-tissue free-flight aeromodelling, graduated to RC, enjoyed it for decades, refused to be taxed, registeted and regulated when 'the drone thing' happened, and have slowly gone back to free-flight models. As they're so light, I've found I can add micro RC gear (just rudder and elevator) and stay well below the 250g (registration) weight limit. It's very cheap, enormous fun, and nice not having to retrieve planes and gliders from half a mile downwind or risk losing them in thermals. I feel I'm getting the best of both worlds, now, and the authorities leave me alone to enjoy my hybrid hobby in peace. 🙂
The benefit of flaying a fixed wing if you don't fck with people is that noone cares about. Flying a little tiny whoop - three random people come and complain. Flying a 1200mm EDF with 200kph 1inch above the field? No problem mate, nice plane, blablabla.
I've been flying RC off and on for over 30 years and I've seen a little bit of everyone of these reasons (except the last, thankfully). A few bad experiences with flying clubs many years ago killed off any desire to ever seek one of those out again but lately it's been the drastic overreach of the FAA that mostly keeps me grounded. I'm not even sure it's legal to fly in my own back yard anymore, and when my livelihood is dependent on staying in the good graces of the FAA , I really don't want to risk it.
(old geezer voice) My first contact with RC was in the mid 70's: an airline pilot lived nearby and RC was his hobby. Some times he'd take us out with him to see him tool around his Smog Hog with a Kraft 4-channel and a Fox .50 motor. The rig in today's money would have been about a grand. It was a sport/hobby for doctors and lawyers and stockbrokers. I remember back in the 80's I was a young adult with a car, job, free time and no family yet; I finally had the freedom and money to take up the RC hobby and joined the local club. I was the only guy there interested in gliders and electrics. The club was dominated by nitro-burning fun-fly good old boys, rough around the edges but solid people... and guys with money who showed up in expensive fast cars with mirror shades and the most expensive 12-channel Futaba radios, flying those early tuned-pipe pattern competition planes that look like pulled taffy. Those guys would burn literally gallons, practicing their pattern routines every day, dominating the air time and using the entire flight area as their "box". To them, my glider circling for thermals was an obstacle, not a fellow flyer, and my hi-start launcher was a taxiing hazard. I swear some of those guys should have gotten into RC trucks because they sure loved taxing everywhere. The rich guys eventually moved from the RC Pattern ships to large scale ducted fans, getting bigger and bigger all the time until they spun off into their own club. When RC helis became more than an expensive science project, and pilots arrived looking to oractice with them, these two factions were reluctant to have them join in. So they "assigned" the gliders and the helis into a "box" of their own at one far end of the field. Gliders and helis; a natural fit. Anyway that's how it went for a few years. The club rented their field from a local farmer. I kept begging them to consider buying the field outright, to keep it from developers and sprawl. The pattern guys got more aggressive dominating the sky and started breaking the hard deck and perimeter fence line and flying over the farmer's house and barn as part of their show routines. A couple of weeks of that and we were all kicked off the field, which we'd spent money and time developing with amenities. The next field we rented was farther out of town, it cost more, making dues go up, and the commute time was starting to be a problem in anything but full summer daylight hours. Thanks to skittishness about losing the field and about getting sued for dangerous flying, the rules got more strict as well. Again, i begged the guys to look at how golfers guaranteed their sport by owning their land, but the "fun fly guys " had the attitude of: "I'd rather spend the limited money I got on my own planes, not on providing land for others to fly on". Growing the club, outreach to schools and kids, media outreach to the town to get the local government on our side in case of conflicts, these were things I tried to promote but could not sustain by just my own efforts. And so in a five year span, the club moved the field three times, first chased out by a railroad right of way, then the pattern guys being jerks, then developers buying the land out from under us, twice. The club finally disbanded and was absorbed into the club one town over, their field was owned by one of the members. Those guys still exist. At least until the owner dies off and his kids sell the land to speculators and developers. It's the Tragedy of the Commons problem. The hobby as we know it requires real estate. Without owning the land to fly over, everybody has control over you and none of them want you. Without a group of pilots dedicated to supporting the group instead of individuals, they all scatter into lone wolf flyers who go places they're not wanted or welcomed, in parks and over empty lots, chased out by cops and karens.
I'm 2 months into the hobby. I wanting to surround myself with ppl who have the knowledge so I can ask questions. Everytime I locate a club, they have a table of content for their club rules and limitations. Now I'm converting one of my corn fields and watching your videos to learn. Trial by broken Styrofoam!
I'm so sorry you had to be introduced to clubs that had rules like that. Are there any more around you that you can try out? Sometimes it takes trying a few until you find one where the folks are more big picture and less overkill with their rules. If not, we hope your cornfield runway conversion works out great! Welcome to the hobby.
Some of what you say is true with regulations but as far as clubs go I feel it's the best way to learn and save money getting into the hobby for first time and also create many new friends
I started in the hobby in 1984. There was a gaggle of old grumpy farts that told me I MUST start with a trainer kit with no ailerons. I bought the new Sig Kadet Mark II trainer (now with ailerons!) and had hell to pay when I showed up a month later with my trainer. They made me disconnect the ailerons before they would let me fly. Old grumpy farts have been the scourge of the hobby since the beginning. I'm 60 now and probably look like a grumpy fart but don't judge a book by its cover. Inside my head I'm still 25 and realize I have a lot of learning to do.
I enjoy flying RC planes, and no one should worry about me stopping. I _did_ destroy my first 4ch plane after belly landing a 2ch until it couldn't fly anymore, but now I am getting ready to get an Aeroscout S (and register it w/ the FAA so I'm not an outlaw) so I can train to fly without gyro assist, and maybe eventually get a Habu SS.
I picked up one of the Flite Test planes last year as my first plane. Got everything I needed. Got it all built and working. Then found out I have nowhere to fly (for free anyways). Local school field is within the no fly zone for the local airport. There's one field about 20 minutes north but you need the AMA membership, club membership and all this check flight stuff before you can even enjoy the hobby. I've got 5 kids so my free time is limited. I don't have hours and hours to spend going to meetings and stuff. I want to just go in my back yard (which is not big enough for my plane, at least not in trainer mode) and fly for the 6-8 minutes until the battery dies and that's it. I can't make a day or an afternoon out of it. I think my only option right now is to try to sell this plane and get something smaller that I can actually fly in my yard (like a UMX Turbo Timber or something). My yard is a good size but lined with tall pines and maples. It's also within the no fly zone but I won't be going above the tree line anyways, let alone the 200ft limit.
It is difficult to find places to fly our Models. We had a small field, closed after few days. Some Rich people Complain and all that work was for nothing. We are a small club, only flying Electric outside Oslo Norway.
A few years back my uncle bought me a plane ( a tundra V2) to try and entice me into the hobby of Rc flight. I was super stoked and got building right away, it only took a few days to build. but as a took it out for my maiden, me being an idiot and not knowing how to fly i crashed it, it wasn't a bad crash but enough to crush my confidence. So I let it sit for maybe a year before one of my neighbours roped me into the hobby by teaching me to fly by buddy boxing, he taught the rules and all the tips of the trades, and what plane to get for my first, I ended up buying a bixler 1.1 and have been flying for a little while now, and I have had my fair share of crashes here and there but I believe it was the greatest decision I have made to join the hobby and has been the most fun I have had in a long time.
Hey everyone - we’d like to address one particular section of the video we realized we failed to word properly to align with our true feelings on the matter: the camera drone/DJI market being a huge cause to the regulation of our hobby. We improperly used the term “FPV” alongside DJI which caused some of our friends from the FPV community to feel attacked. Please note that what we really meant to say was that FPV, specifically fixed wing and race/freestyle quads, is a newer hobby that is attracting some of the same people that might have joined the line-of-sight RC aviation otherwise. We also meant to say that camera drones/DJI operated irresponsibly have drawn the attention of regulating bodies and we as hobbyists have been caught in the crossfire. We conflated/merged these two points and the end result was not what we intended. Camera drones/DJI should not be lumped into the same category as hobby use RC helis, planes, and FPV freestyle and racing quads. In reality, we have a lot more in common with FPV than camera drones/DJI and we feel the same frustrations with regulation.
its too funny they got their feelings hurt over an obvious joke that YOU KNOW they make themselves about those people. I know we do
ua-cam.com/video/hx5Es0bnulM/v-deo.html
Left the UAV Hobby and went back to the Ground ( Combining it with D.I.Y. Scratchbuilding: ua-cam.com/video/6XZXryXOO5A/v-deo.html ) due to all the regulations pretty much ruining the hobby where I live with stuff like not being allowed to take flight unless I have a Spotter which totally defeats the point of me wanting some piece of mind alone from everyone else.
Also, pretty sure the thing that got the Authorities to the Table ( the ones in the US in particular ) when it comes to Unmanned Flight was when Trappy went full retard and released this video for the clicks: ua-cam.com/video/M9cSxEqKQ78/v-deo.html - As one can see... Neither a Drone nor a DJI... Just purely unassisted FPV.
Thanks for the clear up! I was about to go in the commends and rend about it, thanks that you see us(fpv pilots) not as stupid people. Great vid keep on going
@zuidspook No problem. We fly FPV fixed wings and quads as well so if our video was how we truly felt, we’d be hating on ourselves. 😝 We’ve got a fun FPV fixed wing video coming in the next month or so…stay tuned. 😁
Thanks for the clarification! 😎 I love flying FPV or LOS.
Now you know how we old control line guys feel. Some 50 years ago, all we needed to do to find a flying field was walk to the closest school. A basketball court or baseball diamond. And the plane we all started with was the Cox PT-19: a well engineered model designed to handle the hard life of a primary trainer. With a handful of props and rubber bands, anything short of a vertical dive only took a few minutes of field repairs. And, when a wing or other major part broke fatally, any good hobby shop would carry spares.
I also started with the Cox PT-19 control line!
Still have one gathering dust. Got to say it was my least favorite control liner though.
@@plmsdevelopments Sure, but did it get you into the hobby? On a side note, there was a guy that put a Tee Dee engine in one and that made it fairly aerobatic.
Yes I got into the hobby flying free flight rubber powered then moved to control line in the school yard too
Now it's radio control all day😁
better to light one candle than to curse the darkness so here goes
- I saw a box in a store with a picture of an airplane on it and the inviting words "teach yourself to fly" - I took the umx plane to a ball field and learned the meaning of "fly, crash, repair, repeat". Then I discovered there was an rc flying field close by. There I flew, crashed, repaired and repeated my way up thru sport planes, warbirds and jets. One day a guy asked if I would teach him to fly. So I did. He recommeded me to another guy. Before long I was considered the guy to see if you wanted to learn to fly. The lessons were free. I just wanted to help people learn to fly without all the crashing and repairing I went thru.
If I saw someone at the field just watching I would say hi - show them my plane and radio
and if they were interested explain how they worked. If they were still interested I would explain how I could "buddy box" with them and teach them to fly and offer them a free test flight.
I've had the joy of helping people join the hobby and become my flying buddies.
You're a good Man Charlie Brown.!!!! I joined the AMA in 1971.. My first build was an Ugly Stick... I do miss the days...
Failed to mention.... I also built my own radio... with a Heath Kit... Used it for years....
I had a great mentor teach me to fly RC. He was into pylon racing. He's at the flying field in the sky miss you Barney P. 🙏
I used to teach with or without a buddy box and would continue to do so but for the availability of even trainers.
@@krautyvonlederhosen What do you mean by "availablity of even trainers' ???
My dad, who has been into flying since the line controlled planes of the 70's, went out to try out a couple new foamies he bought and modded slightly. The flight line was REALLY busy, and since all he was really needing to do was some high speed taxing, he decided to just take his gear about a half mile to the other side of the county park, and do his testing in a grass field used for large event parking. This isn't even land owned by the same organization, and my dad knows the people over it and has permission to fly there. I guess some tally wacker came out of the flight line, saw my dad there with a dozen or so planes, and bee lined through the field at him, bottoming out his car's suspension many times along the way. The guy hops out, steaming mad, and proceeds to run his mouth off at my dad, who just calmly walks to the cab of his truck, make right tos a quick phone call, and walks back to the tailgate to have a seat. The guy starts demanding to see my dad's credentials, insurance, club affiliation, everything he could think of to trip my dad up. Even though he didn't need to, my dad started producing IDs and documents. After insurance and license, the guy took a gut check when my dad handed him his club ID. My dad was one of the 12 founding members, and the only one left active. My dad was only known by name by most members as he was working a rotating shift as the lead operator at a major petrochemical plant, ironically, which makes a very large volume of aviation fuel. The guy was shook, but that male Karen tried to stand his ground stating my dad had no right to fly there, and he was trespassing by doing so. My dad politely pointed out that city property, and the property the flight line was located, ended at the ditch on the back side of this parking area, and they were on county property. It was just about then that a county parks maintenance truck came rolling up. As soon as the door opened on the county truck, male Karen started in on how my dad was flying illegally, and needed to be arrested for trespassing.
The maintenance man walked over to my dad, gave him a hardy hand shake, and asked if his kid's plane was ready. Male Karen just stood there dumbfounded. One of the planes my dad was testing was for the grounds maintenance guy's kid. My dad was donating them to several elementary kids that signed up for the RC plane club, but didn't have one of their own to fly. My dad had permission from both the club and the county to fly exactly where he was. Matter of fact, it's the runoff field during the summer. The county grounds guy was not happy about the ruts male Karen's car left as it kept bottoming out coming over the grass.
Moral of the story: don't be that guy. Approach a situation with a quiet mind and open ears.
These are people who have no real authority or purpose in life, so they create these situations in order to feel important. I learned a long time ago that unless someone is being assaulted or robbed or something. to just look the other way and keep walking.
When I entered the fixed wing aspect of this hobby 10 years ago, I had different but unfortunately similar experiences. While enjoying my new hobby at local non control tower AIRPORTS after doing due diligence in all areas. The sniveling AMA lackies would regularly show up and "inform" me as to my major rule breaking procedures and concerns they were typically agast when I informed them of the multiple LEGALITIES which allowed me to fly there and the permission of the different airport managers to do so. I have three locations to fly like that.
The stupidity of those types eventually lead me to just pay the ransom to the ngo hobby police to shut them up, join a club and experience the sniveling of the petty membership.
Sure was fun telling em off for years though lol.
The dramarama with the "clubbies" is now my retirement comedic entertainment.
Best description of some challenges facing our hobby that I have seen. As someone that learned from his dad 60 years ago I appreciate you. Just to set the record straight, I have 40+ RC airplanes, Quads and even a 10 year old DJI product in the hangar.
I'm not really into RC planes, but the one about the hobby shops closing really hits home. Some of my best childhood memories were in Hobby Town or analogous hobby shops. I am currently looking for employment in my local one. Even in my short life (19yrs) i have seen so many hobby shops close, and really all we have left are mom and pop shops that are barely making enough money to stay open. It seems like everything derived from joy in this world is slowly being eradicated in favor of convenience and corporate soullessness.
I've only seen one hobby shop in my entire life and that one closed after 2020 so I missed out. Now all I see are soulless websites and it doesn't feel as wonderful.
Even know I started flying less then 6 months ago I strongly agree with this video. At my field I’m one of the only ‘kids’ (I’m a teenager, I know yuck) that fly out there while Most of my friends are inside playing on their computer. I was luckily enough to be given crashed planes and I’m able to fix them up and fly them, half of my collection is hand built or repaired planes.
Best and cheapest way to learn, good on you ;}>
Good for you, Mr Kermit! When I started in the hobby you had to pretty much build your own planes because ARF's we're too damned expensive to buy. In the course of building and repairing, I learned a great deal about Aviation and aeronautics. I even got my pilot's license back in the late seventies because I wanted the experience of flying full scale. Don't feel bad that you are flying planes that you have repaired and made flyable yourself. That shows an initiative and a level of intelligence that many people don't have. Your a credit to yourself and your family.
@@geraldtrudeau3223 thanks mate!
@Mr Kermit so glad you found a fun way into the hobby that you enjoy! Always remember that some people enjoy building, some people enjoy flying, some enjoy both. If someone doesn’t build or enjoy building it doesn’t make them less of a pilot. 🙂👍
@@TailHeavyProductions Thanks mate, and yea that is true.
When I was in college, I visited the local RC club's field and had a negative experience. A couple of older club members (who didn't fly a single plane in my time there) proceeded to tell me everything I was doing wrong in accordance with their club rules. I didn't have my AMA card attached to a flight board, I performed an aerobatic maneuver within a certain altitude ect. I left knowing I would never return to said field. Thankfully, my current hometown field and club are nothing like that. Also that club has since lost their flying site (imagine that)
Sounds like your ego is bigger than your abilities.. . Which is why your likes need to find another Hobby.. .
@bobadingo3092 Ego? I was flying an avistar top wing trainer at the time and was still pretty new into the hobby. It wasn't that they told me what I was doing wrong, its the manner in which they did it. In no way were they inviting nor did they offer any assistance. They literally yelled at me while I was flying because I did a aileron roll, rather than explaining the safety measures they deemed it necessary to yell and distract me in flight. I'd like to add one more reason the hobby is dying. "Which is why your likes need to find another hobby"- people exactly like you. I've been introducing many new people into the hobby, spending most of my time at the field now as an instructor. I hope you see my point.
Well, It hasen't changed that much. I remember flying a sheet balsa 15" quickbuilt rubber powered converted with a Cox Pewe .020 free flight - badly trimmed it swooped and stalled all over the place and upset the "old timers" who were winding their rubber motors or tuning ther CL team racers. At the next meeting I was singled out for a stern rebuke, and I will never forget the comment that sheet balsa modeIs with miniature motors were "not in the true spirit of aeromodelling !" That was 1958, 1/16 sq, tissue, dope, and rubber, were the only respected norms in those days.
@ericwillis777 appreciate your story! I guess some things unfortunately never change. 😕
@@ericwillis777 Remember the Cox PT 19 control line rtf? That was my first crash when I was 7, back in the 50's. Next crash I did was the Cox P 40 crashes. After that I started building Ringmaster jr's with a Fox .15. Yup, I crashed that one more then once,lol. Now I have two unopened balsa kits to build with my 11 yr old grandson. For the trainer I bought a balsa kit senior telemaster,(96 in ws I believe), and a Balsa USA 1/4 scale J 3. Both models will be powered by a 2 cyl 4 stroke boxer. .19 for the telly, and a 160 for the cub. That should,(I hope) grab his attention.
I feel like the cost has gone down a lot from when I started as a yute back in the late 90s. I reentered the hobby last year. Flite Test has definitely blown the doors off the gatekeeping side of the hobby and reduced costs too.
As for the regulation side, my friends growing up who were skaters have shown us the way. Outside of our fields we're just gonna have to be nice outlaws, eg when someone official tells us to move along, we do so, and find another spot. Flying RC (or driving RC) isn't a crime!
Totally agree, you can now get a complete setup ready to fly for less than $30.
Sure it may be a really basic Chinese quad or heli but it will get you flying and the bug will bite.
My first ever plane was an Eaglet 50 from tower hobbies circa 1983? Gas two-stroke nitro engine... never did fly right after a nose-down crash. I think it bent the crank.
I beg to differ: while in the People's Republic of Minnesota (specifically Bloomington), I was detained for flying a model airplane without a city permit. I was released after the officer checked me for priors. The next week, I went to apply for a permit and was told it was either five or ten dollars. I filled out my name, address, and turned over the fee and got the permit without doing anything else. The whole thing was just a scam to get a few bucks out of flyers.
@@captainjohnh9405 how do they regulate airspace and make you get a permit? Definitely seems illegal.
@@captainjohnh9405 a city permit? Wow what bullshit! It'll happen here in Wa state too. Commies
Regarding local hobby shops, a major part of the problem with that is that many of them have the wrong business strategy now, they're trying to compete with online stores, what they need to do is market themselves as a local hub of knowlege and sell quality rather than quantity, because they're never going to win that fight.
Now how they go about that is going to vary massively, but trying to out internet the internet isn't going to work.
👍 with that being said, I have to give a shout out to my closest store, Hayes Hobby House in Fayetteville, NC. Seems like they stock at least a few of everything, prices are competitive, and plenty of knowledge and wisdom that’s free with or without a purchase.
Funny you should mention selling quantity. A buddy of mine bought so much stuff at the Prop Shop here in Michigan that they gave him a hat in appreciation😅😂
If a hobby shop wants to survive, it comes down to customer service. I asked a hobby shop a few days ago if I bought a $350 transmitter if they would make sure it’s up to date. The response I got was we don’t do that so I bought one off the internet. Why would I pay more for a radio with a bad lazy attitude?
My local place is terrible now. I grew up there, buying tons of RC trucks and upgrades, fuel etc. Got it if the hobby for a while and went there last year with my son to get something. The place was run down and dirty and didn't have nearly as much stuff as they did years ago. Plenty of static models and paint, hardly any RC stuff. It was sad to see
There are three RC hobby shops that have been recommended to me by my local rc club.
The first is the closest but is the smallest, doesn't restock often, and the owner is not really friendly - they don't get much traffic, I'm the only one there when I've gone.
Second shop is larger but a little farther away, has friendly employees and approachable with knowledge. I've been going here as my preference more often.
The third is more than an hour away but is the largest in size and inventory. They have a small field for guests to try out planes, cars, tanks, and such. They have a large electric race track for weekly club events and a nice model train setup.
Have inventory (or quick turn around times), friendly employees, and a reason for people to come back (i.e., race track, fly field, local events, etc. Anything to gather people of all ages to come back to a social event or interaction).
The trick is to have friendly, approachable, knowledgable staff, and some inventory. I'd rather buy in person than online since I get to converse with others in the hobby and learn more.
I totally agree, the instructor at our field will lecture you for 2 hours about rules before you even get to fly. I’m 14 and been in the hobby since I was two so it is sad to see so many people show up and walk away.
Just don't go to the Flying Field when the idiots are there.. .
Sounds like you need to get a new instructor
I have to say this is true. I have been in the Rc car hobby field for only a few months but I can definitely say that cost is also a discouraging fact. I broke a control arm on my car a few days ago, and to replace it, I had to pay 8 dollars for a single pice of plastic I can make myself! And it’s one of the parts, in my opinion, that you break often.
@@dabdog6217 Have you looked into aftermarket brands for replacement parts at your local hobby shop? I found the same thing with Traxxas trucks until the hobby shop showed me RPM brand A-arms, wider front bumpers, etc. The RPM stuff is VERY tough compared to the Traxxas parts anyway, perhaps there's a similar option to keep your truck on the road and off the work bench.
I sold all my RC plane stuff... If I have to deal with the gatekeepers wont let you fly and I have to drive 50 miles to not fly. I now fly race/ freestyle drones pretty much wherever I can find enough space.
in our area, having rules was an act of survival for the community. there were people who didn't really like us being there, and many fields were being closed down because of people doing stupid things.
Yep, there's always 2 sides to the story. Sadly 10 people doing the right thing never does out-media the 1 moron acting like a complete idiot!
NEVER accept this argument. Just because some idiot did something, does not mean you should be punished, nor should you accept any rule or ruling that says otherwise. If they come for you, it's better to die a martyr for liberty than live as a slave.
@@smugfrog8111 I'm with you Citizen! "Give You Liberty or Give You Death!" Keep us updated on your experiences in Eastern Ukraine. You are on your way there aren't you? 🤔
@@theoztreecrasher2647 Yes, liberty or death. What does Bidens war in Ukraine have to do with anything? I'm genuinely confused because it's the lefties with pronouns in their bio that support Ukraine. At least get your stereotypes right. Z
@@rustyshaklford9557 Yep, he's TALKING all right! 😜😁
Government regulation is the single most effective way to destroy anything.
And we wouldn’t have them in the flying hobby if every other simpleton didn’t go out and buy a drone and proceed to do stupid shit with em. The difficulty to fly was the filter for that kind of person before…
@@mojappa I think you hit the nail on the head here…
@@mojappa that is bullshit and you should know better than to say that. the reason hobby aviation is outright banned in the US (and it is) is because we got rid of 336. the whole point of 336 is the easiest way to integrate hobby aviation in the NAS is to eliminate it. that is why 336 was their. but corporate america did not want competition. so we effectively got no seat at the table. the AMA threw us under the buss or they were handed their hat and shown the door.
As of right now hobby aviation is outlawed in the US. you can still fly 250g for now they also changed the rule so that is no longer a hard exception. they can infringe that as well now
you can also fly at a CBO field but there is a deadline for adding those and after that no more can ever be added again.
and lastly you could argue that you don't need permission to fly from your own property. its well established court precedent that you do in fact own the reasonably usable airspace over your own land.
Otherwise. hobby aviation is outlawed. you have to ask permission to fly a foam glider if its over 250g and they can require permission for under 250g if they so choose.
@@mojappa BINGO!!
that's RIGHT!
free market libertarianism Fo LYFE!
Big Brain Anarchy, Crypto, NFT! WOoOOO
When I showed up to my field after spending over $400 (a lot of money for me) I was hit with membership dues and AMA fees...really turned me off. Now, my retirement home will have my own strip where I can fly how I want, when I want, and where I want without being bothered. Other Government regulations, I think, are killing the hobby.
Honestly the biggest problem is the locations to fly at and price of these birds, I am 15 and go to my local club, but when I first started it was very hard to get going, but luckily I stayed with it!
Haha... great to see Bill's face and skills on display 🙂
We saw your video when it first came out and we were shocked at how well he did with that repair! Great clip.
Love seeing a couple of my favourite channels interact in the comments section. 😀 It really does make this this hobby feel like more of a community.
@@r1m.dog78 Yep, and if we want the hobby to prosper (or even survive) we have to act as a unified community speaking with one voice. So sad that so many are simply not interested or unwilling to take a stand to protect access to this hobby for future generations.
@@TailHeavyProductionsmy eyes popped out when the futura was crashed and my jaw hit the floor seeing it repaired.....
As a Kiddo it is hard to find other kids that are passionate about aviation in my town. This hobby just needs one more ridiculous regulation before it goes down the drain. Luckily, there are still people in this world that encourage beginners to Build, Fly, Crash, and Repeat the process. ( AKA Flite test) Happy flying!
It's not your job to find out how to relate to crusty old men, it's our job to reach out to you! But try to find guys that fly the crappiest foamies, you'll find that they are probably the most down to earth and get to know them!
I agree I have yet to meet another kiddo as you say who’s interested in RC planes
@@levimeyer707 if you can get the flite fest you'll meet a bunch in the build tent! It's kind of refreshing!
Great to hear. I'd rather be building and flying than playing video games. A successful flight beats a high score any day😅😂😁
Massive thank you to the flite test crew, a few friends are getting into foam board planea
I hear quite a few people listing complaints about how difficult it is to go fly rc because of regulations or dealing with the older generation at rc clubs, etc. I would encourage you to do what it takes because it's worth it in my opinion. I love flying rc and it has taught me so much over the years I don't think I would be where I'm at in my life and career without it.
I would also encourage you to try building as that is a great aspect of the hobby that many people don't get to experience these days. Once you have some experience it's also very rewarding to help new rc flyers get going. I've been a member of several clubs over the years and all of them have been overall great experiences. Yes a few fellow club members can be frustrating but don't let that stop you.
There aren't very many activities that are more rewarding then spending months or sometimes years building your own aircraft, setting up the control system, tuning the engine or setting up the electric power system, fighting through the anxiety of the maiden flight, and seeing your creation soar through the sky and come in for a safe landing. This hobby isn't always easy but most things worth doing aren't.
Very timely video. I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks it’s totally insane to bag model Aviation in with drones. I wrote the FAA back in 2014 or whenever all these rules started and that was one of my arguments. God help us keep this category of STEM available to the coming generations.
Unfortunately "Drones" refers to all UAVs. I remember hearing the terms and being suprised it applied to my model aircraft. I was even suprised it applied to the quadcopter I was building. Back then I thought it only refered to the DJI camera drones.
THEY don't WANT you in the air. Gets in the way of Delivery Drones like ua-cam.com/video/DOWDNBu9DkU/v-deo.html
Well said drones have caused a lot problems caused with all new rules .
Thank you for using this video to point out questions. I am a Taiwanese RC pilot, and Taiwan's laws are very “lazy”, because these Taiwanese officials only follow the laws of the FAA and even set more unreasonable conditions. For example, item 13 that you mentioned, the whole world knows that there are many type of flight objects. But only government officials do not understand. The things you faced are the same of the world. Your efforts and changes can improve the problems facing the world.
My university started an FPV club, and it's pulled so many people into the hobby. Not just FPV, but all forms of RC flight. It's awesome
Maybe if the RC boomers didn't see FPV and drones in general as 1 braincelled idiots that are "out to kill the RC hobby" and adopted it as part of the RC hobby it would help out both worlds.
For example why not host a racetrack for a fpv racers on a AMA field to draw those people in? Or invite fpv pilots to make awesome clips of your rc plane in mid flight?
Have you seen Xjet's new video on losing his wings? He got a letter with a warning listing no less than 8 conditions he would need to comply with, to legally and "safely" (by regulators' standards) fly his 20g Mobula 6 over his own property, while not exceeding tree top height. And remote ID wasn't even one of the included conditions, as that doesn't (yet?) apply in New Zealand. Madness...
The Hobby Shop fall is quite sad. I had a real trouble finding specific parts at my remaining local shops even tho I want to prioritize the local spots. And its specifically bad for RC Air only, and not RC Auto or even BOATS.
I get why online is more prominent. Might’ve been the only way I could grow in the hobby to begin with. But I like buying products off the shelf, immediate grabs and impulse buys!
My dad was a WW2 Air Force veteran, so my interest in the hobby started as a child. I always followed the rules and safety procedures ect. then the FAA regulations, red tape, fees, licenses and prohibitions sucked all the fun and enjoyment out of the "hobby", my collection of models have since been grounded for good.
Wow. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Excellent video. Yes, whenever the government gets involved we can guarantee one thing, it's going to be worse than ever. What this hobby needs is no government regarding RC planes and more reasonable prices. On line stores offer only a limited amount of choices. The LHS always has tons more stuff than what is shown online. The last time I went to the field to pay my dues, the club president and a member at large grinded on me for over an hour about everything wrong with the club: there was some kind of hostile take over, the city keeps threatening to take our permit, no body shows up on clean up days, no one cares about helping, no one follows the rules, on and on and on. I almost took my payment back. Personally, I prefer flying when no one is around. It's peaceful that way and there's no one to bark at me or hog the runway.
“Wives taking away our credit cards” ha! Know that feeling! I’m 8 months into the hobby and just purchased my 6th plane, my CC will be on ice soon she says lol! It’s a great hobby and thank you to people like you that make this content. Iv learned a lot from all of your videos which has helped me out immensely!
This problem is very visible in the field I go to in Puerto Rico. Im 15, and the other youngest person that goes there consistently is around 35 years old. 😕 Cant forget to mention that the rest of them are veterans or just very old people.
Show up with some donuts or pizza and have a conversation the old guys amd veterans are usually really cool been thru and seen alot and alot of them love helping the newcomer....amd they will teach you technical flying....don't let the age gap deter you
@@Krash_fpv Oh yes! Don't worry, I talk to them all the time. We even go together to collect the planes we crash in the swamps nearby...
I tried out the RC hobby when i was 13 (i was born in 2000) and dropped it some time later at 15 years of age. I reentered the hobby in 2021 and enjoyed it ever since then.
IMO the number 1 biggest problem for RC (planes) in my area is that your options are severely limited without a car. There are two flight clubs for my city of 500k people and both of their fields are an absolute pain to get to without a car. Within the city, there are only few places where you can fly sub 250 models since most of the interesting ones are now illegal to use due to the ridiculous amount of regulations and the city banning models in the entire area around our river (previously the best option within city limits) to "protect the birds". Since this leads to much fewer people coming into contact with the hobby, it is no surprise to me that there is almost no interest from young people in it. The flight club that i am in is only growing thanks to an influx of middle aged guys (still a welcome and very positive development).
I disagree with your arguments about a lot of the technical stuff. While the RC hobby is still somewhat cost prohibitive, it got slightly cheaper over the years. Todays internet resources also allow one to learn about any complications for zero cost.
What is really killing it in my opinion is the rampant government regulation, that requires lots of research to fully understand, makes the hobby almost inaccessible without a club, and creates the only aspect of increased costs. It is blatantly obvious that the regulators did not care about the hobbyists in any way when they came up with new laws. They probably just "wanted to get rid of the annoying drones". I now need to carry the following documents to use the legal options i have:
- ID card or passport
- EU A1/A3 certificate
- StRF chapter 5 certificate
- insurance card
- model flight association membership card
Whlie i think that some of those regulations are understandable, i think that they shouldn't apply to flight clubs. Also, the 250g limit has to be raised (at least for fixed wing) or the distance regulations should be relaxed.
What should the 250g limit be bumped up too, honestly I think thier goal is to kill the hobby
This is a good point, not having a car. There was a period of time where I was without a car for a while. While they were mentioned as a negative, this is where DJI's smaller folding drones help. Or some of the cheaper drones from sites like Banggood will easily fit in a backpack. I actually taught myself how to ride a bike again as an adult, and rigged planes on a rear pannier shelf and rode to fields that way. But yes, the regulations are getting quite insane. A decade ago, flying a foamie at a park would have the odd passerby become quite interested and ask you about the plane - nowadays they look at you like you're about to commit genocide or something.
@@Razor-gx2dq
If i could choose, i'd go for the full kilogramm. Realistically, 500g would already make things a lot easier without a significant amount of danger that the model could pose.
1kg is more reasonable for drones and fix wing. Why? Drones are only seen as bad because the price point of entry is slow low. Its also the same for rc planes but news of bad actors with those are just washed out with stuff about drones. 99%+ drone pilots dont do anything wrong and are equally as annoyed at the rules. Its only the 1% who think they are clever
Ok....this earned you a subscribe...even without AJones being made head of the FAA. Good points all....and I say that as someone getting "back" into the hobby after being on the sidelines for 10+ years...and a Part 107 Drone pilot (but I don't fly DJI). I'm amazed at the innovations "foam" has had over the past 10 years...and one of the two planes I have obtained to get back into the hobby is indeed a large foam glider (Horizon Radian)....the other is a traditional balsa/shrink cover bird. As I get comfortable flying again...I might even tackle "building" my own (again)...yeah...I truly am a throwback (but always welcome new flyers...I don't want to see this hobby die). Thanks again.
Hey there, young folk here. Theres two main reasons I struggled (and still am struggling) to get into the hobby. Reason 1 is the cost, spending $300 on a plane AND $100+ on a transmitter can be daunting to many people. And definitely gatekeeping at local fields is an issue. Its difficult to want to pay for insurance AFTER the cost of the airplane.
There are a lot of less expensive ways to get into the hobby. It may not be the plane you really want, but some of the Flite Test options are a LOT less than $300.
stick with park flying if at all possible. older guy here, and I also avoid AMA fields with a bunch of grumps. there is no benefit to the AMA anymore, it's become a detriment
One of the reason I went drone instead of RC planes is its way easier to find places to fly. I don't need a long landing field like a little airport. I've taken off out the window of my car before. Pull over to the side of the road, hold the drone out, and take off. fly around, come back, hold my hand out and hand catch it. But they just dont have the same pizazz as a 36" wide piper cub on balloon tires.
@@DavidSmith-jj5pr one field here requires a spotter while you fly what bullshit. That's after they've tested you to make sure you all ready know how to fly AND buy ama membership for the insurance. I stay the hell away from ama fields. F that
I'm 17, and I design, build and operate very advanced ultra-long range fixed-wing UAVs. Absolutely nobody in my country does this. I haven't even managed to find anybody under 30 who has anything to do with RC planes. Not many teens are interested in laminating fiberglass in 3d printed molds and building antenna trackers. I am resorting to non-compliance when I fly these upon the introduction of new regulations. The police can come and take me away, if they somehow catch me. I will happily keep flying my 30km and back missions until then.
dang 30km homemade planes at 17, looks like you have a promising future ahead given how far youve already come.
@@lucasvanhamburg4937 Yeah, it's been an incredible journey. It's awesome how much one can accomplish when one has a passion for something. I'm heading for university in hopes of getting a master's in aerospace engineering in 7 years or so.
Sub-discussion: The thing that made me stop going to hobby shops were the hobby shop snobs and ones that really presented a bar to those just trying to get it. The same is true for a few other sports, I hate most gun shops because of the imperious attitudes of some owners or regulars at the shops.
Yeah, 100 % right... I do not feel miserable about them, as they made me feel miserable so many times around...
Great perspective video THP. I agree with you guys. I'm not putting down quads because I like planes but has anyone noticed that "drones" aren't really in the news anymore??. I think it's mostly because the airheads lost pressure and big business figured out it's not a viable endeavor. Conspiracy?? Who knows.
As you said, our hobby is, and will always be the safest part of aviation.
@twerkingbollocks6661 yes, your absolutely correct. RC airplanes, fpv racing quads, tiny whoops and the like, are more or less "toys". The bigger quads/drones are most definitely used everyday as very helpful tools. Tools, as we all know, are a double edged sword. They can be used to create or destroy. Those tools have been used by irresponsible individuals in places they never should've been, ie, airports, stadiums , the top of skyscrapers etc. We have never seen a model airplane or jet, in the news, causing trouble. Model aircraft have been flying safely since Orville and Wilbur Wright. Yes things change and move forward. I agree with Tail Heavy Productions, there should be two classifications. As I said, I'm not against ANY rc aircraft. The whole rc community shouldn't be in turmoil due to a segment of it. Especially a segment with a safe, long proven track record. Be well friend, fly safe and have fun doing it.
AirHammer out!!
30 yrs ago you spent $100 and 80 hours to build a trainer and $200 for an entry level 4ch radio system. That makes todays trainers pretty cheap when you factor in 30 yrs of inflation! Now, with ARFs and simulators, the care, diligence, and emotional investment in a new plane is missing, leading to more "chuck it and f-it" carelessness ON AVERAGE, today. We have had signed off pilots, young and old, that are so reckless I just wont unpack until they leave. They used to be 1%, now 5-10% of members.
Then came 9/11. Amazon talking aerial delivery. Both scared the snot out of the FAA in terms of potential airspace conflicts with existing air traffic and "terrism" enablers. Much as I don't like excessive government control, those are both valid safety issues at the national level. I will grunt and hum the FAA tune and continue to enjoy my friends of 30 years at the field! I love training stormtroopers, young and old. OK "stormtroopers" was Swyped "students" but I didn't have the heart to delete it.😂
I've always loved flying, maybe at least partly because my dad was a Navy Aircraft Structural Mechanic. Unfortunately, the way life turned out, the only gear-oriented hobbies in which I was able to indulge myself were stamp collecting (as long as I tore the stamps off the letters I could find), coin collecting (from change I found at random) and rock collecting (from wherever I happened to be walking). I used to dream of having RC aircraft, and even tried designing some on paper (despite not knowing specifically how they work). Flash forward about forty years. I want to get out of the computer tech support field and into something that consistently pays above the median wage and offers me freedom from an office cubical. I happened to have a bit of money, so I decided to get into real estate photography. I bought a quadcopter only to help me shoot real estate photos. As I learned all the trouble I would have to go through to use it, I've often thought I should have just bought a long pole with my camera on top. Nevertheless, I have persevered, and I am nearly ready to take the FAA's Part 107 exam. I enjoy flying my drone, but I'm not looking for a new hobby. I really need something that can earn money; lots of money.
The complaints made in this video are true of pretty much every hobby or even small business that exists in this country today. People are obsessed with telling everybody else what to do and making them do it. That's one of the biggest roles that government has; fulfilling society's need to boss everybody else around, even if for no particular reason. In the case of sUAS, the FAA seems to believe that my three-pound flying piece of plastic has the operational characteristics of an RQ-4 Global Hawk. The pre-flight checklists that several entities offer is a joke on my drone. I've tried to think of all the worst-case scenarios that I could for my drone, but I see surprisingly few ways that I could cause significant damage or injury just from what the drone itself could do. If it were possible to cause significant damage or injury with my drone, I probably would already have done it, just learning to get my drone to fly. I've crashed it (or, it crashed itself) into all kind of things, including its spinning blades into my bare chest. In six months, nobody has died, and no permanent injuries. I haven't even had the police called on me (for the drone, I mean). I could do more harm with a baseball.
Please don't identify the sUAS segment with DJI. I intentionally don't buy or fly DJI, because of the company's connection to Communist China.
I was raised in a hobby shop and now operate it. The videos on this channel are straight, accurate and great to watch.
A problem at a club where I used to fly was what I called "elitism." Those with lots of money basically demanded that the rest of us stayed grounded while they flew their turbines and huge qas-powered 3D Yaks, one after another without allowing anyone else to fly. People new to the hobby with their little foamies never got a chance to fly at all on some days. There was a lot of gatekeeping as well.
We’ve experienced this at some clubs we’ve flown at as well. It’s frustrating for sure.
@@TailHeavyProductions I also experienced that. Grumpy guys feeling their egos, even on their particular political views. They wanted me to make an insurance about a 100g micro drone, wich I agreed. But then while speaking to an insurance agent I discovered their were flying near to a little airport. I told them about that in the sense that no insurance would cover us there, and they never wanted me back. Now it's their personal illegal flying field and nobody is insured. That was my short experience with RC guys.
Take off and run them right out of the sky. Teach them a lesson.
@@miquelmarti6537 Sounds based actually.
I've been flying stuff for just over a decade. I would never step foot near a club. I've found you can go quite a long ways with a very early morning and large playing fields.
I tried to get into this hobby last year but was greeted with many of the issues that were talked about. I had a little 100 dollar foam P51 Mustang and at first I tried flying it at the local park. That didnt work because even though I wasnt flying anywhere near any people one guy still thought I was somehow using it to spy on him and his family. Unfortunately he literally lived right next to the park so I couldnt fly there. I tried checking out the local club in my area and was basically told that it would cost me about $1000 and a buch of certifications before I could fly my tiny little foam plane at their field. Not to mention the elitist attitude I got when I told them what I had. They acted like their airfield would be insulted or something just by bringing my plane on the property. So yea, having nowhere to fly because people are dumb paranoid animals and others are stuck up snobs kinda makes the whole hobby kinda pointless!
This is so typical... I hope you found a good spot to just enjoy an afternoon out flying...
As a 14 year old who is very new to this hobby, I definitely agree with a lot of the video. I sometimes struggle to figure out why there are so many different types of, well, anything. And none of them are compatible with each other. My battery charger has 9 different types of connectors and I can never figure out witch one is witch. By the way, I really found the videos on taildraggers to be helpful (I fly a Carbon Cub).
If you don't know the name of connector, use Google image like you use a photo of the connector anf it will search images with similar connector and eventually thé name
Do not get discouraged... Follow flight test, get yourself some foam boards and make your own design. This is so much fun and a lot cooler that wasting your time on a smart phone. Just keep it up, forget about the Gyros and flight controllers and INAV and just try to build a nice little aircraft with cheap engines, cheap propellers, tiny batteries and a few cheap servos. It works!
@@Ozbird-72 Yeah, i just about finished an FT simple stick i got a swap meat and i cant wait to maiden it.
Just lost our R/C Field to Development. It was a Private Full Scale Airport since 1930 and a coexisting r/c field since 1975 One Noise complaint about R/C from an Old Lady that moved into the ajsent (2200' away) complained we were scaring her cats.
I bought my first radio control unit in 1972, and I have been in love with the hobby ever since. I joined two clubs in my lifetime, and in both cases I ended up meeting " that guy", you know the one. The cop wannabe, who appoints himself the club rules Enforcer, and points out every rule and regulation that he feels you are violating. Every Club of any kind seems to have one or more. Thus making the whole club experience unpleasant and disappointing. Unfortunately trying to find a flying site today is really difficult if you live in a city. I can't fly anymore today because of health issues, but it has not reduced my love of the Hobby and I would really hate to see it go away. As far as the government goes, I think that the idea of Ordinary People having access to a sophisticated surveillance device, like camera drones, scares the hell out of them. That's a technology that they feel they should have exclusive an right to. You know, they can watch you, but they don't want you watching them.
FPV remotepilot here. A couple years ago when I was considering getting back into RC planes I discovered Tiny Whoops. Quadcopters aren't as interesting to watch in the air as planes, but first person view goggles can let you explore a space on a whole new scale. Being able to fly inside can be a godsend on nasty days-- I was considering a pattern gymnasium flyer-- small quads need only a bedroom. Anywho, I'm glad we can both hate on DJI.
You hate on dji because…? What exactly? Most the drone instances dont involve dji. They just get labelled as dji because they are the largest company in drone manufacturing.
Plus most camera shots are only made available… because of dji. Dont shit on a company because you think you are special with using dedicated fpc equipment 💀.
Don't forget expense. With RC planes it seemed there was always something else to buy. My DJI drone turn-key package was so much easier. I didn't have to pick a separate transceiver and everything. It was: open box, charge stuff, plug into phone, FLY. When I built an electric RC plane it was a constant expense stream. buy buy buy buy buy... done? Nope. buy buy buy.
Unless you had a glow powered plane and had to buy fuel, why would that be?
My favorite things about @TailHeavyProductions videos-
1-Relating to at least one dude-bro your video calls out, in my RC life.
1a- The warm, fuzzy feeling i get while watching several times
2- Considering whether I present myself to fellow RC pilots, in one or more of the crappy ways, the dude bros you rip present themselves.
2a- The awkward feeling i get while rewatching your videos, solely to make sure I'm, " not that guy..." 😂
Love these videos! Cant get enough. 👍
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying our content!
Another informative video summarizing all the BS in a nutshell, especially now that we probably are going to have to put a transponder on board anything that weighs more than a stick of butter. Well done Zack and Ben.
Yes indeed. The specter of federal regs imposed on the hobby wasn't something hobbyist gave much thought to more than ten years ago.
@@triskellian So True!
I remember my 2nd or so early first flight I hit a parked police car on the road next to the park I was flying in and the cop gets out and actually flew models himself and taught me that day,
I asked him with my mum there too what should we do about the big crack in his cars windshield and he said "ill say it was a bird that did it" haha
That's so awesome!
Great video! So much to comment on. I'm a noob. I came from RC cars (and still enjoy them) and also have a mild aviation background, so I knew some of the jargon. I got to spend an afternoon at the local field in Phoenix because somebody invited me. But I noticed that if you actually wanted to JOIN, it costs something ridiculous like $275 and then $125 a year in fees. While there, everybody was nice, but I was the ONLY person there with foamies. Everybody else was flying mutli-thousand dollar jet-fuel powered mini-jets or similar. Pretty neat but also kinda like showing up to the car show in your old (but clean) Camaro when everybody else is driving supercars.
Speaking of fields... I'm visiting SW Utah right now and there's a field in St George... BUT, you cannot get entry to until you PAY UP or get invited by a member. Well since I don't know anybody in the area, and it'd be a one-time visit, I guess I'm not flying there. These fields are NOT welcoming.
Drones... I got into drones a few years ago. I think they're monumentally BORING. I use mine from time to time to get some aerial photos of where I'm camping, and that's about it. Until they make one that can actually follow you while avoiding obstacles (no, Skydio ain't it), they aren't much use to me. FPV would be cool but it's yet another expensive hobby I don't need to get into.
Remote ID... the FAA can go fuck itself. I will never put Remote ID on my planes; I fly out in the open desert anyway. The day my DJI drone refuses to fly because of it is the day I find out how flat I can make it by driving over it with my truck.
Rules.. you may have already seen this, but visit pretty much any of the drone groups on FB and you'll see the "drone police" in full force there to inform everybody about what they're doing wrong, even though it may not apply to the poser's country.
Hobby Shops... these places are actually few and far between unless you live in a major metro area. And when I'm close to them I like to patronize them. But.. one in particular (which shall remain nameless) refuses to deal with emails, even though I have no cell service where I'm currently camping. So I'll be ordering more from AMain in the near future. Also -- remember that all the RC manufacturers have price-fixed everything, so the price is the same whether you buy locally or from a hobby shop.
News orgs won't cover the hobby unless there's a way they can negatively sensationalize it. Best to hope they never discover it.
Quality control... yeah don't get me started about Flex Innovations and the bad servos in the left wing of my RV8-10E and their less than great customer service (like wanting me to pay to return the bad wing).
Wives and Credit Cards... if you don't control your own money, you need to grow a pair and get a new wife.
Was flying my plane.
Huge thunk and a commotion. A helicopter had just crashed into my truck. Everyone lept into their cars and left. The club officers ran away. The insurance has a deductible. The pilot didn't want to pay the $250. The club said don't call your insurance company.
Six months later I called Progressive and they tracked down the guy and made him pay. The club was terrified that I'd ruin their perfect record by making a claim on them. Their field is insured too. That AMA insurance is pretty worthless.
AMA is worthless
AMA insurance is secondary. If no other insurance exists, they’ll pay.
Accurate observations, excellent commentary, and love the way you presented them.
My son and I have played with cheap drones and they didnt spark his interest. This summer he expressed an interest in airplanes and blimps so I took him to every Aviation museum here in the SF Bay Area as well as Moffet Field and the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. He couldn't stop telling me how he wanted to try a flight simulator, and he even made his own thrust controls, gauges etc one night out of construction paper. I recently picked up a joystick/thrust controller and downloaded a couple flying sims...RC plane seems like the next step for us which is how I landed on your video. We havent bought anything yet and tbh the idea that we need to take courses and pay fees/insurance AND deal with gatekeeping is a huge turn off. Great video btw.
This video really nailed it!!
Im 14 and live in Germany. The regulations are so strong it took me a lot of time to finally be able to legally fly. Sadly there is no rc club next to me so I always have to search for good spots which is really hard in a town with a lot of people which have no understanding for this hobby. Its also really hard to find some friends with the same hobby, thats why I always fly alone. But i love you content. Its really nice and I always enjoy it :)
War bei mir ähnlich - dran bleiben, mit dem Hobby lernst du sehr viel!
Great video as always, the problem we have in the UK is that the clubs where set up in the 60’s/70’s and the original members are still there who won’t roll/cut the grass often enough to allow anything with retracts to fly and only suitable for high wing trainers.
I am a boomer and been flying for well over a decade. Blame who and what you want but the fact is long before quadcopters, the FAA or CAA the model aviation hobby existed and was self regulated with no issues. Model Aviation has a much better track record than the agencies trying to tie the hands of who have been flying in model aviation for decades. It's not a coincidence that the same agency that killed over 340 people with their decision to let Boing self regulate (which did cause both crashes) is attacking the model aviation hobby. Follow the money, it's not the first time the FAA has done exactly the same thing ( look up the Fine Air Crash flight 101 crash).
These guys make trolling videos for clicks - funny if you are not the target of the trolling. I have now set UA-cam to no longer recommend these alpha hotels!
Hi, I'm 19, flying since I was 10, and I know what you're talking about with the youngsters not coming to the hobby anymore. I have some insight into this that may actually surprise you. The problem isn't computers, it's lack of a way to try it without paying money or spending a shit ton of time in the simulator. Most people I've met and told about this hobby say this is really cool but that the fact that you ususally have to pay AT LEAST 200 euro s for a good beginner setup turns them away, and if they'd try it risk free and like it, they would definitely join the hobby.
I have a solution to this problem and a I know a lot of y'all won't like it. At your next event, have one or two planes with gyro, stabilization, whatever you want to call it, so that it basically flies itself (kinda like a dji drone) and a shit ton of batteries and let people try it for free, no strings attached and only have a more experienced pilot near them to be able to take over if something happens. This, combined with good marketing, and I mean GOOD marketing, and the experienced pilot mentioned above can bring tons of people into the hobby, we all know it's enough to get them addicted. Plus, what do you really have to lose? It's going to be a foamie, if you crash it, you give it to your local scratch builder and it'll be back up and running within 15 minutes.
Our club bought 2 Areoscouts for just that reason. Anyone you drops by we try and get them in the air with a buddy box. Worth the investment.
Or have a simulator running for anyone to try flying on. After flying for a few years I find simulator practice to be very valuable for keeping my reflexes sharp and learning differences in aircraft designs.
It does also suck that flight sims have no standard in controller compatibility
@@MChronicleSword sims are a good tool, but not the one when you only have a few minutes to get someone's attention and get them to enjoy the hobby.
Spot on guys. If there ain't a sign saying NO MODEL AIRCRAFT I will fly there.
I'm done with clubs and now fly HANDLAUNCH models on a huge public open space quite often drawing a few spectators who love my displays.
MUCH MORE APPRECIATED THAN AT THE DEPRESSING CLUBS.
I wouldn't say the cheap stuff is all that bad. Years ago I bought a crappy coaxial RC heli from a drug store. I flew it, it broke, but it didn't stop me. Next I bought a hobby grade heli, then a collective pitch heli. Then I signed up for flight school. Now I've been working as a commercial heli pilot for the last 5 years, best $50 bucks I spent all those years ago..
I started that way as well Aaron. Ended up flying for career, ie military then airlines and now general aviation.
I think you're wrong about the hobby shop point. As a 16 year old who has visited hobby shops and also does online shopping, I just don't find hobby shops to even compete. They have less options for actual customization, and when I know what I want or I know what I want to do, going online is practically the only option. The only things I have seen better at hobby shops is ease of battery selection. Maybe my experience isn't like others tho. 🤷♂️
The hidden costs of joining a club. First: you MUST be a member of the AMA AND have insurance. Second, there is the "Legacy fees" for the club. Finally there are the yearly dues. All of this just to find, when you show up at a field, there isn't anybody who will help teach you to fly. Save your snarky replies ... its a FACT.
Word man!
This happened to me. Went to my local club to have a chat to the guy who owns it. I already had BMFA membership so that was sorted. Shown where the key to the field was and that I could come and fly whenever I want, paid my yearly membership only to turn up to fly and be told, your plane isn't big enough,bought a bigger plane now to be told someone has to watch you for 2 weeks to judge your not a liability flying before you can just come and fly on your own. No one wanted to help/watch me even though I think I'm a decent enough pilot. I left after that. Bunch of grumpy old men to set in their ways. Then, about a week after, they enlisted someone a lot younger than them to set a Facebook page about the club asking for new younger members to come and have a look at the hobby 😂😂
Bro if you anywhere near Ohio come fly with me please
@@theRCcarguy21 Thanks for the kind invite, but I'm up in the hills of north Georgia. BTW, it's just not Model Plane clubs ... it's also Shooting Clubs ... exact same deal. You have to belong to the NRA and then there are all the legacy costs.
@oddshot60 I have managed to evade all of those since I live in the dead middle of nowhere I only fly a little airplane
I love the small park flyers because I still enjoy the stick planes or slow flyer. Lol now planes have safe modes and I haven’t crashed anything in a few days lol
Entirely too accurate. Wish there was a way to make the fields more inviting to people. It's funny because you either get the guys that are jerks and just glare or the guys that won't stop talking.
"Misunderstood Control Surface" ... Drying my tears... You guys are so spot on! BTW: General Aviation suffers from the EXACT same issues! Kids simply lost interest in flying for the same reasons they do not get into RC anymore...
There is something you can do about point 12. Advocate for regulations that stop car dependency. This is especially important in the US. Kids who live in suburbia often can't really get anywhere on foot or by bicycle because the distances are too far and the infrastructure is just not safe. So they need their parents to drive them to most places. This results in a big barrier for kids to play outdoors and for friends to quickly meet up somewhere outdoors.
Yes, because when I think of a solution my first thought is, “Man, how I give the government more power over where and how I can live my life. I know, I’ll have them regulate my means of transportation! That will never come back and bite me in the end.”
Big government is killing your hobby, so we need a bigger government to solve it. Galaxy brain.
There couldn't be a more braindead response to this. It's like a Euro admonishing the US for not being efficient enough for them.. Listen Pal, Americans WANT to own several vehicles per family, there's nothing wrong with that. Live your own life, "recycle" all your plastic so it can be buried in a foreign country with the lowest bidder, and stop putting your green ideals on the forefront of conversations with others, because it's Politics, loaded "science", and a loaded subject.
@@horatiusromanus I think his point is not about regulating or banning cars themselves, it's about urban planning so that you don't NEED to use a car all the time. Having stuff like a playground/field, grocery store, school, etc., close enough to walk or bike to. I grew up in an accessible area like this, and I can attest to it having a hugely positive impact on my childhood. As to how to go about fixing car-dependant suburban hell, I have no idea.
I agree with all of this. One of the biggest detractors when I got out of the hobby and then got back into it was the high dollar know it all snobs at the field that didn't exist when I got into at Whidbey Is with WIRCS. WIRCS was a great group of old guys who got into the hobby back in the 40's and up into the 90's. They taught me to fly and everyone helped each other fix and get into the hobby. When I was transferred by the U.S. Navy and didn't have the time or money for it at first. The I finally got into a position where I could and went to the local field and was met with don't get near my plane and I know everything rich boy snobs. You know the guys who spend most of the time sitting with their $3,000.00 dollar plus planes than could do anything. Then take to the air and show off, you know to show everyone they were king of the field. Then when you try to talk to them about their planes you got the cold shoulder because you didn't know the latest, jargon, gadgets, techniques and owned a plane that looked like you pulled it out of a Cracker Jack box. I watched the field turn into a have and have nots snob vs poor new comers. I just got fed up with going to the field because it wasn't about learning and helping and chatting airplanes anymore, it wasn't fun, it was a mental burden, so I left. Last I heard the snobs drove all the new members off and the field closed. I guess the rich guys no longer had anyone to impress so they put their planes in the attic until the next club was formed. I miss the old poor and rich guys who had class. They would do anything including buy the poor guys parts, engines,give them NICE hand me downs and do everything in their power to get the kids into the hobby, including donate planes and take them under their wings. W.I.R.C.S. then had instructors, Safety Officers, Field Marshals, etc. You didn't have to pass a test to fly with an Instructor, you didn't even have to pay if you didn't have a plane and flew with an instructor or even have an AMA membership. If you did have a plane and wanted to fly you could come as a sponsored guest if you had an AMA card with insurance of course. This is how I ended up with the club and at one point for a few years I was the Clubs News Letter Writer, back when we had to take the stuff I wrote to the local printing shop and hand stamp and mail them. W.I.R.C.S's is still a viable club I think, at least they still maintain a website; wircsrc.com/ if you're in the Puget Sound area drop them a line and see if they're still in operation and what the rules are to fly with them are. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
You just described the challenges that EVERY hobby faces these days. Elitism, gatekeeping, laws and regulations, disappearing shops, land speculation and prices, grumpy boomers, inflation, overcomplication, bad QC in entry-grade products and stratospheric prices for high end stuff, with no middle ground.
Also applies to guns, live music, every motorsport (motorbikes, cars, karts, trucks, you name it), gliders, paragliding, rafting, hunting, fishing, even photography!
The absolute worst are the useless regulations and the fear it all may stop someday soon.
You are my hero, This was very well done. Thanks for looking out for our hobby I will pass this on to other RC friends. Thanks for sharing
Im 16, so I…uhh…dont have a car. So the soccerfield is just going to have to be enough to fly my jets and planes. Although carrying planes by hand or in a beach cart looks a little dumb, it works
Keep it up Josh. You will have a car eventually.
if you lived in my area I would take you under my senior wing and help you.
So maybe find the closest club and flying field and make some visits. Someone there may help you.
One thing that kind of drives me crazy is the death of the ARF. I like setting up my planes with my servos, my motors and my receivers. Specially for the reduced cost. However it seems that all the cool models now come with a receiver that if you don't like you're screwed and you're forced to pay the price, and for some reason I feel like I'm missing out or maybe I just got the wrong radio.
64 yo beginner. I joined a club of seasoned flyers and I'm having a blast. The guys gave me a trainer and most of a simulator. I've been flying twice with a "buddy box." We're all having fun, with the guys enjoying and encouraging my progress and laughing good-naturedly at my missteps. It's a fun hobby if you find the right group!
You got that right. So glad you found a great group of folks! That’s awesome.
I am a instructor for a fairly large group and the one thing most people fear entering my program was regulation. I had to make program that does indoor flying then expands to the outdoors, the only area we struggle with is finding a prebuild very slow flying indoor fixed wing. We have simulation, we have aero scouts, But the slowest plane we can find is the duet for indoor.
You are so on point with this. Because of most of the things you just said i stopped this hobby after years of having fun with it. I'm from the Netherlands and there is just no more fun in this hobby here. Everybody complains about noice (even about electric airplanes) and privacy ( "they are flying way to close to my home" ). Houses are being build next to RC airfields and then they complain about it. The fun is over because of these people and it hurts me to say this.
This is the rant we all have in our head but done stylishly
Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
I think the main reason is the money. Lots of my friends don't want to even try it out, because the say, they don't want to "waste" their money for a piece of foam.
And since theyre in my age its hard to get 300€ for an rc plane. Im so lucky that i have grandparents 😅.
I thank God everyday I have my own airfield and no club bullsh!t. I fly out my back door with my hunk of faom for free lol
Me too. Although it is fun to fly at the flying field too
I sat watching three pilots at the flight line this weekend and realized they were all born around 2008. Happy to see young people stepping up.
That’s awesome!
I’m the guy that shows up with too much money invested and even if I don’t bring it up someone else does lol
me a 13 year old who just got done building my first plane and getting my thumb cut off because i was being dumb and still exited to fly my plane for the first time with one less finger to take care of
Great videos my friends, you hit every spot on the list, I think logistically it also has to do with no one wanting to buy a plane and then have to drive 30 minutes or more to a field to fly and only for 6 minutes, RC cars are a super growing industry as you can drive anywhere and cars run for 20 minutes or more so you get a big bang for your dollar, horizon hobby is doing a good job selling umx type planes that can be flown in a small area like a park or baseball field but many parks and stuff are starting to not let you fly there anymore which is stupid, I can go there with my friends and play softball, drink beers, get loud even get hurt playing a game but I cant fly a little plane for 15 minutes that wont hurt anyone?
I train the new guys to fly. I ask them to read the club rules and review the AMA guidelines. I always say please ask questions if you need help. The new pilot needs to take on their own responsibility to read the bylaws and club rules. Other than that I fly with a low stress attitude. My Kadet LT-40 has a Spektrum ASX receiver with stabilization. Guys can fly my airplane in minutes without any pressure. We had a great time last weekend. With ASX I buddy boxed a new pilot last Saturday. I had him land my plane on the first day of training. That is truly amazing. If you have a grumpy old fart bothering you at the field. Be nice and ask them if they know who Statler and Waldorf are.
I'd bet Flite Test is responsible for at least 90% of the new hobbyists discovering RC flight. The biggest problem is its just plain invisible.
That said, Flite Test is putting up some VERY, VERY large a/c ... that scare the hell out of the general public. I've been flying models since 1962 and some of the stuff they put up scare the hell out of me.
@@oddshot60 thats pretty ridiculous. They obviously fly for comedy, and only on their own property...unless karen is their neighbor no one is scared by their antics
@@snoriverrc3842 Sorry Sno ... KAREN is EVERYWHERE. No sense in antagonizing her with model a/c nearly the size of Piper Cubs ... or lose control of one and have it fly through the side of her house. It's pretty ridiculous to think it can't happen.
I've been in three RC airplane clubs that got kicked out of our fields over the years. All were in farm country that got sold for housing developments and one day the new owners of our fields (their older parents died and they sold off the land) sold their farm land, and boom we were out of there and out of luck. Around most major cities these days you have to drive at least 35 miles or more to find still usable flying fields. With the absurb prices of gas for cars and airplane fuel always being high, it is gewtting tough. The new trend has been to go to electric planes to keep noise down but one errant plane into someone's back yard starts the whole NIMBY movement and for long your out of there too.
Hearing you attack drone pilots as 1 brain cell Havers is absolutely the exact same mentality the FAA has towards hobby flyers lol. You kind of proved them right : /
Not to mention that a lot of the younger pilots in the hobby are flying FPV while the older pilots tend to stick to fixed wing. If the fixed wing pilots continue to shovel this hate on the FPV community, then it's their half of the hobby that will die out.
@twerking bollocks - exactly. Check out our new pinned comment 👍
Most of your points are accurate and well. I take umbrage with your comment about boomers not wanting to change. That might be true of some but most of us embrace innovation creativity and success.
I especially agree with your comment about RC airplanes being treated differently than big drones
Thanks! Our boomer joke wasn’t meant to be targeted at all boomers which is why we worded it as “who refuse change”. It’s definitely important not to paint everyone with the same brush. There’s people who refuse change of all ages.
What you do is click the 3 dots next to one of their recommended videos, and choose "Don't recommend channel", if you no longer want to be trolled.
Dji drones and a fpv quadcopter are two different thing don't put them in the same category . Fpv quadcopters are nothing like dji drones that fly themselves
Was going to say the same thing. He's talking about DJI drones and then shows a clip of an fpv quadcopter. Then goes on to talk about how anyone can fly those DJI drones (or guide them around at least). Anyone who's tried to fly an FPV drone in acro knows that it's incredibly tough to do. Not to mention how many of the FPV quads are built from scratch - and even if they aren't you know you'll end up replacing parts.
It's painful to see how ignorant he comes accross towards an entire half of the hobby. I’s just like when older folks refuse to stay in touch with younger generations and insist that the old ways are the only ways. The hobby is changing. It's up to them to see that and adapt how they "advertise". Fixed wing is really cool. Sadly a lot of fixed wing pilots are not so cool towards FPV polits.
@John Smith 🤣 exactly. If you are going to do a video on a subject, do the research. Especially when you have a picture of a dji drone with a💥 on it . SMH
@falljazz This whole video was just click bait
@@falljazz Well from the title he seems to think that fixed wings make up the "RC Hobby". They are part of it, and they are very cool - I'd love to try it in FPV (don't think I could fly it LoS), but it's a big hobby with a lot of other segments. And if he wants to find young people flying RC he should check out any FPV quadcopter race - kids love fpv and there are amazing young pilots all over the place.
As always.. You guys made a great video.. Today I brought my nephew to the field for his first time flying EVER.. It was too windy for him to play with a fixed wing trainer, but he got a chance to fly my DJI FPV with that fancy stick controller (easiest way to learn). He was giggling non-stop through 3 batteries.. Then, I had some fun with my OG Turbo Timber and he filmed me doing some STOL fun stuff in 20mph wind. He said he can't wait until next weekend to learn to fly a fixed wing trainer.. He announced, "if it flies, I like it...." Of course he said that, he's my nephew.. Lesson: Bring a kid to the field and introduce them to ANY that flies, make it fun and the rest will follow... Thanks for letting me share.. - Will
You are part of the problem, you even mentioned how other aspects of the hobby should be regulated separately. No buddy, we're all in this together. The only points I agree with you are the first few points about old men and rule Nazis but you completely left out the single biggest reason associated with those old men, the AMA! I can fly my multi-rotor around my house and other places without having to deal with people and their rules, no AMA fees(AMA hasn't been effective keeping regulations away, in fact they made it so they are required by regulation!)
I am however also an AMA member and do belong to a club where I fly my EDF's and do fixed wing FPV. NEW people want multi rotors because they can fly them anywhere, they do a lot more, and no AMA. Have you ever been to a flite test flying event? Did you ever notice that no one cares if you have AMA or not with them?
I want to see you do a tail slide with your multi rotor. 😉
I am a beginner at the hobby, the two things that are keeping me from rage quitting is practicing on a rc sim and making time to repair the plane after EVERY FLIGHT! Glue is like fuel 👍
[I'm a Brit living in the north of England.] Like many people, I started out with balsa-and-tissue free-flight aeromodelling, graduated to RC, enjoyed it for decades, refused to be taxed, registeted and regulated when 'the drone thing' happened, and have slowly gone back to free-flight models.
As they're so light, I've found I can add micro RC gear (just rudder and elevator) and stay well below the 250g (registration) weight limit. It's very cheap, enormous fun, and nice not having to retrieve planes and gliders from half a mile downwind or risk losing them in thermals.
I feel I'm getting the best of both worlds, now, and the authorities leave me alone to enjoy my hybrid hobby in peace. 🙂
The benefit of flaying a fixed wing if you don't fck with people is that noone cares about.
Flying a little tiny whoop - three random people come and complain.
Flying a 1200mm EDF with 200kph 1inch above the field? No problem mate, nice plane, blablabla.
I've been flying RC off and on for over 30 years and I've seen a little bit of everyone of these reasons (except the last, thankfully). A few bad experiences with flying clubs many years ago killed off any desire to ever seek one of those out again but lately it's been the drastic overreach of the FAA that mostly keeps me grounded. I'm not even sure it's legal to fly in my own back yard anymore, and when my livelihood is dependent on staying in the good graces of the FAA , I really don't want to risk it.
(old geezer voice) My first contact with RC was in the mid 70's: an airline pilot lived nearby and RC was his hobby. Some times he'd take us out with him to see him tool around his Smog Hog with a Kraft 4-channel and a Fox .50 motor. The rig in today's money would have been about a grand. It was a sport/hobby for doctors and lawyers and stockbrokers.
I remember back in the 80's I was a young adult with a car, job, free time and no family yet; I finally had the freedom and money to take up the RC hobby and joined the local club. I was the only guy there interested in gliders and electrics. The club was dominated by nitro-burning fun-fly good old boys, rough around the edges but solid people... and guys with money who showed up in expensive fast cars with mirror shades and the most expensive 12-channel Futaba radios, flying those early tuned-pipe pattern competition planes that look like pulled taffy. Those guys would burn literally gallons, practicing their pattern routines every day, dominating the air time and using the entire flight area as their "box". To them, my glider circling for thermals was an obstacle, not a fellow flyer, and my hi-start launcher was a taxiing hazard. I swear some of those guys should have gotten into RC trucks because they sure loved taxing everywhere. The rich guys eventually moved from the RC Pattern ships to large scale ducted fans, getting bigger and bigger all the time until they spun off into their own club. When RC helis became more than an expensive science project, and pilots arrived looking to oractice with them, these two factions were reluctant to have them join in. So they "assigned" the gliders and the helis into a "box" of their own at one far end of the field. Gliders and helis; a natural fit.
Anyway that's how it went for a few years. The club rented their field from a local farmer. I kept begging them to consider buying the field outright, to keep it from developers and sprawl. The pattern guys got more aggressive dominating the sky and started breaking the hard deck and perimeter fence line and flying over the farmer's house and barn as part of their show routines. A couple of weeks of that and we were all kicked off the field, which we'd spent money and time developing with amenities. The next field we rented was farther out of town, it cost more, making dues go up, and the commute time was starting to be a problem in anything but full summer daylight hours. Thanks to skittishness about losing the field and about getting sued for dangerous flying, the rules got more strict as well.
Again, i begged the guys to look at how golfers guaranteed their sport by owning their land, but the "fun fly guys " had the attitude of: "I'd rather spend the limited money I got on my own planes, not on providing land for others to fly on". Growing the club, outreach to schools and kids, media outreach to the town to get the local government on our side in case of conflicts, these were things I tried to promote but could not sustain by just my own efforts. And so in a five year span, the club moved the field three times, first chased out by a railroad right of way, then the pattern guys being jerks, then developers buying the land out from under us, twice. The club finally disbanded and was absorbed into the club one town over, their field was owned by one of the members. Those guys still exist. At least until the owner dies off and his kids sell the land to speculators and developers.
It's the Tragedy of the Commons problem. The hobby as we know it requires real estate. Without owning the land to fly over, everybody has control over you and none of them want you. Without a group of pilots dedicated to supporting the group instead of individuals, they all scatter into lone wolf flyers who go places they're not wanted or welcomed, in parks and over empty lots, chased out by cops and karens.
I'm 2 months into the hobby. I wanting to surround myself with ppl who have the knowledge so I can ask questions. Everytime I locate a club, they have a table of content for their club rules and limitations. Now I'm converting one of my corn fields and watching your videos to learn. Trial by broken Styrofoam!
I'm so sorry you had to be introduced to clubs that had rules like that. Are there any more around you that you can try out? Sometimes it takes trying a few until you find one where the folks are more big picture and less overkill with their rules. If not, we hope your cornfield runway conversion works out great! Welcome to the hobby.
Some of what you say is true with regulations but as far as clubs go I feel it's the best way to learn and save money getting into the hobby for first time and also create many new friends
I started in the hobby in 1984. There was a gaggle of old grumpy farts that told me I MUST start with a trainer kit with no ailerons. I bought the new Sig Kadet Mark II trainer (now with ailerons!) and had hell to pay when I showed up a month later with my trainer. They made me disconnect the ailerons before they would let me fly. Old grumpy farts have been the scourge of the hobby since the beginning. I'm 60 now and probably look like a grumpy fart but don't judge a book by its cover. Inside my head I'm still 25 and realize I have a lot of learning to do.
I enjoy flying RC planes, and no one should worry about me stopping. I _did_ destroy my first 4ch plane after belly landing a 2ch until it couldn't fly anymore, but now I am getting ready to get an Aeroscout S (and register it w/ the FAA so I'm not an outlaw) so I can train to fly without gyro assist, and maybe eventually get a Habu SS.
I picked up one of the Flite Test planes last year as my first plane. Got everything I needed. Got it all built and working. Then found out I have nowhere to fly (for free anyways).
Local school field is within the no fly zone for the local airport. There's one field about 20 minutes north but you need the AMA membership, club membership and all this check flight stuff before you can even enjoy the hobby. I've got 5 kids so my free time is limited. I don't have hours and hours to spend going to meetings and stuff. I want to just go in my back yard (which is not big enough for my plane, at least not in trainer mode) and fly for the 6-8 minutes until the battery dies and that's it. I can't make a day or an afternoon out of it.
I think my only option right now is to try to sell this plane and get something smaller that I can actually fly in my yard (like a UMX Turbo Timber or something). My yard is a good size but lined with tall pines and maples. It's also within the no fly zone but I won't be going above the tree line anyways, let alone the 200ft limit.
I enjoy my Dji, I use it as a flying camera mainly and it has a secondary use on public holidays to see what local shops and supermarkets are open.
THANKYOU for bringing this TRUTHFUL video to us. 🇬🇧🇺🇲🕊️✌🏼🤩👍🏼
It is difficult to find places to fly our Models. We had a small field, closed after few days. Some Rich people Complain and all that work was for nothing. We are a small club, only flying Electric outside Oslo Norway.
A few years back my uncle bought me a plane ( a tundra V2) to try and entice me into the hobby of Rc flight. I was super stoked and got building right away, it only took a few days to build. but as a took it out for my maiden, me being an idiot and not knowing how to fly i crashed it, it wasn't a bad crash but enough to crush my confidence. So I let it sit for maybe a year before one of my neighbours roped me into the hobby by teaching me to fly by buddy boxing, he taught the rules and all the tips of the trades, and what plane to get for my first, I ended up buying a bixler 1.1 and have been flying for a little while now, and I have had my fair share of crashes here and there but I believe it was the greatest decision I have made to join the hobby and has been the most fun I have had in a long time.
So glad you got connected with what sounds like some great stewards of the hobby. 👍
That is why a few fellow pilots and myself left our local club and now meetup and fly at a park with foamies etc. No BS to deal with!
I’ve managed to get a really good friend in the hobby, Glad to say he’s enjoying it just as much as I am.