Is this hobby in decline?

[Jez N]

.............................. my club is still a brilliant craic

quads and drones have also taken a bit of a chunk of the hobby too

Yes, your club is one of the few (MK, white horse and a few others) that appears to not take itself too seriously and is prepared to let people have a laugh and enjoy themselves. If i lived within 50 miles of you i would be on the waiting list! But i'm not sure that it is the format that most clubs take uinfortunately.

Don't mind that people go to quads and drones. If thats their bag, then so be it. Maybe single rotor was too hard for them ;P

[Planehazza]

Is it just me or are kit lifespans a lot shorter these days?

[Dannyyy]

I'm not sure about that Dan, out of a club of 45 members only a small handful Connor, Alex and Duncan are sponsored/supported. In a minority hobby like this where for retailers every penny spent with them keeps them in business you're bound to get the best pilots assisted with their costs. Take a look at what they do for a bit of discount, travel the country in their own time, host us the majority with answers to questions on the kit they're using etc.. So in short I don't think there's a decline and I wouldn't think it's in any part down to retailers supporting pilots

Total agree with you mate, with the likes of people that do actually contribute to the company they are sponsored, thats great, but then came a few pop up companies that were sponsoring anyone that asked!

The bigger shops are great at choosing there sponsors but then there are people who will just sponsor anyone

[Euclid]

No doubt that multi-rotors are on the increase too which may have steered quite a few newcomers away from helis.

Perversely it was starting with quads that got me into helis. I quickly realised I wasn't flying a quad just acting as its 'system controller' that I soon got bored and turned to helis for the challenge. I've not been disappointed yet!

[philipjdall]

In parallel to that however, prices of good 2nd hand helis, radios and everything have come down drastically. It's amazing what you can get for the money now vs just 4 or 5 years ago if you take your time. Top of the line FBL units routinely go for £100.00 2nd hand and many less expensive alternatives are out there,

True, and whilst this is great for the buyer it's not so great fro the seller... I find myself giving stuff away sometimes, and then wonder if it isn't because there isn't much of an audience...

Maybe Guy is right

[tigeral]

I have followed my son in the hobby for 6 years now(spent a few pounds!!) and have taken up the hobby myself, we both belong to a great club with its own flying field. Our numbers have dropped from a couple of years ago, we seem to get a couple new members each year that stay with the hobby, but also lose a couple on the edge for various reasons. Fees for a year including BMFA are around £90 (field rent takes every penny) but we are not there to make money we exist to have some fun in a hobby and encourage / help people stay within the hobby. But as others have said money does play a part, but we have managed with good quality second hand models from within the community, even bought new they all fly the same when set up right. I hope things go well for the rest of this year and years to come for all clubs out there

[Peteski]

There are more people in this hobby wanting a career rather than to have fun...

I just don't get that comment at all. I doubt anyone goes into this hobby thinking of it as a career opportunity! That would be bordering on insane. I think perhaps you are mistaking a very small number of rc pilots who may be taking themselves a bit too seriously for the vast majority who just see it as a fun hobby.

[Planehazza]

I just don't get that comment at all. I doubt anyone goes into this hobby thinking of it as a career opportunity! That would be bordering on insane. I think perhaps you are mistaking a very small number of rc pilots who may be taking themselves a bit too seriously for the vast majority who just see it as a fun hobby.

I see both sides. 99% are in it for fun, but there are some out there just getting as many sponsors as possible. I agree with what milly said earlier. Personally, even if I were could enough to be even considered for it, I wouldn't take it as it's purely a hobby for me. I wouldn't want to be tied to a single brand anyway.

[Granpappy]

Is there a professional circuit for RC Heli pilots? What sort of prize money do competitions offer?

[waveydavey]

Is there a professional circuit for RC Heli pilots? What sort of prize money do competitions offer?

In the UK not a penny

[Granpappy]

In the UK not a penny

Well then I'm afraid that I am a bit lost with regard to the discussion relating to careers as an RC Heli flyer. I can understand that sponsorship brings benefits and status but if it doesn't provide a sustainable salary then the career discussion is somewhat academic and pointless.

[bigpops]

I don't know if you get anything for 3D cup or Helimasters.

"The one" competition at IRCHA pays $7000. Not exactly big bucks considering the 1000s of hours practice needed to win that $7K.

Prize money isn't where pro heli pilots make money. They make money by either working for their Sponsor (Alan Szabo jr, Kyle Dahl), or developing a business from knowledge and connections they make as a pilot on the circuit (Bert Kammerer).

[Planehazza]

Just going to throw this out there, but IMO competitions are getting more prevalent in recent years. Could be wrong. This is great for showing off the hobby, but might also me intimidating for newbies. They'll see that level and assume it's easy/everyone flies like that and get disheartened.

Seeing pros fly encourages me, but I realise I'm never going to get 5% of Nick Maxwell for example I just try to enjoy it at whatever level I'm at. Entering competitions doesn't really interest me really.

[Gate88]

Well then I'm afraid that I am a bit lost with regard to the discussion relating to careers as an RC Heli flyer. I can understand that sponsorship brings benefits and status but if it doesn't provide a sustainable salary then the career discussion is somewhat academic and pointless.

Yes, don't confuse sponsored pilots with professional ones. You can probably count the ones who make a living from this hobby on one hand.

Even the sponsored ones probably don't come out of it that well off, the ones I know might get the odd free model and a few spares here & there but they've then got to schlep all over the place using their own money and vehicles and it's quite often places they don't particularly want to go.

[Bob H]

Is it just me or are kit lifespans a lot shorter these days?

In some ways I think this may well be an issue with a couple of brands. Your average newbie to the hobby is probably going to be looking at Align or Blade kits for obvious reasons (everything bar a transmitter - sometimes with a Tx - in the box) but it will, no doubt, be quite intimidating when you even blink and there's yet another version of the same heli in the list. It's going to be hard for newcomers to get their heads around what's available.

The decline of the local model shop is probably what's hitting club membership the most. Clubs of all aero-flavours would have some kind of rappore with them and traffic would flow from club to shop and vice versa. I don't wish the Internet and Web Shops never happened but the better pricing for us people that high street stores just can't compete with has had a quite negative unintended consequence.