Is this hobby in decline?

[scallybert]

I think you also find there are people who are very much into the flying, rather than chatting and watching - maybe because they have limited time, and want to make the most of it.

These may well be the people who turn up at the (expected to be) quiet times, when they can get a lot of flights in.

[p4ddy]

I think you also find there are people who are very much into the flying, rather than chatting and watching - maybe because they have limited time, and want to make the most of it.

These may well be the people who turn up at the (expected to be) quiet times, when they can get a lot of flights in.

That's how I roll, go to empty field, bang out all lipo's, keeps time down and flying intense, then bugger off home keeping the wife happy. I like it that way as waiting around bugs me a bit lol. Even at funflys I'm impatient & don't like waiting my turn unless it's just 2 of us.

[brin]

Its not all play though we do still chat to you now and again Mark lol

I think you also find there are people who are very much into the flying, rather than chatting and watching - maybe because they have limited time, and want to make the most of it.

These may well be the people who turn up at the (expected to be) quiet times, when they can get a lot of flights in.

[debrooker]

That's how I roll, go to empty field, bang out all lipo's, keeps time down and flying intense, then bugger off home keeping the wife happy. I like it that way as waiting around bugs me a bit lol. Even at funflys I'm impatient & don't like waiting my turn unless it's just 2 of us.

That's the main reason I gave up on one of my clubs and settle for FMHC. My former club is a popular mixed club and as such on a Sunday I may get 3 flights in 3 hours if i'm lucky and i'm time poor unfortunately

[tigeral]

I think quad racing is the new kid on the block, but someone somewhere is pushing it forward new magazine, new tv programme coming with Suzie perry will be worth a watch, and recently they have taken up more page space in heli world mag, but if its buzzing we should embrace it, maybe have a slot at the likes of helifest to keep all interested and within the hobby just a thought

[Darren77]

with the passage of time most hobbies are declining. Same case with rc heli hobby.

[p4ddy]

The only quad racing I'd like to embrace is one where a large skip is the finishing line. And the prize for the winner is a heli (flybarred) so they have to learn to fly.

[PeteStewardson]

That's the main reason I gave up on one of my clubs and settle for FMHC. My former club is a popular mixed club and as such on a Sunday I may get 3 flights in 3 hours if i'm lucky and i'm time poor unfortunately

Same for me. I get a couple of hours on a Saturday morning, I can turn up and fly and bang a few flights out.

[Peteski]

I just pop into the large field right in front of our house and fly. It's a bit of a solitary experience for me, but I enjoy it. I will join a club at some point for a bit of company, but certainly not enough time right now with a young family.

[scallybert]

Its not all play though we do still chat to you now and again Mark lol

Hey, I stopped to watch the Vulcan fly over the field on Sunday...

BTW, I did ~40 flights over the weekend - and made some witty comments (oh, and pseudo-buddied Cathy - with only one resultant row..!) It's good to be able to do that without getting in people's way.

[brin]

Wot .Have a row with Cathy You're Brave lol

[p4ddy]

Hey, I stopped to watch the Vulcan fly over the field on Sunday... .

Oh, has Trevor burly stopped messing around on the water in a canoe or yacht then?

[scallybert]

Wot .Have a row with Cathy You're Brave lol

I'm ... really ... not ... sure ... what ... you ... mean ...

[kiwipilot]

I'm sadly one of those who is now time poor so one of my passions has to go. For me it is the RC Heli.
I still really enjoy spending time on the sim and flying when I can but as a minimum I need to shift a few models (1 x built and flown Raptor 30 and 1 boxed + 1 Mini Titan) as I'm running out of space indoors...

[Sticky Stick]

I agree with alot ahas been said but I think it's more about the bigger picture.

I have been flying aeroplanes for nearly 30 years and helis for 18.

Alot has changed in that time, mostly in Helis and mostly for the better.

The boom time was from early 2000's till early 2010's when there was a massive change in the hobby towards 3d flying. Then economy crashed and at the same time that there seems to have been a topping out of progress in flying and technology and the amount of people interested in our area of the hobby. I think we have just plateaued.

Anyone who was flying through the 2000's can remember how there was a real revolution through talented pilots like Alan Szabo Jnr, Jason Krause and Curtis Youngblood. This was all possible because the invention of heading hold technology, flybarless, bigger engines in the same airframes and lipo and brushless motors. Both fed the pilots to bigger performance improvements which pushed their flying which intern led to better equipment. This inspired us the public to try and emulate them by trying to fly more demanding manouvers and spend to get the improved equipment to make it easier.

If you look at top end flying at the 3d Masters in the early 2000's you will find most,good club pilots can fly at that standard now because of modern day equipment,sims and information through the internet . Take the standard now and look in another 10 years and I don't think you will see such a massive difference.

It was a time of massive expansion on the Heli side with many coming into the hobby and wanting the latest equipment which made a big difference to flying and the feel of being in this hobby. The likes of Align reset the price bracket and people were spending their money to seek performance and there was alot more excitement in that regard.

The hobby feels like it has has regressed very slightly but only for three reasons. The amount of Heli Competitions are much greater so our numbers are spread between more Comps. There use to be just the 3D Masters in the UK. Now look how many there are to attend and compete at? If there was only one 3d comp to go to it would be packed and buzzing!

The amount of choice in Helis and equipment has expanded. It is a crowded field which has made for some high profile casualties. Recently there has been no,massive,real improvements in flying so people tend to stick with the same gear longer,which makes the likes of Align keep relaunching kits to entice buyers to part with their money. You can see how cheap stuff is through the second hand market compared with a few years ago. Alot more choice with the same number or slightly less flyers.

I don't think it's dying just changing from what it was.