Postby Christopher Berry » February 20th, 2015, 7:43 am
Having read the previous posts, I think the entire hobby is changing as is society. Years ago people could only build a plane from plans or a kit, there was no other choice and so they knew where they stood. Today there are so many options, many of which are 'instant'.
In the last 3 or 4 years my club has had about 30 new members, most of whom are not and don't want to be balsa bashing aero-modellers. They want to pick up and put down their aircraft, like they do a snooker que on a Saturday night. Unlike years ago, when most people entered the hobby knowing that it was a committment they would have to stick at, today people come and go very quickly and and want the instant gratification.
Its very difficult for a group like the LMA to appeal to people who aren't in it for the long haul as generally the aircraft are built from kits and plans and are of a substantial cost.
In my club of 85 members, only 3 of us are in the LMA and on a regular basis only 2 of us fly models which are considered large for our club (1/4 Chipmunk, 1/5 P47, DB Pup, etc). Everyone else flys the usual HK, Foss, Parkzone kind of aircraft. People seem to think that the stuff we fly is beyond them both in terms of ability, cost and reality, when actually it isn't, it just needs commitment. I know people who don't think twice about buying a brand new car every three years, but they wouldn't spend more than £50 on an aircraft.
I think its the changing society we live in. Years ago if you wanted to buy a new TV, you went to a showroom and ordered the TV and 6 weeks later it arrived in a van and 2 men broke their backs setting it up for you. Now while you're filling your trolley with bread and milk you can also buy a 40" flat screen and by the time the kettle has boiled, its working. The same can be said for electronic birthday cards, messaging, shopping etc. Theres nothing wrong with it, but it is reflective of everything in life, including the recent trend in multicopters and cheap mass market plug and play aircraft, non of which can or perhaps should be associated with the LMA? When beginners ask me how long will it take to go solo, as thats al they want to be able to do is fly, they are dissapointed when I say it could be as long 6 months.
Going back to the original question, should there be a slot at LMA events for club type aircraft, perhaps there should, if for no other reason than to publicise what is available to beginners/club members, as without going through the club model stage, people won't get to the LMA model stage, whether that be 7kg, or 70kg. It would be interesting to know if the LMA shows attract a different type of non aeromodeller than Weston Park for example.
Do shows attract day trippers who saw a sign saying model airshow, who may then get into the hobby or do they attract the converted.
Ramblings over
Chris
