[rctechnics]

Who are our next generation of aero modellers and are we doing enough to encourage them?

Despite approaching my thirties I can’t help but notice during the number of events, contests and flying with a number of local clubs that I still seam to be the youngest member attending. But I always seam to see the same faces and not too many new or junior members.

I have to ask are any of the clubs, MAAC or any of the other associations doing anything to encourage new members less than thirty years of age?

Do we need to work on our customer services?
Often I seam to find a number of members who shown to do very little flying, but sooner sit around smoking cigarettes and getting involved in politics that does not concern them, complain about other members and their committee and dictate the rules that in most cases are being followed.

Should MAAC be getting involved with schools and collages?
I was raised in England and during my schooling I was involved in a young engineers group. The BMFA (British Model Flying Association) provide this group including many other schools with some indoor free flight kits (the BMFA dart). The plane were built in the classroom and then later flown and trimmed in the school gym. Later in the year there was a national event were a number schools invited to design there own aircraft for an indoor free flight duration contest.

http://www.bmfa.org/education/kits.html

The BMFA are also involved with many universities with their heavy lift contest.

http://www.bmfa.org/unichallenge/index.html

If this was structured correctly this could involve parents or corporate help from the aviation industry (Bombardier). This could also help encourage a younger generation to go to schooling and a career in aviation.

Should we promote, that this is a hobby for families?
My farther tort me how to fly, from the age of nine. This is a great farther and son hobby. They are many things this hobby can teach. Not only how to fly a model aircraft but discipline, building techniques (including composites and scale building), aerodynamics, electronics, mechanics, skills in trimming and flying at a competitive level.

I don’t believe this has been discussed before and I would to leave this open for any constructive suggestions.

[mogman]

I am 65, and i would guess that the average age of our club members is mid 50's. It is hard to entice young people to join a club and learn to fly. We do occasionally have young kids join, but they don't stick with it for long. They start to discover cars, and girls, and for the most part they have some electronic device that seems to have been surgically attached to their hands and ears and....oh yeah, video games etc.

Aeromodelling will survive, it has done for years, there will be people that will come into the hobby and carry on. Then they can worry about where the next generation of airplane nuts will come from. There is so much "other stuff" for kids to do, flying "toy" airplanes doesn't appeal to them.

We have had a few father/son members, but they drift away eventually. We hold mall shows, lots of initial interest but very few new members.

Cheers,
Dave.

[AJCoholic]

Originally Posted by rctechnics

Who are our next generation of aero modellers and are we doing enough to encourage them?

He is being born in approximately 1 month, and I guarantee I will do whatever it takes for him to be posting about his projects, and flying - in not too many years from now.

AJC

[luv2flyrc]

LOL, I hope you have better luck than me, I have a basement full of some of the coolest toys imaginable (to me), turbine jets, giant scale aerobats and my son has absolutely no interest in any of it

Originally Posted by AJCoholic

He is being born in approximately 1 month, and I guarantee I will do whatever it takes for him to be posting about his projects, and flying - in not too many years from now.

AJC

[hifly2104]

Now maybe we are just going about this the wrong way. Seems to me(not that I watch them) but Reality shows seem a big hit. Ok How about Reality Flying > Instead of a video game you learn manuvers on a Sim and then you have too DO IT FOR REAL . This is LIVE This is REALITY Even have competitions geared their way . Hot Dog Flying at IMAC or whatever. Hey if one young person can walk around with his paints almost coming off and start a trend . Then we as adults can surely come up with a way to get them hooked.
My daughter loves to build and even loves to fly what she has built,but she does have a Treehopper with her name on it that still she hasn't put in the air. You can show them how to do it teach them respect for the hobby and their belongings(planes in this case) but you can't make the drink the water . They need to be thirsty

[reo]

Originally Posted by luv2flyrc

LOL, I hope you have better luck than me, I have a basement full of some of the coolest toys imaginable (to me), turbine jets, giant scale aerobats and my son has absolutely no interest in any of it

interesting, same with my 15 year old grandson, he's happy to fly his electric 'Extra' a few times a year but the jet(s) means nothing to him......kids have lots of other distractions these days that we didn't have when we were that age, might have something to do with it....Ron

[Guest]

My son (26) joined me at the Holden Fun Fly back in February. He figured he would be bored to tears, 'cause his old man is into boring stuff, like work!

Well, in less than a week, I had to explain to him that "War Birds" are not great trainer planes. I had only found this out a few months before myself!

He is hooked. I think the hobby needs more exposure! The Mall thing is a heck of a good idea. Another thing that would help (contrary to another thread here) would be to set up a proper flying field centrally in the city, where kids could use the transit system to go fly on their own.

As a workaholic, I am just figuring out that "all work, no play" is crazy. Not quite as crazy as being a couch potato, but close! Kids (anyone younger than 30) need fresh air and to meet new people. RC hobbies are a great way to find both (unless your into indoor foamy flyin') then you are only 1/2 way there!

[rctechnics]

What tees, AJcoholic sounds great guys

I agree they are many distractions i.e. cars, girls, video games and I don’t think this would ever change. But in regards to my self, I only took 2 years out, but not by choice. Because these were my first two years in Canada and I was trying to get my self establish with a place to live, job, driving licence, and car e.g.
I think part of the reason why I never quiet was that my dad got me into compaction as soon as I could handle some basic manoeuvre. Even if you are flying in basic class aerobatics or a novice scale you are going out to fly with a goal and intention, this includes flying inverted for the first time or flying a perfect rolling loop and the list never ends and there is anyways someone to look up to.
It maybe an idea to encourage parents to get involved in the hobby and include their children. How about children under 18 can join MAAC and their local club for free then joined by a relative?

[Gooseman240]

Well, just recently spit out of the education system, well 11+ yrs now I do know for a fact that aviation or engineering is not empathized at all and still is not. And where I grew up, the RC clubs are all out of range of any pubic eyes and secluded with no signage stating how to get to a field. Saw lots of stuff on RC trains in the malls and at hobby shows, did join a club for a bit. Cannot say that I remember seeing anything at at all related to RC Planes or Heli's.

How I found the hobby is through a friend, now we fly at a field, but we live in pretty much the middle of nowhere. So we don't really need to join a club to fly. Farthest house is too far to hurt, but we are thinking of joining for the insurance aspect.

[my1stflight]

I try my hardest to get my kids flying every chance I get. I hoping when they get to be teenagers they will still want to fly.