Re: Re: The demise of Indoor FF
John,
I too don't think it needs a makeover, but then again we just can't sit
back and be "pro-centric" about the hobby either. My whole thing for the
past 30 years is promoting new blood. One can't always forget that.
Flying sites are really a bugaboo...I have to give Don D a lot of credit
for promoting indoor here in Colorado...he's the guy who got us the Colo
Spg's auditorium, and some good things are on the horizon. But, if it wasn't
for Don promoting it to me and offering the opportunity, I would be the
1/16" sq stringer kind of flyer. I followed my daughter thru TSA (like S/O)
Colo state champ to 2nd at the Nationals in Chicago. The next step was
provided by Don with my willingness to drive to Colorado Springs. Fortunately,
I was all for it...Cass got interrupted with college and soccer.
That sort of reinforces my point though....everywhere there is an
interested indoor flyer, one can't expect them to make the drive to Johnson City
for their only experience. In the realm of a beginner, there is the what,
where, and why. Make it too difficult and the interest wanes. Yeah, there
are a few that do it anyway, those folks who just jump into it whole hog,
but in general it's a big marketing job. There is a hobby shop near me that
promotes RC car racing...so...they built a track in the parking lot and
promoted it that way. The turnout is tremendous where there was nobody last
year.
My indoor growth was started with Sweeny Hayashi here in Denver. He got
his local church to generously allow us to fly in their huge gym once a
month. Since I was an outdoor guy with a curiosity, I built a P-Nut using
1/20th sq instead of 1/16 and had a blast...then on to Mace P-24. Through
Don's efforts, a Penny and on to an EZB boosted by Tim Goldstein pressuring me
to fly a "really true" indoor model...the Hobby Shopper...then and
then..well, who knows what. BUT, I had mentors...
The monkey falls on our backs to pick up the baton and keep the race
going. That's where a guy like Don D comes in. He has literally quadrupled the
indoor interest in Colorado...an "A" for effort. One may not agree with
his thoughts, but new thoughts are what generates growth.
Rick Pangell
Editor of "The Max-Out" Newsletter of
The Magnificent Mountain Men FF Club of Colorado
In a message dated 10/11/2010 9:54:47 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
john_kagan_at_hotmail.com writes:
Hi Rick,
I'm one of the ones who believe that Indoor FF doesn't need a 21st century
makeover to become cool or appealing. It already is cool and appealing.
It's not like we're the Society of Butter Churners, or whatever the heck
else they did in the old days. We just need to make more people aware of it,
and give them a way to join.
You are spot on about SO. It's a fifty thousand person Indoor FF
recruiting opportunity. Right now, about 49,990 don't know we exist. We can't
sit back and consider SO to be their exposure to Indoor.
I did a demonstration before the awards ceremony at a local SO regional
last year. Nothing major, just a 5 minute flight and a rambling speech on
the microphone. When I was done, about twenty kids and coaches came down
from the bleachers to talk and ask questions. I handed out sheets with
Internet resources and such. Just the other day I ran across a thread on one of
the SO sites from a kid who was there asking about Indoor FF and how to
get into it.
Exposure works. And your point about giving them the rest of the path to
start is just as important. This includes getting flying sites (definitely
a catch-22 with participation levels) and having self-start resources
available.
It also requires beginner events, like the ones you mentioned you enjoy
flying. Which brings up the recurring topic of how to keep beginner events
appealing to beginners.
Rather than complaining about how experts always ruin beginner events,
Buxton, DeLoach, and I came up with the idea of the LPP Pro/Am. On it's first
try we had 25 sign up and 15 actually show up and participate.
How many will continue? J.P. Kish was so enthusiastic about his
experience, if he doesn't return next year with his own LPP I'll eat my hat.
Elizabeth He has been shanghaied by the Tysons and will possibly become the first
girl to make the Junior F1D team. Ken Achee has been hooked. The list
goes on.
Indoor FF is not going to die, so we can quit lamenting. It's not a good
look anyway – who wants to take up an activity whose own participants think
is boring, old, and about to expire.
We do, however, have the power to increase our numbers. Which will make
it more fun, and help with things like getting sites to fly in.
Also, let's quit bashing "expert" events, like the proposed 1/2A.
Beginner events are the path, and expert events are the lure. If Delta Darts had
been my only exposure to Indoor FF, I wouldn't be here writing this today.
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Received on Mon Oct 11 2010 - 09:23:01 CEST
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