One of the factors influencing the participation in indoor FF is NOT
mysterious. Several of our current indoor FF folks were either students
or mentors for the Wright Stuff event in the Science Olympiad program in
either Middle School or High School. Since Science Olympiad events
rotate usually after two years, some of the patterns are predictable.
Fred Rash (still a SO mentor, but currently only for middle school
"Elastic Launch Glider" event)
On 2/14/2016 11:04 PM, Ron Williams groncan_at_gmail.com
[Indoor_Construction] wrote:
> Endeavors like free flight, even RC tend to be cyclic over time. The
> factors that attract or repel people tend to be mysterious since they
> arise out of the whims of the general population. In the late 70s,
> there were only a handful of people who were interested but that
> number grew, only to recede again as time went on. I've had many a
> discussion with my RC friends who are amazed that FF still exists.
> They think it died years ago. But it's the attention different aspects
> of model aviation attract that ebbs or grows; the hobby and its
> followers are still there and people come and go. When I was a
> teenager model aviation was as popular and important as many college
> or professional sports are today.
>
> Here's video that might awaken some wonder - where was it taken and
> what are those /*women*/ doing flying indoor?
> https://vimeo.com/1091618
>
> If indoor is going to grow, the people who care about it have to begin
> to think outside the indoor box. The complaints about the cost of
> Kibbe and the idea of finding sponsorship are a step in that
> direction. I learned an awful lot as a kid building and flying
> freeflight planes. I didn't realize that until many years later -
> almost yesterday - when I read a post on the FF forum about all one
> learns in figuring out how to make these things fly. The ease with
> which I went through architecture school and into the profession came
> out out of what I learned about engineering and design from the
> mentors and friends I flew and competed with as a teenager. I was way
> way ahead of my fellow students just based on what I had learned in
> the hobby.
>
> No one should feel obligated to make the kind of effort my diatribe
> infers. But there are people who might be attracted to the
> possibilities and communicating to others, outside of the hobby, what
> a wonderful and rewarding pursuit it can be. I think of Bill Kuhl
> who's a regular on the FF forum - he's very active in promoting model
> aviation educationally.
>
> Back the hibernation.
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 14, 2016 at 10:31 PM, Don DeLoach ddeloach_at_comcast.net
> <mailto:ddeloach_at_comcast.net> [Indoor_Construction]
> <Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
>
> In 1987-1997 there were 100+ flyers at Johnson City every year.
>
> Now that there's only 30 at the Nats, are you all still happy with
> the
> trajectory of Indoor? How low will that number go before you
> acknowledge
> that change is needed?
>
> In the meantime the Outdoor Nats is holding steady at 175-225+ flyers
> since the 1990s. I'm not saying Outdoor is doing everything right,
> but
> clearly Free Flighters are voting with their feet. I just last week
> spent time with several ex-Indoor flyers at the big outdoor week
> at Lost
> Hills. Would it be useful to ask these guys why they stopped
> flying Indoor?
>
> I'm sincerely trying to understand your thesis that nothing is wrong
> with Indoor. I want Indoor to survive and flourish. Twenty-seven
> BRAND
> NEW kids building and flying P-18 kits at last year's Nats seemed
> to be
> a good indicator of a possible way forward. But, you guys say ignore
> that little glimmer, full speed ahead *the way we've always done
> things.*
>
> Very Sincerely
> DD
>
>
>
>
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Received on Sun Feb 14 2016 - 20:31:11 CET