crudbug
Heliman
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
| As some-one who is new to the sport (only been flying a few months), you can take this response of mine about the whole competition thing in one of two ways - firstly as a newcomer who hasn't been to a comp and thus doesn't know what he's talking about and therefore shouldn't be commenting; or secondly, as one of the new-comers to the sport that has been attracted both to the fun of flying R/C helis, and also to the social scene of getting out of the house and local neighbourhood, and sharing a few hours each weekend talkin' ****e with a bunch of guys with similar objectives.
So here we go - A few of my thoughts about the hobby in general and the competition scene from a complete novice:
Like all sports and hobbies, most people involved are there for the fun. Very few are interested in competing. Thousands of people around the country go running every day either for fitness, or just a fun activity with friends. Bugger all of them will ever want to compete in a race. Thousands of cyclists or swimmers or rock-climers or kayakers or sailers or knitters all do the same. Bugger all of them ever want to compete either.
I don't see our hobby as being any different.
Personally, I love flying, and I love getting out of the house. I'm a crap flyer who god knows can only get better! But no matter how good I get (or think I get) I will never want to compete. It's just not my thing. I can understand those that do, and I commend them. It takes a lot to push yourself to that level where you put your skills on the line, often against your mates.
After talking with Jason last weekend, I was dead keen to go to Hamilton to watch the competition. As stated earlier, I'm new to the sport and don't even have a wings badge yet, so I would have never be competing. But I enjoy watching the likes of Johnny and Jason and Linton and Ian and everyone else at the local club who put on great 3D shows. However I also enjoy watching slower, realistic, scale flying. And who can avoid the wonderous smell of burning Avtur when a turbine starts up! But unfortunately, R/C helis is not the only hobby I have. And unfortunately, things conspired against me last weekend, and the Offroader came out ontop of the heli. The Mighty Morris Minor didn't get the thrashing to Hamilton and back, and I missed seeing some great flying.
I imagine there were dozens of other people who would also have turned up if it weren't for other engagements - be it their kids sports games, keeping the peace with the partner, other hobbies, other interests, work engagements, family reunions, spent all the paypacket on heli repairs so had no cash for petrol money....the list goes on.
My point is, that we are a small hobby that (I believe) mostly do it for the fun and social reasons. Competing will never be a priority for most. Many who turn up to competitions just want to watch and enjoy the show put on by those with skills (or balls) far greater than most of us. For such a small number of people involved in the hobby, there are even less who want to compete in the hobby. And even less who want to compete in 3D competitions. And even less that don't have other hobbies, or prior engagements (or sudden emergencies), or lack of finances, that stop them getting there.
As for the fun-fly the following day: as mentioned earlier, I don't have my wings badge so can't fly at other fields. As soon as I do, I'll be at the local fun-flys for sure. For me thats why I love the sport. Thats why I bought a heli. Thats why I joined the club. To have a good, social fly with mates with similar hobbies. Talk ****e with people with similar interests. See all the wonderful machines around. And the infinately variable ways people find to fly them. To be inspired by guys with skills far greater than I'll ever have. All the time knowing that I'll never have an interest in competing.
My solution to the competition problems mentioned (argued) in the last month or so? None. That much I can say for sure. I haven't been around long enough to know what has or hasn't happened in the past, or to know what should happen in the future. I'm simply trying to point out that we are a small sport. With smaller numbers who want to compete. And even smaller numbers that can compete in a given event. If small numbers turn up, then maybe it has nothing to do with how it was or wasn't run. Or whether good enough prizes were offered. Or whether certificates were given out on the day. Or whether the start was delayed.
Maybe there just weren't enough interested in competing no matter how well it was run. Or how good the prizes were offered. How you change that I have no idea. The fact that there were lots of people who denied having helis until the comp was over seems to support this theory though.
At least fifty percent of my local club are beginners who don't have their wings badge, and therefore probably wouldn't consider going to fun-flys elsewhere until they do. Thats certainly my case. There is a lot of support for us, and maybe a bit more pushing would push people to get their wings earlier, and thus take away another barrier that stops attendance at fun-flys. It might also give them the confidence boost to know they can fly better than they thought. And then again, maybe not.
All I can say for sure is that even with my best laid plans to make it to Hamilton and watch the competition, on the day Murphy won and I didn't make it.
**** happens.
Phil Douglas
ps: Take my ranting with a grain of salt if you think I'm a newbie who should keep his mouth shut and ideas to himslef until I've even been to a comp let alone competed in one, or else take them as the ideas of your average club member. Either way, vent your anger on me and not the Mighty Morris! The seagulls already do that! |
Howd you manage to do that Glenn?
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