An old age hobby.....?

i came from the era not long after WW2-- when part of growing up was to build a model for most young lads.......where as now its owning an i-pad,pc,i-pod X-box....... and most of the young kids i know all aren't that fussed about an aeromodelling hobby....and looking around i think i'll be right in saying that most of our club members are 'getting on' and i imagine its the same nationwide...... i'm probably one of the only one's with both hips still....... is our hobby doomed to a very small minority? .... or worse .............

ken anderson ne..1 ....hip joints dept....

Sadly interesting point Ken. During a recent AGM, one member noted that the flying hours at the field would probably only suit the retired.

Meanwhile, I have informed my daughter that she has something to look forward to in her twilight years, apart from hip replacements that is.

i have campained for years that the age we should be looking at should be the retired age, youngsters are no longer wowed by aviation, the ones we have in the hobby soon fall by the wayside, better the retired, with a disposable income, who are looking for something to do, there, for me, is where the future lies, 

erm,  anyone else is, of coarse, welcome,     point i am making is folks are always banging on about kids being the lifeblood,    i dont think they are,    lots of pensioners are struggling to find something to do, why not model flying, 

Edited By Alan Cantwell on 28/06/2012 17:45:05

That attitude is puzzling. Surely we should all be included? I'm 33 and that sort of thinking would make me feel extremely excluded.  

Edited By Simon B on 28/06/2012 17:32:03

Dear Ken,talking about the rc hobby ,I believe that, this forum, is proof of our power and longevity...

You and me, together, have 120 years....

More faith please....Ken and Jo optimistic department...

Well I'm 15 years old, I have always been inspired by aviation, I have built a SLEC Funfly and I fly that, I have got a Galaxy models (sadly in administration) Domino biplane which I am building soon, I love building and flying RC model aeroplanes, I love Airfix as well.

Explain that!

CS

Ken,

Still got both hips,a few teeth and some grey going on white hair and a great grandchild to boot.

Jo,if you add me into the equation I reckon we have 190 yrs.

As Allan has said ,we need something to do so why not RC models,nothing to do and we'll turn into cabbages ( ken will no doubt turn into a red rose )

mention White hair and Pat mc will turn up

JC ne23 OAP dept

Jim, You are always in my heart...and on our age list....

Concorde Speedbird,You are our hope...indeed

Cheers

Jo

Sadly in this world people are judged by their peers and flying model aeroplanes is not way up on the youngsters list of must do's.

But people are retiring every day, they are the lifeblood of the hobby and they should be made welcome.

i think there is a few people in the same situation as me, I am 34 used to fly when i was younger but girls and cars kind of got in the way. Now I am a bit older married and have 2 children I find I have the time to get back into the hobby. Hopefully my two boys will take it up to.

Dean

Edited By Dean on 28/06/2012 21:37:55

Well our club of 25 members or so has two 15 year olds, and 18 year old. I'm 42, and there are a good number of members my own age, but of course we have our cadre of enthusiastic retired gents too.

Consequently I must move to dismiss the motion! [Rhetorical fourish] So no! A hobby for all ages!

Actually - what a privilege for me as the father of a 15 year old son that he actually wants to spend time with dad at the flying field - and likewise - the other 15 year old will be up the field with his dad at every opportunity.

I think both the 15 year olds are planning to get their 'B's before their dads and both the dad's plan to get their 'B's before their son's so it makes for a little healthy competition!

Hello,

I am a recently retired newbie. I played with 6d balsa chuck gliders when I was a kid - strangely, this was somehow seasonal. Then went on to 3/- rubber powered jobs. I did try 1 balsa-stringer tissue/dope Spitfire but the first fuselage half came off my mum's table bent as a banana so I gave it up. The problem then was expense.

In my 30's I successfully built a Veron Impala but very soon crashed it and gave up again. The problem on this ocassion was lack of time.

Over the years I would buy the odd magazine now and then, but that's all.

The point I'm making is that I've always had a passing interest and now I have the time/money to properly follow it. Is this not the case for a good many of us oldies?

As regards dwindling numbers, can the RCM&E bods shed any light. How are magazine sales now compared to, say, 10, 20 years ago?

A few years ago when my two lads were ten and thirteen they got into aero planes and even though i resisted,they got me interested again after a few years layoff.We joined the local club and i spent what seemed a fortune on kits and radio etc and i got them both flying in a short time via myself and the club instructor,i was dead chuffed! they were doing so well and then,after a year or so,they discovered video games and that was it!! Now they are both in their twenties the mere mention of planes or going to a show seems to terrify them.

Until recently I was a cyclist, every week and many evenings I would be out on my bike. Every Sunday on the club run. The majority of the club were in there 40-50's. Some youngsters. Seemed to be doomed to a lingering death due to a general lack of interest.

There was a growth area, which was mountain biking, right image etc. How things have changed in the recent past, success of British cyclists at the Olympics and on the road racing scene, has changed public and youngsters image of cycling.

As for us, we should just enjoy our hobby, not worry about the lack of youngsters. Welcome those that are interested. We also have a growth area with youngsters, in door aerobatics and 3d type flying. With luck, we also will see a resurgence of interest. Not driven by our wishes, but by general events, outside our control. Maybe it will not be the areas of RC modelling that move me, though that does not matter. Modelling is modelling,

My mate and I was invited onto our club committee to inject some younger blood and take over the secretary and treasurers roles; he is 54 and I'm 59 !

The few youngsters in our club tend to come with their dads who finance their modelling needs along with their own. Youngsters with no parental influence are a rareity. But then it was my dad that started me off because he was a modeller.

Edited By Alan Randall on 28/06/2012 22:58:42

At my club I'm one of the older members and I'm only 37! I suppose it goes with the inner city territory. I expect the average member age is about 28-30. Probably why the flying is so bad sometimes- enthusiasm over experience. And that's just me

I am always interested in avation and flew full sized gliders as a young man. Got married and I had model cars and boats as I was scared then as I don't want to crash model planes.

Now I am older and into this hobby as having a prang is a way of life and am doing my best to avoid it.

We all learn and enjoy doing things and have a laugh at times. Yes, I will retire in 7 or 8 years.

Ken

If what the goverment is telling us being 60+ wont be the minority - so maybe the future is brighter than you think.

Edited By Simon Chaddock on 28/06/2012 23:08:27

We have a mix of ages at our club. Yes we predominate at the older (over 50) end but the younger members are there in their own right and are great flyers.

Recently we were approached by the local Air Cadets to give them a taste of model flying, which we did about 8 weeks ago. It looks like the association will continue.

Ian

I think boys around the time of WW2 where lost in the world of aviation and the dream of flying a Spitfire. This lead to many a boy running down the road with a plastic or wooden plane in his hands.

I have no idea why or how I got in to WW2 aircraft but as a child I can remember always having a model of some sort the building board. Like most got in the flying rc planes as a boy and returned later in my thirtys

Seems most people around the age of thirty something are joining the hobby . Of two clubs I am members off this seems to be the rough age range 30-70.