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Charles Brooks wrote the following:
How did get you hooked on RC? Most of us had a family member or friend who would take you to the field or invite you into the shop. Some attended an event—a flying event/demonstration or a static display—that sparked an interest in the RC hobby. I was 7 years old and attended a Cub Scout event, where a couple of guys flew some demonstrations. I remember a large biplane with a chain saw conversion up front. It was interesting to see something like this back in 1981. As a 7-year old, I know my parents could not wait for me to stop talking about airplanes.
I cannot remember the number of 25¢ balsa airplanes I got from the local five-and-dime store that were lucky to make it a day or two. My first built airplane was a stick-and-tissue aircraft from a Radio Shack kit. Today, I enjoy building Scale models—some scratch-built from my own plans. Someone put effort into sharing the hobby to get us hooked.
Now, fast forward to 2024. With all of the technology at a kid’s fingertip, we must work harder to set the hook on the new generation. As an AMA Leader Member of flight and education, I’m always looking for ways to get new people into the hobby. In my area, back in the day, clubs would have mall shows, where big displays were set up and people could see what we were about. A simulator was often set up so that folks could see what it was like to fly an airplane. Sad to say, the mall shows have died out in my area.
I would like to challenge all of AMA. Don’t just wait for an opportunity to pop up to share about our great hobby—look for them! Someone or some group put the effort out to get you hooked—now it’s your time to shine.
We moved a couple of years ago and started attending a small church in Kentucky. Every October, Eubank Baptist holds a fall festival for the community to enjoy food, games, other activities, and a trip to the pumpkin patch. The members are asked to make and set up games for the event, give out candy, and make everyone welcome. This year, I thought it would be cool to do a simulator, so I signed up for the event.
I put up my flying tent, set a large TV on the table, and hooked it to my PC. I have an old Great Planes electric-powered Cub with clear covering that I hung from the tent so that people could get a look at what is inside a model. I also brought my daughter’s carbon-fiber Cub to display. This was the airplane I set up on the simulator with SAFE mode.
Now people could see the real airplane that matched what they were flying on the simulator. I would tell them what the sticks do and set them up to fly. We nearly forgot about the bowl of candy. I sparked interest in the hobby, and some came back for a couple more rounds. Most were so excited about what they just did that they forgot to get a piece of candy.
Again, I challenge you to look for ways to spread the word about our hobby and educate people about who we are and what we do. You don’t have to spend a lot to do this. This was a few hours out of my day and a couple bags of candy. I have a couple of young fellows I plan to take up on a buddy box in the spring.