I must admit that I am not really an "RC" guy. This hobby, from what I have learned, was originally equal parts of building, fellowship, and flying. With the introduction of RTF and ARF aircraft, It has become more about flying with some fellowship. I am more into just flying.

I am not big into the fellowship side and found I dont fit in with most RC people. Its nothing personal, just more of a culture thing.

I find many obsess over the hobby, and take it way too serious. I consider all of these things to be toys. While there is some danger, they are still toys designed for nothing more than to entertain me. I do not think I am a real pilot becuase I do RC. I do not liken myself to the airforce because I do RC. I DO NOT consider doing rc a way to "honor the military". I am not High on my horse because I think RC is some sort of rocket science. I certainly never deter anyone from the hobby nor have I ever told anyone they cant fly something for whatever reason.

In my opion, in terms of percieved skill level, all it comes down to is how much money someone wants to spend. I know people who have tens of thousands into RC and they are considered experts (despite they crash fairly regularly). I also know people who only fly foam and never crash and have much more creativity. I find this interesting in the hobby that the "boy with the most expensive toys" is the expert. This is an aspect I do not like at all about this hobby.

I originally started with lots of foam jets and recieved nothing but critisicm over them and how I need to get a "real plane". A real plane, of course being an old timer style aircraft built up from sticks and covering.

I find the one of the main things that keeps me going in this hobby is challenge. I enjoy challening planes to fly. I do not care for light floaty jets that land at walking speed. The hotter they land, and the heavier they are, the more I like them, assuming enough power is available to get it off the ground with some reserve. This furthers me even more from the RC crowd who more look for easy things to fly to "play it safe".

To do date things have worked well so long as I join the AMA so I can use a club. I dont have to rely on anyone to fly, and I can fly what I want. I dont care if people are critical nore do I care to show off.

I must admit I do not like the AMA waiver process.

I personaly feel the waiver does nothing to curb accidents, as there are numerous videos of Turbine powered RC stuff crashing into flames, flying over houses, and being destroyed by someone doing something stupid. If the waiver process is so darn good, I would think none of this would happen.

To make is worse, is that some waiver holders will force candidates to get a specific starter type airframe to get a waiver on. If that person shows up with an f-18, there is a big problem And yet that person can get a waiver with a J-3 cub with a turbine on it, and then fly the f-18 the next day and its all good?

Safety? Fine. But then again a 600 sized heli poses way more threats to by standers than a turbine does. Personally, I'd rather someone get a waiver on something hard to fly to prove to me they know what they are doing, this way I can see the "worse case scenerio" of what they are flying. Flying a boomerang or a shockjet or a j-3 cub doesnt mean you can fly an f-18. I suppose it would make sense to get a waiver for each jet then. But thats hard to do when you the person judging would have to be able to fly it themselves right?

These types of toys have a danger element for sure but I highly question the waiver process does anything to curb it. The accidents for all of RC are fairly rare. I think the waiver process should go away especially since my home owners insurance is primary for coverage of anything I damage.

I will give Kudos to the AMA though for loosening standards in the past. They also seem more than willing to work with me to get my waiver through a "deviation process".

I think the heart of all this is just my attitude, because I just want to fly and I dont give at rat's butt about you nor what you think. Nothing personal of course.

The local guys to me have been helpful but I still like to complain. Something I do a lot about in this hobby it seems. Isnt it supposed to be fun?

The US government is just giving the AMA even more power :P, look at the sUAS stuff going on for us FPVers, their draconian view on FPV is also horrible. The local club I am a part of has even gone as far as to ask me NOT to post youtube videos of my FPV flights! I just told them I wouldn't tell them about my FPV flights but nothing is going to stop me, and I still post my videos .

I'm not really an anti-AMA person. I just dont like the waiver process because it requires me to actually talk to people. I am finding its pleasant but against my grain. I am more of an introvert and do it my own way guy. I just want to go fly. I feel I am smart enough to figure it all out myself. But I am taking advantage of it and asking questions to get some help.

I suppose its ok but I did have to buy a 2nd jet to start with

Originally Posted by skydve76

I'm not really an anti-AMA person. I just dont like the waiver process because it requires me to actually talk to people. I am finding its pleasant but against my grain. I am more of an introvert and do it my own way guy. I just want to go fly. I feel I am smart enough to figure it all out myself. But I am taking advantage of it and asking questions to get some help.

I suppose its ok but I did have to buy a 2nd jet to start with

I am an AMA member myself and fly at the local club, I just refrain from talking FPV with anyone but the other FPVers in the club .

I've built almost all of my planes, but because I like customization and doing it. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) should praise what ARFs have done. Even for what components cost, the huge selection of motors, servos, ESCs, and batteries (I am an electric RC pilot) are cheap and plentiful thanks to so many people buying these products.

I agree: I think some of the attitude about the right way to fly and the right kind of plane ties into full scale where how you fly DOES matter, but it seems that most people who talk about flying technique don't really account for the "toy" component. And I totally love comment about the "experts" who crash all the time.

RC is great fun, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want. If you just want to have fun, and occasionally tip stall (which is usually really a spin- but who cares in RC right?). Or you can try to learn more and work on certain skills. In full scale aviation you do that and people die, but with RC you may perhaps shed a few tears or mutter "I didn't like how this thing flew anyway".

I used to be an AMA member but stopped when they added the no alcohol within 24 hours requirement. I mostly fly a 2 lb plane that probably tops out at about 40mph, my biggest a 4 lb cub at the same speeds. With my private pilots license I can't have alcohol with 8 hours, and I fly a "low performance" plane with a max weight of 2,400 lbs and 160hp engine. If I crash that, I really could do some damage! Seems stupid.

I think dangers of FPV are over blown, especially as most aircraft only weigh 3 or 4 pounds, and go slow. You can get 3 DUIs operating a several thousand pound car/truck before having to surrender your drivers license, but your 3lb rc plane is super dangerous!

Just some thoughts! And to any FPVers: I love watching your vids on youtube and hope to do it some time myself.

Originally Posted by nikolaus_c

I've built almost all of my planes, but because I like customization and doing it. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) should praise what ARFs have done. Even for what components cost, the huge selection of motors, servos, ESCs, and batteries (I am an electric RC pilot) are cheap and plentiful thanks to so many people buying these products.

I agree: I think some of the attitude about the right way to fly and the right kind of plane ties into full scale where how you fly DOES matter, but it seems that most people who talk about flying technique don't really account for the "toy" component. And I totally love comment about the "experts" who crash all the time.

RC is great fun, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want. If you just want to have fun, and occasionally tip stall (which is usually really a spin- but who cares in RC right?). Or you can try to learn more and work on certain skills. In full scale aviation you do that and people die, but with RC you may perhaps shed a few tears or mutter "I didn't like how this thing flew anyway".

I used to be an AMA member but stopped when they added the no alcohol within 24 hours requirement. I mostly fly a 2 lb plane that probably tops out at about 40mph, my biggest a 4 lb cub at the same speeds. With my private pilots license I can't have alcohol with 8 hours, and I fly a "low performance" plane with a max weight of 2,400 lbs and 160hp engine. If I crash that, I really could do some damage! Seems stupid.

I think dangers of FPV are over blown, especially as most aircraft only weigh 3 or 4 pounds, and go slow. You can get 3 DUIs operating a several thousand pound car/truck before having to surrender your drivers license, but your 3lb rc plane is super dangerous!

Just some thoughts! And to any FPVers: I love watching your vids on youtube and hope to do it some time myself.

Thats the funny part about it too, a lot of the club members here are also real pilots, and take their real pilot training, safety cautions, and thoughts and merge it with RC, like comparing a bottle rocket and a sidewinder rofl.

I have had the most fun flying at informal sites with rather inexpensive kits, mostly balsa and foam with many plan built balsa planes. Have been in many clubs in my nomadic days- bottom line i am not a good club member. The junior college was the best site- handing down planes, a tiny pond to float fly from-until a NYC lawyer moved in to his Berkshire County pad. Last two clubs locally did not work out but i still support AMA.