Chris Freeman 3 Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I found this video on wattsup and thought it might be a good way of explaining why it is expensive to crash in Africa. The cost of hobby related are high due to long travel distances, small market, import taxes and poor rate of exchange. These are the same factors as the UK but we have additional challenges at some of the clubs when you are on the wrong side of the fence! The colourful language can be forgiven due to the nature of the loss **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Ai Chris, that's too funny! And sad at the same time. As an ex Capie I know what you mean about the cost of things. Living here in the UK has opened up modelling for me like I could only dream of in SA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Fraser Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Posted by Chris Freeman 3 on 23/01/2019 11:11:10: I found this video on wattsup and thought it might be a good way of explaining why it is expensive to crash in Africa. The cost of hobby related are high due to long travel distances, small market, import taxes and poor rate of exchange. These are the same factors as the UK but we have additional challenges at some of the clubs when you are on the wrong side of the fence! The colourful language can be forgiven due to the nature of the loss **LINK** I wouldn't take that Lion down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 And I though it was bad when my dog chewed up a wing on one of my plane's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I've looked up, and a Futaba R2008SB receiver is around 948 Rand, or £52 GPB. The same receiver in the UK is around £49, but take cost of living into consideration, South Africa is slightly lower average wage than UK, makes the receiver like-for-like in real wages over there around £62. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Freeman 3 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 South Africa is a large country in size with your main modelling groups in the larger cities. We have some great hobby shops, the larger ones cater more for the top end products. Our postal system is a waste of time you need to courier if you want to receive the goods. If you want to order from overseas and you use the postal service you have a 20% chance of getting the goods, many institutions will not send to South Africa. If you do get goods via the postal service it will take around 3 to 8 months. I buy most of my stuff when it is available and keep in stock for when needed, a lot of this is bought second hand. One of closest hobby shops tends to cater more for the builder and keeps balsa spruce and Chinese ply in stock. Quality aircraft ply is very scarce and very expensive if available. We do not have any real local manufacturers like SLEC or Sarik, you do have the guys who have a laser cutter who will help cut parts. I have built up a large collection of kits and quite a stockpile of fittings and wood so most of my builds can be done without having to buy much from the shops. The advantage of this is that I have no idea how much my aircraft cost me! If I did know we would be to scared to fly them like we do. On the positive side is that we normally have great fly weather all year round and a number of great flying clubs. My local club has grass runways in the middle of a large field with no trees or structures close by. Economic pressure and the political situation are much like the UK were it is easy to get depressed, lucky the balsa dust, glue and paint fumes give me my required fix to keep going! I am also priviledged to have my son who is an active modeller and now stays 6 houses down the road from me and also friends in the hobby which means that model aircraft are a way of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klippy Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Thanks Chris, try living 60kms from Lephalale (Ellisras)! RC might be expensive for us but I wouldn't live anywhere else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Freeman 3 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 Posted by Monz on 23/01/2019 15:14:17: Ai Chris, that's too funny! And sad at the same time. As an ex Capie I know what you mean about the cost of things. Living here in the UK has opened up modelling for me like I could only dream of in SA. Hi Monz Good to see that you are still following the blogs, what is your latest project as we do not see any of your latest projects. I miss seeing your masterpieces. Hi Klippy Glad to hear that you enjoy the hobby in Lephalale as well, were do you get your stuff from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan morris Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Hi Chris from Wilderness! A retired airline pilot still flying but with feet planted firmly on the ground. Enjoying all that South Africa has to offer for the last 15 years; the wine, weather, beautiful ladies and delicious food. Rediscovering the joys of aeromodelling with all the modern developments we are privileged to see. Any thing you might need from a trip to the UK, please let me know as one is coming up in Feb and I go about twice a year to visit family. Allan Morris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klippy Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Hi Klippy Glad to hear that you enjoy the hobby in Lephalale as well, were do you get your stuff from? Hi Chris, Mostly from Hobby King or Banggood, but when I'm in the UK I use SMC or SLEC. Here in SA I've used Hobby Mania, I find them excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Freeman 3 Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 Hi Allan Thanks for the very kind offer. I have more projects than time at the moment so nothing needed at the moment. I was with South African Airways for 20 years which allowed me to meet many hobby greats and access to goods. I ran an aviation awareness project for the airline in the 90's which was a great experience, we built many thousands of Delta Darts with kids around the country. Now in Banking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Posted by Chris Freeman 3 on 24/01/2019 13:14:58: Posted by Monz on 23/01/2019 15:14:17: Ai Chris, that's too funny! And sad at the same time. As an ex Capie I know what you mean about the cost of things. Living here in the UK has opened up modelling for me like I could only dream of in SA. Hi Monz Good to see that you are still following the blogs, what is your latest project as we do not see any of your latest projects. I miss seeing your masterpieces. Hi Chris, ja, I still pop in here every now and then to see what the PSS okes are up to! Not really much free flight here and some of the okes have kak attitudes towards it. I'm busy with a 1/10 Fokker DVII for indoor rubber, build blog is over on HPA where I spend most of my time. A few Saffas there too. **LINK** Also recently gotten seriously into DLG or F3K. Something I would never have done in SA, R20K for a 1.5m glider? Are the SA boys sending a team to the Worlds in Hungary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Was that a LiOn battery...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Freeman 3 Posted February 6, 2019 Author Share Posted February 6, 2019 Hi Monz Love the D7 and great work as usual. You really are a talented builder with a huge amount of patience. I need a radio to get my stuff to fly. I only build and fly for my own enjoyment as I need some escape from work. The DLG's are magical in the performance and the structures are magical. Those light weights and razor sharp trailing edges. I think that SA will be sending a team to Hungary, we have quite an active group of pilots including a few juniors. Jonathan Like the humor, we need to be able to laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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