RC aeromodelling promoting

[Clarence Ragland]

I've developed a hands-on promotion/flight training method that works extremely well. Finally, AMA agreed to work with me on this method.

Come next summer, they will send a representative to my area so I can demonstrate and train him how to use this method.

See: abchobbyshop.com for more information

[Clarence Ragland]

Give RC flying a free try - RCCanada - Canada Radio Controlled Hobby Forum

 

Some might find this interesting. Apparently there are many curious enough to check it out.

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 13/12/2020 10:53:21

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Offering trial flights is a great way of planting the seeds.

**LINK**

Edited By Andy Symons - BMFA on 13/12/2020 23:20:51

[Clarence Ragland]

The RT eliminates the problems associated with buddy-box training.

No control reversal problems
Hours per flight session as opposed to 6-10 minutes
Landing experience within 20 minutes of first ever learning experience
No problem teaching in 15-20 mph winds
Can train on simulator anywhere, anytime all year
All students learn at a very rapid pace
Can do many takeoff and landing drills ASAP
Can easily teach others to use this method
Extremely productive marketing tool
Rapid progress from trainer to advanced aircraft
Use with or without buddy-box
Easy to learn
The RT should be a flight training safety standard

No, it's not the pass-the-box method

Nor don't I hug the student Kinesthetic teaching shouldn't be so out there.

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 14/12/2020 12:40:13

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 14/12/2020 12:42:02

[Denis Watkins]

Any serious minded student can learn the correct stick movements

Within their own home,

Using any RC flight simulator for up to 10 hours surely.

The BMFA have this covered.

[MattyB]

Posted by Denis Watkins on 14/12/2020 14:16:16:

Any serious minded student can learn the correct stick movements

Within their own home,

Using any RC flight simulator for up to 10 hours surely.

The BMFA have this covered.

True, but they don't have an eponymous training method or badly formatted website complete with bible quotes and exhortations such as "Who will be the first member of the industry to take me up on my offer to save our hobby/sport? What more do you have to lose? All I ask is for you to send one representative to verify that what I claim is legitimate"...

Clarence, your method may well have some merit in teaching newcomers to become confident more quickly, but I suggest you tone down the rhetoric a bit. Your method certainly won't "save the hobby" because it's not a lack of effective instructing that is killing it. There are many, many reasons why modeling is in decline, but almost none of the biggest are about the direct experience at the field - increasing regulation, loss of suitable flying sites, aging demographic etc. By far the biggest factor is competition from other activities (many of them fully or partially digital) that are easier to get into and more engaging for most potential newcomers.

It's unfortunate I agree, but the reality is this hobby is going to change dramatically in the coming years, and that won't be stopped by standing next to people operating the RH stick for them. Besides, what if they fly mode 1?!

Edited By MattyB on 14/12/2020 15:50:12

[Clarence Ragland]

Think out side of the box.

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Thinking outside the box is great when you have to find a solution to a problem. Not entirely sure it's needed when there are already a number of excellent proven solutions available though.

[Basil]

Clarence, I am a struggling learner,( I should add the fact that I am very mature age wise). Perhaps thats why I am a little perplexed , time wise. I live  in the UK. If I understand you correctly you are in Canada, Nr Ontario!!!

I am anxous to learn more about what you are saying, as I have been a member of a club for nearly a year and have found teaching time hard to come by. It usually takes the form of 6 min sessions, not more than say 2 in any day. By the time you get to the patch again you have lost some of it. In a year it amounts to less than 1 hr. What exactly are you putting forward, a method or some kind of Transmitter????. I am worried that I may well be not able to reach an acceptable level before popping my clogs.

Bas

 

Edited By Basil on 17/12/2020 15:51:50

[Clarence Ragland]

Bas,

I ran a flight school many years ago and trained hundreds of beginners from all over the US and Canada. I was told that they went through the same situation of not getting much in the way of help in their clubs.

AMA and MAAC's members are in serious decline. I read on this forum that they are having the same problem, sorry if I'm mistaken.

I've offered free RC flight instruction for decades since then. I am ready to give a minimum of an hour of instruction, using my LT_40 and fuel, at the learner's convenience. I am only 30 minutes from the Canadian border.

On my diy $19,99 web site, you can see our very large and unused county owned flying field. We have 3 fields like this that are all but abandoned, except for some quad-copter fliers. I once had a professional web site that cost a lot of money and didn't do any better than my current one.

Maybe the border will be open by summer this year. Here's hoping. You and anyone you bring is more than welcome to come. Bring someone who claims to not be interested and there is a good chance that I can help to make them very interested.

I use a normal mode 2 transmitter. No, I've never had anyone demand a mode 1 transmitter. I've flown mode 1 on my simulator, but if someone wants to learn on one, I don't know if I can still use my method. Although it would be a challenge. lol But if they made the trip, I would teach them mode 2 flying.

 

Stay safe,

Clarence

 

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 17/12/2020 15:56:37

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 17/12/2020 15:58:39

[Denis Watkins]

Posted by Basil on 17/12/2020 15:40:33:

I am anxious to learn more about what you are saying, as I have been a member of a club for nearly a year and have found teaching time hard to come by. It usually takes the form of 6 min sessions, not more than say 2 in any day. By the time you get to the patch again you have lost some of it. In a year it amounts to less than 1 hr. What exactly are you putting forward, a method or some kind of Transmitter????. I am worried that I may well be not able to reach an acceptable level before popping my clogs.

Bas

In fairness to your instructor Barry, it is not unusual for a learner to need a break between 3 and 5 minutes of flight control.

The weather has been questionable since your return to the hobby and that will affect attitudes too.

You would get full attention at my place, to match your keeness

[Clarence Ragland]

AMA's Executive Director, Chad Budreau discusses the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that the AMA signed with the Air Force JROTC. "We both share a mutual love for aviation and our country. We would like to officially welcome the JROTC to the AMA family, and we look forward to growing our partnership and the great things we will accomplish together!"

There are 125,000 Air Force JROTC cadets. At $15 a pop, that's $1,875,000 (?) Not a bad move for AMA's top brass. If this thing grows, the other military JROTC cadets will join in. Then there are parents of the cadets, friends, relatives, etc. Perhaps you could do something like that on your side of the pond. If that happens, club flight instructors are really going to be busy.

[leccyflyer]

For some years many clubs here have had links to, or offer, trial flights to their local Air Cadets squadron (and for that matter Cubs and Scout groups) - and Andy Symonds posted a link to the dozens of clubs offering trial flights earlier in this thread. There are widespread provisions for hands-on training through the clubs, in many cases based around the excellent BMFA "Up and Away" training programme. BMFA approved and club instructors aim to teach people to fly throughout the country, on a purely voluntary basis.

For those who desire something more intensive there are also some flying schools where short-duration flying training is available for a fee. For example Paul Heckles operated a very fine, effective flying school. though I don;t know how they have dealt with operation during the pandemic.

[Clarence Ragland]

Posted by leccyflyer on 31/12/2020 13:17:28:

For some years many clubs here have had links to, or offer, trial flights to their local Air Cadets squadron (and for that matter Cubs and Scout groups) - and Andy Symonds posted a link to the dozens of clubs offering trial flights earlier in this thread. There are widespread provisions for hands-on training through the clubs, in many cases based around the excellent BMFA "Up and Away" training programme. BMFA approved and club instructors aim to teach people to fly throughout the country, on a purely voluntary basis.

For those who desire something more intensive there are also some flying schools where short-duration flying training is available for a fee. For example Paul Heckles operated a very fine, effective flying school. though I don;t know how they have dealt with operation during the pandemic.

Excellent!! You're way ahead of AMA's promotional programs. Maybe they can catch up this coming year.

I ran a flight school many years back and the several hundred who I trained all told me just how inadequate each of their clubs were as far as flight instruction goes. Dave Scott, owner of the !st US RC Flight School schedule is full for all of this coming flying season. As far as what AMA is doing, there is quite a bit of catching up to do as compared to what you're offering.

[Denis Watkins]

I logged flying days last year Clarence, drawing an awful picture of our weather.

190 days, we're too wet or windy for field flying, and of the time left, novices turned up on 26 flying days.

Field conditions too are poor between October and March.

I believe this to be a major factor in our sport.

[Peter Miller]

Over the years I have had people come to me saying that they can't master their trainer. One lad who could fly OK but kept crashing on landing. Another who went to a club and had several instructors with varying attitudes and he just could not progress

Their main problem? They were flying a standard trainer which has to be flown all the time.

My solution? I take them out with a three channel vintage floater and let them fly that. The chap who could never land? I lent him a model that was as described and he flew that until he was bored stiff with it...but he could fly anything happily after that.

The one who had had several instructors? 2 20 minute flights and he never looked back and is now the best pilot in the club.

I was once asked to give a talk to a junior class at a school. all about 8 years old. I took along my old Super Scorpion.

Every kid in the class flew it that afternoon. They all grasped the fying in minutes and I never had to take over.

The point of all this?

If a beginner has a model like that and a little, brief instruction he will get the basics of control and of judging distances etc.

Of Course I am talking tripe, EVERYBODY KNOWS you have gto have a 4 channel trainer and an instructor. After all you have to spend hours being taught in brief sessions.

OH, I did teach myself to fly R/C. First Rudder throttle and then rudder elevator. I don't think that I have done too badly.

 

Edited By Peter Miller on 31/12/2020 15:20:34

[Clarence Ragland]

Denis,

We had many good flying days here and several county owned and well kept flying site, going unused.

Several clubs dwindled down to a hand full and some folded altogether. One club that I belonged to lost their flying field, but found another one. They took in the few members from clubs that folded, but because our new field is much closer to houses, we have to be much more careful not to irritate our new neighbors.

I had contacted the new YMCA, which has a huge track of land in the back of the building. We got permission to give RC flying lessons there, but then the Covid-19 entered the picture. I asked if I could teach flying on a simulator at our pubic library, but was hit with the same problem. Hopefully, this coming year we will have better results.

AMA will be sending a representative sometime in June so I can teach him my flight instruction method.

There may be a little light at the end of the tunnel. That is, if FAA doesn't muck up the works.

Edited By Clarence Ragland on 31/12/2020 15:27:29

[Clarence Ragland]

What do you think of something like this, but maybe in a smaller trailer?

AMA Model Aviation RC simulator trailer

[Alan Gorham_]

You mean something like this?:

BMFA simulator trailer

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Something like this?

 

Snap!

Edited By Martin Harris - Moderator on 14/01/2021 13:07:58

[Clarence Ragland]

My bad. Didn't know you already had one. MAAC in Canada doesn't yet.

Snap?

[Clarence Ragland]

How has the sim trailer helped with membership growth?

Didn't help at all for the AMA here in the US

[Cuban8]

I've no idea whether the BMFA simulator has had a direct effect on membership uptake, but it's certainly a good focal point at airshows and other events where anyone with even the slightest curiosity about model flying will be attracted to it. I'd be surprised if anyone previously unconnected with models has had a light shined on their life in the manner of a 'Road to Damascus' experience after a Sim session, but you never know. Always well used when I've seen it and I've even had a go myself!

One of my clubs used to offer buddybox flights at local fetes where we'd put on a flying display and a very nice static display of scale models - but they were never what I'd call a roaring success, maybe a handful of adults and youngsters throughout the day - better than nothing of course but the interest just wasn't there much beyond the inevitable morbid curiosity about "how often do you crash them?".

[Brian Cooper]

In normal times, I give buddy-box goes to youngsters at various events. . They are always well-received but it has become increasingly difficult to actually develop these sessions into new people entering the hobby/sport.

In times gone by, only a generation ago, it was possible to get three kids into the hobby for every 100 trial flights given. . . Nowadays we would be lucky to get one new recruit after 1000 goes. . Modern kids seem to prefer spending their time staring at a screen rather than getting outdoors.

But we keep trying.....

[Clarence Ragland]

In the February 2021 issue of AMA's Model Aviation magazine, the education director will feature how my promotional method works. I realize that your organization is 4000 miles away, but what I'm hoping is that eventually this method will reach your shores.

One of your fellow modelers already hinted that he might pay me a visit this coming flying season to witness and hopefully allow me to teach him this method. I've explained in previous post here how well it works.

For some reason, I've always been met with skeptics and cynics. It's almost if they don't want it to be true. lol

Using this method, I have no problem getting people very much interested in this hobby/sport.

The education director will be coming with a camera crew and people who have never flown before, so I can demonstrate my technique on these beginners. Stay tuned.