New Comers
Box 40, St. Peters, MO 63376
My recent columns have provoked some thought and prompted mail. Even though the concerns in this month's installment are from letters about different columns, the excerpts that I am going to use were in my mailbox on the same day. While at first blush the views are divergent in nature—and one is critical—they address a common concern.
Letter from Walter Berggren
"Mr. Bob Underwood must be spending too much time on the virtual holodeck and not enough in the real world of the RC Newcomer. To make the assumption that 40,000 people learn to fly RC each year and then drop it due to boredom is a ludicrous impression."
If that is the impression Mr. Berggren got from my writing, then I incorrectly communicated the issue. AMA membership turnover or decline is caused by a variety of factors, including deaths among the members and people who take a hiatus for family or business concerns.
Many newcomers' enthusiasm glows brightly for several years—maybe a decade—then fades from the scene. In my opinion, many (I have no idea how many) fade because, having mastered the basic elements of flight, they can't find activities or challenges to hold them in the hobby/sport. We seem to have failed to hold their interest. The "we" consisting of AMA leadership, clubs, members at large, and industry.
Mr. Berggren has made an incorrect assumption in that the 40,000 people are limited to those involved with RC. Membership turnover does not occur solely within the RC community. He wrote:
"My claim is this: the clubs are failing to satisfy the service requirements of newcomers wanting to learn. Boredom has nothing whatsoever to do with the situation, consumer frustration does. Club leaders and the AMA seem to be grasping for reasons to deny the truth about true volunteer flight instructor availability, instead of seriously examining policy for growth-inducing modifications.
"My advertising reflects consumer dissatisfaction with RC flight recreation. I hear two common stories:
- the guys at the club are too busy or unavailable, and the client is tired of waiting, or
- the local private RC flying club simply has no volunteers available that fit the client's needs.
"A third segment are those who want to bypass the club system entirely.
"The influence behind the lack of professional help is a clearly identifiable private RC flying club doctrine—volunteer flight instruction only. The motive fueling this doctrine, and the fierce protection of its virtue, is one of survival. The survival of the club's pure volunteer ethic and the culture that ethic promotes is the key to the consumer issue. At this point in history, private RC flying clubs are more interested in preserving the culture of the founders with protectionist politics than they are in overall growth of the recreation. Any change within the local private RC club structure is a threat to the existence of that culture."
These paragraphs reflect a problem that exists within the modeling community in some cases. By using the term "the clubs," Mr. Berggren seems to be indicting all clubs, but all clubs are not guilty. Among the 2,500 AMA-chartered clubs, many have highly developed, well-structured newcomer programs, staffed with willing and able volunteer instructors.
However, he had a valid point: in too many cases, the newcomer becomes disenchanted because of the lack of time devoted to him/her, lack of available instructors, or even lack of a program. "I call myself a professional RC flight instructor," wrote Mr. Berggren. He detailed his fees ($30 per hour) and the fact he supplies all of the necessary equipment. He indicated that he was booking 8–12 hours each weekend. The bottom line is that he sees this method as a viable plan to produce well-trained, motivated RC pilots. (Notice that I said "pilots," since nothing in the program details that were forwarded to me suggested the teaching of building skills.)
There is a place for the type of program that Mr. Berggren suggests. While I have not met him or witnessed his teaching, I have had the opportunity to do so with John Pagan from Texas. John, who runs a program called the RC Barnstormer, advertises in various magazines. He's a retired school teacher, and exhibits extraordinary patience and insight with his students.
There are other professional teaching programs in the field that work well, and you can receive a listing of 17 programs by contacting extension 270 at AMA Headquarters. One note of caution, though: AMA insurance does not provide liability coverage for commercial operations of this nature. I feel certain that Mr. Berggren would feel that this is a flaw that should be corrected.
Viewpoint from an Instructor — Tim Davis
The second letter, "Viewpoint From an Instructor," was sent by Tim Davis of the Prop Nuts Radio Control Model Aircraft Club in Las Vegas. He responded to my August column about the loss of "true modelers" (those who build) to the ARF (Almost-Ready-to-Fly) world. The letter contained instructor insight and a direct admonition to clubs to do something!
"In my experiences this past year trying to organize and operate a 'Learn to Build and Fly RC' class series, many of the points Bob Underwood stressed in the August '97 Newcomers article are quite valid, and clubs should sit up and take notice."
Newcomers want to get in the air and fly today. With some, the time it takes to build their own airplane from a kit is just not available. With others, however, we have found that once the newcomer is coached past the initial stages of ICB (I Can't Build) Syndrome, newcomers enjoy the building phase of the hobby and take far more pride in flying their aircraft than ARF student/pilots. The need to fly today is curbed with simulator and hands-on buddy-box training, all included as part of the "Learn to Build and Fly" program.
"All clubs really should have some type of 'Learn to Build and Fly' program, regardless of the club's flying style (RC Sport, Soaring, Helicopters, Control Line, etc.). It is in the best interest of everyone to develop an active role in teaching newcomers. Clubs benefit from increased membership; manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops sell products; insurance-related incidents go down (or they should); and the newcomer does not feel like he or she is trying to climb Mt. Everest alone on the first outing."
Mr. Davis relates that there is a void in the area of adult newcomer programs and available assistance. Many people—myself included, at one time—just don't know how to ask for help.
"Teaching adults requires basic instructor skills and a whole bunch of people skills. Adult newcomers can get frustrated easier and drop out sooner than teenage students. Adults seem to think they should 'get this right away,' and when they don't, it takes a professional attitude from the instructor to keep the adult newcomer interested and ready to come back for more.
"The biggest tip in teaching adult newcomers: Keep it fun! Don't work the adult newcomer any harder than you would a young student. Most adult newcomers find the hand-to-eye coordination difficult to master at first, but if the instructor takes small steps and keeps the lessons fun, progress will be made and the adult newcomer is 'hooked' just like the rest of us."
"Another source of potential newcomers often overlooked by instructors and clubs is the single parent. Our past two classes included single parents who initially were just going to 'drop off' their kids. We got them hooked by inviting them to class, showing them the simulators and just how easy it is to get started building RC kits. A lot of single parents enjoy jigsaw puzzles, and when you explain that an RC kit can be thought of as a '3-D jigsaw puzzle' with which they can cut their own pieces to fit, they become interested right away. Parent/child teams should be openly welcomed by teaching programs, providing 'same price for both' discounts just to get 'em started."
"Clubs and instructors can have a direct influence on the hobby by taking the time to teach building. Just like the newcomer ICB Syndrome, there are many clubs and instructors out there who are afraid to try or ask for help. They would be very good at teaching if they brave the water and jump in. It's not that difficult."
The Prop Nuts graduated 14 students this summer from a program that included building a model and flying instruction. Their "Learn to Build and Fly" program is working well. Tim does stress, however, that care must be taken to lessen the likelihood of instructor burnout.
Discussion and Conclusion
What is the answer? I suspect that it's similar to item "E" in a multiple choice quiz: "All of the above." Mr. Berggren felt strongly that the professional instructor is the way to go, and that clubs should forego the concern of "preserving the culture of the founders" with "protectionist politics." He seems to be saying to open the doors to all forms of instruction. Mr. Davis related that his club (and many others) have something that works well.
My concern still centers around keeping the newcomer motivated beyond the point of having learned to fly, and keeping them for that second, 10th, and 20th year. The answers are out there; maybe we aren't looking in the right places, or maybe we haven't explored the right programs, such as skill-level rewards for those who reach the point of soloing.
A few years ago, the topic was raised of the Academy being able to offer an insurance program for the professional instructor. Should that issue be reintroduced and explored? How can we help the clubs? Industry is to be commended, for they have clearly increased support of newcomer and training programs in recent years.
Help us put it all together so "(E) all of the above" works.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
