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-=> Quoting Neil Scavelli and Ken Ellison <=-
I hope you guys don't mind if I jump into your conversation here, but
your comments reminded me of my club involvements years ago. I'm one of
those old time modelers who have been inactive for quite a few years. I
keep my hand in with a flight simulator program and by reading magazines
but I've not had time to build and fly for some time.  I've been in many
different clubs in my modeling career and in each of them the problem of
how to treat new members/builders/flyers has always come up.
Some clubs are outwardly hostile to new members and/or inexperienced
modelers. I have one here locally, in Wilmington, NC that does not seem
very friendly if you meet the members at their field. It's too bad there
are those types out there in the hobby, because as you both pointed out,
just getting started in the hobby is expensive and time consuming, and
the skills needed to become successful are very intimidating to most
people.
 KE>   Things like that are for the more experienced and
 KE>   when new pilots or individuals that are thinking
 KE>   of joining the club ask what the club has to offer,
 KE>   they want to know what it has to offer for them.
 KE>   That is where we run into trouble.  You don't want
 KE>   pilots that still fly trainers up there doing dog
 KE>   fights or club 20 races or pylon races, etc...
Why do you say that Ken? If you are referring to a beginner who can
barely control the aircraft flying in something like a F-1 or Q-500
race, I'd agree because the most probable outcome is that he will lose
his model or worse, cause an accident that will hurt somebody. But if he
is a competent pilot with his trainer, then why not?
If he is going to enter a class race he has to have a model of that
class, ie. Q-500. Many "beginners" who have developed competence in
flying a trainer never advance to more complex models, for all sorts
of reasons. Most clubs are able to work around this block and help the
"trainer pilot" advance his skills by providing fun fly events in which
you can participate.
You don't have to use class airplanes in fun fly situations where
handicap systems can be used to "even out" performance envelopes of the
airplanes  on paper. Just because you fly a trainer, don't ever think
you can't fly an event.
And competition can be fun if you always keep in mind that the goal is
"fun." While you want to fly to win in a competition, remember that fun,
companionship,  good sportsmanship and other ideals are also involved
which may be more important to you in the long run. I've entered events
knowing in advance I didn't have a snowball's chance of winning, but I
wanted to add my little part to the event. I've seen people loan other
competitors engines, parts, and even airplanes just so they could
continue to participate in an event. Participation is often more fun
than winning, and giving the spectators a good show is fun too.
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