Events in the USA

Hi Guys, am I wrong; out of touch, or are organized glider-flying events - not necessarily competitions, but just get-togethers, fly-ins, etc.- rapidly diminishing in the US?

I saw this while looking through a small UK club's web page today, and I thought, hmm, how much larger is the USA than that cold, foggy, rain-swept island on the other side of the Atlantic?

These are only PSS models and only a small selection of events to be held. There are many more club events, quite a lot of competitions etc as well. And take a look—most of these get-togethers are two days or more! Can you imagine 7 Camp & Fly events in a single year?

What's going on in the USA? Is our hobby cratering?

Doc.

 

[apriliamille]

as for myself attending Soar Utah 2014,2016,2018 and then coming back after my hiatus to the 2024. The economy is a beast. The attendance is so low compared to the past. The club has events but most of them are Saturday events (i will spare my personal opinions on what happens in Utah on Sundays and how i think it affects events here). We have 2 or 3 aerotow,, slope racing, fun fly and i think once or twice a year they will bring out the winch

The power field i cannot talk about as i have not returned back to that field and club yet as i been working on building sailplanes. But they in the past had float fly, an open house where a f3a global champion would demo (atleast 5 years ago he did) as he worked in utah, a few war bird events etc etc

 

[Wayne]

Well the above mentioned events are only at 4 locations. Probably all a respectable drive from one another. In California alone we have maybe 20 larger events?? (PSS, Combat and Fun Flies) Utah I'm sure has 5 or so?? Oregon has at least 1 major. Think Washington has one larger event?? Kansas has their big event. Those are the ones I'm most aware of.

Add thermal and we have a lot more events.

Most of the So Cal and Nor Cal folks will attend if the dates and weather look promising. It is more an issue of figuring out good locations that can house everyone.

Think we will be adding a small event this spring out at Jake's hill if he is still good to host.

 

[Doc J]

Well the above mentioned events are only at 4 locations. Probably all a respectable drive from one another. In California alone we have maybe 20 larger events?? (PSS, Combat and Fun Flies) Utah I'm sure has 5 or so?? Oregon has at least 1 major. Think Washington has one larger event?? Kansas has their big event. Those are the ones I'm most aware of.

Add thermal and we have a lot more events.

Most of the So Cal and Nor Cal folks will attend if the dates and weather look promising. It is more an issue of figuring out good locations that can house everyone.

Think we will be adding a small event this spring out at Jake's hill if he is still good to host.

Well, that's a lot I didn't know about in the USA. Thanks, Wayne.

Is there actually a place where the events in the USA are listed?

The posting from the UK came from one small club specialising in PSS, so there are quite a few, and I have been told that there are at least 20 or more other friendly events and comps in the UK and Scotland.

But I still feel that the enthusiasm in the USA is not what it was.

Am I wrong? It could be, as I'm 10,000 miles away and probably way out of touch. Is the FAA drone ruling a big problem? Is that enough to make people give up or at least downsize their flying activities?

I hope not. Maybe we will see a resurgence of activity in spring.

Let's hope so!

Cheers,

Doc.

 

[Wayne]

I'd say nothing has really changed. I think slope pilots are aging out and we are not doing very good at attracting the younger folks. While you will see some young pilots here and there, they simply do not stick around long. This seems very common in the USA, kids get into a lot of different things... for a while. I see most all outdoor hobbies shrinking.

 

[Doc J]

I'd say nothing has really changed. I think slope pilots are aging out and we are not doing very good at attracting the younger folks. While you will see some young pilots here and there, they simply do not stick around long. This seems very common in the USA, kids get into a lot of different things... for a while. I see most all outdoor hobbies shrinking.

Gotcha.

Yet, as I operate on both sides of the pond, I see the Eastern side increasing in activities, competitions, new stuff, shows, and even a new English magazine, plus loads of new models. This surge of enthusiasm is much greater in Germany and the surrounding countries than in the UK. But we were always a stodgy lot.

It used to be like this in the USA. I know it was a long time ago, but when I first came to the USA for the ISR event in 1986, I was surprised by the turnout and asked one of the organizers if it was always like this. He responded, "Oh yes, these guys will drive a thousand miles for a slope race"—and some of them did!" Remember, I'm not talking about events intended to preserve the precious models - like F3f, which, for excitement, is not much better than watching the paint dry.

I, for one, wish those waves of innovation and leadership could resurface, not only because I want to sell my planes but also because the USA used to be the first place we Brits and all Europeans would look to for new products, theories and ideas. There were loads of really talented designers and manufacturers. Not so now.

Well, I, for one, live in hope.

Doc