Originally Posted by
Billy Kelly
Hard part about a public outdoor track is winter. It’s basically going to go unused for 6-7 months out if the year. Plus a lot of us don’t run outdoors.
Good point, I've always lived in California and often forget that a good portion of the United States has to deal with seasons and snow & ice on the ground for weeks sometimes months at a time. My only push back is having a track 6-7 months out of the year is better than not having a track at all and if outdoor was the only option, people would run outdoor if they really dug the hobby. People adapt when they need to.
Originally Posted by
nitrous36
^^ Someone said it earlier, it might have been you. But yeah, the surface RC crowd is rule averse and just want to do what they want. Aviation by it's nature is more dangerous and highstakes compared to surface models. So cooperation and strict adherence to rules are necessarily for airfields to work smoothly.
When rules aren't followed and everyone doesn't play their roll, accidents are expensive and potentially fatal when a model collides with a spectator or another operator. A level head is absolutely required.
Surface model racing is more forgiving to stupidity and emotional behavior, so stupidity flies more(no pun) at tracks and basher meets. At an airfield there is no room for carelessness, stupid oversights, and emotional outburst. I think this sets the tone for the kind of people that fly model planes versus those who race cars/buggys.
I think some of the danger you are bringing up applies to surface RC as well and a fatality can occur as well. Someone getting killed by an RC plane would be a freak accident, I'm sure it's happened, but I don't know of any examples. Getting hit in the leg by a 10 pound moving object is going to do some damage, getting hit with a 5 pound moving object will do some damage, getting hit in the head with either can kill you. Someone martialing an off road event can get caught in a bad position near a jump and get knocked out or worse.
Regarding what you said about flyers following the rules and keeping their emotions in check. Imaging if surface RCers took the same approach. Do you know how much better and healthier the hobby would be? Like I keep saying a major attitude adjustment needs to happen and unfortunately judging by your and others responses, people just don't seem to want to do that or put in the work to make a track happen, Someone always comes up with an excuse as to why it's not possible and that is one of many reasons why RC Racing is going to die out once the current crop of racers leave this world.