How to Make a Park Flyer Club
10-04-2008, 08:35 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 521
How to Make a Park Flyer Club
*Please relocate this post if necessary*
Well... where to start? I sure hope you didn't come here to figure out how to make a park flyer club. It will be quite a disappointment. This is more of a thread to illustrate the struggles of a guy that wants a park flyer club, but just doesn't know how to create one. If you have created a club before, you might be a huge asset. If you are looking to create one, you just might be wasting your time. But what the heck... I'll try to make it amusing. So here's the deal. About 3 month ago, I set on a journey to make a Omaha Park Flyer's club. I love planes, love to fly them, can't afford to fly them, therefore I am make a club.
The only problem is, I LIVE IN OMAHA NE. We are surrounded by fields and I am trying to get flyers to come to a park. That is like calling whales to come to a lake.
So, I gave it my first attempt. I met a few guys in the area, got some good relationships, and told them what I wanted to do. I met different individuals here and there. They came out and flew with me also. However, when I tried to plan meetings, it was a failure. I had one guy drive 40 mins. to sit in my living room why we awkwardly started at each other. Thank God for that guy, otherwise I would have felt like a total failure.
So we are moving on to plan B:
Originally, I met with a group of member and tried to see what they wanted in a PF Group. However, I couldn't figure out a way to fit all their needs. Therefore, I am starting to send out a vision and find the people that share the same vision. I envision a group that doesn't meet consistently as a whole, but is able to communicate on a internet chat board when and where they are flying. I envision a group that is excited about flying and wants to give the youth something to be excited about. This is not a group that is set to one field, but this is a group that effects all city parks.
How do I implement this?
I don't know! I really feel like I have made the mistake of trying meet everyone's needs instead of setting a strategic plan and encouraging people to join along.
My next step is to try to establish a forum that would allow all Park Flyers in Omaha to post when and where they are going to fly, therefore, inviting fellow members to join. Additionally, I would like to post some community events on the page to invite flyers to share the talents with local communities.
Why the heck have I posted this?
I need our help! How do you see this working? How don't you see this working? Have you tired this before? Where will if fail?
Well... where to start? I sure hope you didn't come here to figure out how to make a park flyer club. It will be quite a disappointment. This is more of a thread to illustrate the struggles of a guy that wants a park flyer club, but just doesn't know how to create one. If you have created a club before, you might be a huge asset. If you are looking to create one, you just might be wasting your time. But what the heck... I'll try to make it amusing. So here's the deal. About 3 month ago, I set on a journey to make a Omaha Park Flyer's club. I love planes, love to fly them, can't afford to fly them, therefore I am make a club.
The only problem is, I LIVE IN OMAHA NE. We are surrounded by fields and I am trying to get flyers to come to a park. That is like calling whales to come to a lake. So, I gave it my first attempt. I met a few guys in the area, got some good relationships, and told them what I wanted to do. I met different individuals here and there. They came out and flew with me also. However, when I tried to plan meetings, it was a failure. I had one guy drive 40 mins. to sit in my living room why we awkwardly started at each other. Thank God for that guy, otherwise I would have felt like a total failure.
So we are moving on to plan B:
Originally, I met with a group of member and tried to see what they wanted in a PF Group. However, I couldn't figure out a way to fit all their needs. Therefore, I am starting to send out a vision and find the people that share the same vision. I envision a group that doesn't meet consistently as a whole, but is able to communicate on a internet chat board when and where they are flying. I envision a group that is excited about flying and wants to give the youth something to be excited about. This is not a group that is set to one field, but this is a group that effects all city parks.
How do I implement this?
I don't know! I really feel like I have made the mistake of trying meet everyone's needs instead of setting a strategic plan and encouraging people to join along.
My next step is to try to establish a forum that would allow all Park Flyers in Omaha to post when and where they are going to fly, therefore, inviting fellow members to join. Additionally, I would like to post some community events on the page to invite flyers to share the talents with local communities.
Why the heck have I posted this?
I need our help! How do you see this working? How don't you see this working? Have you tired this before? Where will if fail?
10-04-2008, 12:05 PM
#3
Super Contributor
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Hesperia, So. Calif
Posts: 19,323
Just tell every one, you are buying the Cold beer, and they will flock to your Flying site 
Ok Just kidding, Fred is RIGHT AGAIN, BBQ, FOOD, Lessons, advertise in a local paper, put fliers in the local Hobby shop, Start a group/Club, Here on Wattflyers for your Area, ask others to join in, let people know of this Forum in your area, It will take time, Good luck to You, Chellie
Ok Just kidding, Fred is RIGHT AGAIN, BBQ, FOOD, Lessons, advertise in a local paper, put fliers in the local Hobby shop, Start a group/Club, Here on Wattflyers for your Area, ask others to join in, let people know of this Forum in your area, It will take time, Good luck to You, Chellie
10-04-2008, 09:59 PM
#4
Community Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: McAlester, Oklahoma
Posts: 10,811
Tyler, I really commend you on your effort. I love to see more folks enjoying this great hobby of ours.
Let me tell you what we did here in McAlester.
We started a new club, mostly populated with members from another area club that flys at an airport 30 miles east of McAlester. We have held Aviation Camps for kids from the fifth grade and up, in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club of McAlester. We use their facility for the camp and to fly.
In the camp, we meet once a week, in the evening, for four weeks. The first week, we talk about RC aviation and then we build a FPG-9 glider. It is made from a foam picnic plate. Then we have a little contest for the kids and award prizes for the winners.
The second and third weeks, we build rubber powered planes and have contests and the fourth week we have a final contest and see a AMA video.
Several of the campers have moved on to other forms of model aviation.
If you were to use this format as a tool to bring the RC flyers in your area together with a purpose to help get kids involved in model aviation, that might be the common basis for your club.
The AMA has all kinds of material that is helpful in starting a Park Pilot Program, just like you are trying to accomplish. It would probably be helpful to your cause to locate and get local approval of a place to fly Park Flyers.
I am fortunate to live in the country and have a place where we can meet and fly. I guess that is an obstacle you are having to overcome, since the folks in your area have places to fly.. I fly by myself a lot, because it is so convent, but I really miss the times when we fly as a group.
I hope this helps. If you have an interest in an Aviation Camp, let me know and I will give you all the details. We will probably be having another camp soon. It is really a lot of fun. We require a parent attend with the campers, so it makes parents do something with their kids.
Let me tell you what we did here in McAlester.
We started a new club, mostly populated with members from another area club that flys at an airport 30 miles east of McAlester. We have held Aviation Camps for kids from the fifth grade and up, in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club of McAlester. We use their facility for the camp and to fly.
In the camp, we meet once a week, in the evening, for four weeks. The first week, we talk about RC aviation and then we build a FPG-9 glider. It is made from a foam picnic plate. Then we have a little contest for the kids and award prizes for the winners.
The second and third weeks, we build rubber powered planes and have contests and the fourth week we have a final contest and see a AMA video.
Several of the campers have moved on to other forms of model aviation.
If you were to use this format as a tool to bring the RC flyers in your area together with a purpose to help get kids involved in model aviation, that might be the common basis for your club.
The AMA has all kinds of material that is helpful in starting a Park Pilot Program, just like you are trying to accomplish. It would probably be helpful to your cause to locate and get local approval of a place to fly Park Flyers.
I am fortunate to live in the country and have a place where we can meet and fly. I guess that is an obstacle you are having to overcome, since the folks in your area have places to fly.. I fly by myself a lot, because it is so convent, but I really miss the times when we fly as a group.
I hope this helps. If you have an interest in an Aviation Camp, let me know and I will give you all the details. We will probably be having another camp soon. It is really a lot of fun. We require a parent attend with the campers, so it makes parents do something with their kids.
10-04-2008, 10:14 PM
#5
Parkjets Rule 3D Rocks
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: So. Ca. Chino
Posts: 3,646
Thanks to Wattflyer and Chellie , we have a good sized club here in So. Ca. And seems like every week a new Wattflyer reader shows up to fly with us. Right now we have about 15 active members and all in the last 6 months. The future will only bring more members I'm sure. One new member Phil, AKA TBP showed up 2 weeks ago and said he found us thru Wattflyer. So by posting your desire to start a club here will end up with more members . Good Luck with it.
