The Inside Loop 2014/01

So we all know how the saying goes, “There are two sides to every story.” Knowing that and only having one side of the story couldn’t keep me from being disappointed when I received two emails, on the same day, from different people who had a bad experience when visiting their local clubs.
One was from a father who took his two boys, ages 11 and 12, to the field. Here is an excerpt from the email: “I spoke to one of the pilots who was assembling the wings on his plane and asked if we could watch from a distance. He was very short in his response and told us to go bother someone else.”
The other email was from a member who recently moved and was looking to join a new club. “…visiting the two clubs I can find, I got ignored the whole time. Even asking about joining and showing my AMA card got me nowhere.”
I don’t think these two situations are representative of the majority of the nearly 2,400 AMA charter clubs across the country. I also know that people who have a good experience are far less likely to share it than those that have a bad one, but these comments were hard to read.
Not only can these types of interactions sour a person’s perception of our hobby and severely impact their decision to participate in it, it might even hurt the club as a whole.
As our population grows, flying fields that were once on the outskirts of town are now being encroached upon. Of these fields, the ones that are owned by the city, county, or state could be in jeopardy. If that comes to pass, clubs need the backing of their communities. The more people, organizations, and businesses the club can count on for support will go a long way when working with elected officials.
Although it is easy to remain focused on only our own enjoyment, remember we were all new to the hobby at some point. What began with a high level of excitement and thirst for knowledge was more than likely nurtured by others who shared our passion. Why not pay it forward and help enable others to realize the thrill of flight?