Muncie NATS attendance


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lightning
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Muncie NATS attendance

Post by lightning »

Just FYI I did a little analysis on Pilot participation at the Muncie NATS since 2001.
The fall-off is not quite as bad as I first thought:
Year.....# of Pilots
2001.......38
2002.......47
2003.......43
2004.......31
2005.......31....SSC included from 2005 on
2006.......33
2007.......30
2008.......31
2009.......24
2010.......15
2011.......14

Pretty constant around 30 from 2004 thru 2008, last 3 years have seen a 50% reduction from those numbers. I suspect the economy/job situation/gas prices are the major contributors.
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Big Dog
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Big Dog »

I think your analysis is correct 2008 was the last market "crash" and also correlated to major gas price spikes ( diesel was $5.00 per gallon that summer) Though it would be interesting to so if other Nats events are effected to the same percentage as Combat. Also is there a plan that would make it easier for people to participate? Might take some out of the box thinking to get the participation numbers up.
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Dane McGee »

.........Ouch. With the terrible economy and high fuel prices I'm not surprised at all.
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by jj »

Some areas have also a loss of combat pilots both through general attrition as well as younger pilots getting distracted by things like college
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by boiler »

From the AMA records on previous rcca nats, it looks like the 2012 nats will be the 10th anniversary. Would like for us to put our heads together to make the attendance double of this year. All ideas welcome.
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Big Dog »

Put it on off site more central that more people can afford the gas
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by boiler »

It's the AMA NATS and it's at their house. We are able to use it only because we are a SIG of the AMA. Before the AMA got their own place they spent big money to travel around the country at Naval bases etc. It got too expensive so they bought the current site which was at the population center of the country. Stop crabbing about the cost of gas. I buy it to get to your area several times a year doing it on a pension. If you are unwilling to travel out of your home state to support rc combat, I guess we should dissolve and revert back to club combat with each club having their own sand lot rules etc. :evil:
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Dane McGee »

C'mon Bob, you said ALL ideas are welcome. :D


I don't think there are as many people who are unwilling to travel to support RC Combat as there are those who simply can't afford the extra money it would take to do so in this terrible, terrible economy.

I don't have a pension and never will. I'm self employed with an income of 30% of what I had 5 years ago...........Its tough times for everyone.


Dissolving is a bad idea.



...
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Dr. Kamakaze »

Just speaking for myself, it's more a matter of time than it is money for gas/hotel. I don't hunt, fish, or golf so I see my RC hobby as what I enjoy spending my money on. The AMA Nats is an awesome site for a contest and has a lot of other things going on there to watch (RC pylon, contol line, museum, hobby shop on site). Although Muncie may not be the shopping metropolis of the world, there are plenty of good restaurants we all went out to dinner at which was a lot of fun this year. Sitting around with the pilots over dinner and making new friends was very enjoyable.

Getting back to the issue of time, which for me is the rate limiting step in this stage of my life. Assuming my asociate can work and I have enough planes to fly, I'll be there. I would think it would make more sense to put the two what I call entry level events together which are SSC and limited B. I understand limited B is not an official rulebook event which is why open B was flown first. I'm not sure if anyone else echos that thought or not. I would think the only way around that would be to make limited B an official rulebook event? It was a long time for be me to be at the NATS to fly SSC and limited B seeing as how they were flown the first and last days. Would more people come if SSC and limited B were together? That's one thought.

My other thought would be if more people would attend if we had a pilot's only raffle? I thought this was done other years. I wouldn't say to have the prizes for the contest winners, but for all the pilots with a raffle so everyone has an equal chance to win something. People usually come to things for a chance to win a free item. Perhaps this would help justify some of the gas money for people and could be the same night as the pizza party. I'm not sure if the AMA could pay for some of the raffle or if the RCCA would need to (we likely could get some prizes by donation). Items like a radio, an engine, a combat kit, tools, etc. Seeing as how the AMA Nats is considered the "big" contest of the year, I would hate to see it continue to draw fewer pilots than local contests...didn't you have more pilots at your event Bob? Eventually I'd like to attend the "Sponge Bob" event Memorial Day weekend :lol:
I'll stop rambling, but that's my two cents worth...Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Big Dog »

You did say all ideas welcome ..then blast away???

Dane hit it on the head about the disposable cash to cart enough gear up to Muncie for the NATS. I am still working to support a family of 5 on one income and these public schools must think we are made of money. it will cost about $1000.00 for the middle son to participate in band and about $500.00 for my daughters chorus. I dread to think what College costs are going to be and I have a pre-paid tuition plan.

Hate to say it Bob but it is about money. You will have the answer when you figure how to get around the travel expense in a dismal economy.
Dane McGee wrote:C'mon Bob, you said ALL ideas are welcome. :D


I don't think there are as many people who are unwilling to travel to support RC Combat as there are those who simply can't afford the extra money it would take to do so in this terrible, terrible economy.

I don't have a pension and never will. I'm self employed with an income of 30% of what I had 5 years ago...........Its tough times for everyone.


Dissolving is a bad idea.



...
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Big Dog »

Andy I think if you further break down the participant numbers FL CA and TX are probably very lightly represented. I put out MTCW as to why. I did not think it would be well received but when Bob opened the door I thought I would throw it out there. Ill be honest my gas bill when I came in 2008 was $800.00, A raffle of pizza party would not affect my decision either way to attend..Dont get me wrong I WANT TO ATTEND. I have to save and hope there are no household emergencies that I can afford to attend.
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Dane McGee »

I think that keeping the chatter/smack talk going and keeping the topic alive is good too.

The biggest events that I have ever attended had alot of smack talk happening on the forums long before the event , and it seemed everyone was excited about going.

Craig is right, by saving our pennies for several months more folks may be able to attend.........And keeping the topic active on the forum will help as well. :D
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Dr. Kamakaze »

2 more cents worth...

How about trying to think out of the box a bit? Other AMA Sigs figure out a way to draw a large crowd at the NATS. The pylon guys have a huge turnout. The control line stunt guys have a lot of participation. Our participation this year was so dismal that we didn't even have a big enough of a crowd for a food vendor to be by us...we had to go by either the pylon or control line fliers! AJ Seaholm used to be big in RC combat and now flies pylon, he may be a good resource to ask. How about talking to one of the big names in control line stunt to see what their secret is? How about talking to some of the heli guys about how they can get such a huge turnout at IRCHA? How about the Joe Nall event...I've never been there but hear it's huge and I doubt they get people wanting that event to be held elsewhere because it's such nice grounds.

I hear what you're saying Craig about the $. If the NATS were held in California I would just be reading about it in Model Aviation too since I'm in WI. Guys do travel great distances to compete though. Bob "longhaul" Loescher goes to an incredible amount of contests a year, if you ask him why I guarantee he would say "to have fun". Mike Fredricks and Sean Rupp traveled all the way to Russia to compete. We all enjoy flying RC combat, and since no prize money is involved it's obviously just for the fun of it which is the way it should be.

I think that if you were to look across the board at all of the participation at the NATS you would see attendance down. Some would say it's the economy, some would say it's because the younger generation is more interested in other things, I'm sure others have different reasons. I know that we would never fill a hanger full of people working on their planes like you see in old pics from the NATS at the Naval airbases anymore.

I will say this for myself though...it was worth a lot of my gas money to go to the NATS and see Nick Windsor do rolling circles with a combat plane with no rudder input and to fly an entire round inverted in Open B because his plane could loop tighter inverted than it could flying regular...he even landed it inverted! Seeing that amount of skill was worth the price of admision for me!

:mrgreen: Go Packers! :D
Andy Runte, aka "Dr. Kamakaze"
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by Big Dog »

Andy I take your comments about Nick as in indirect compliment since he was flying my design. Though I think we both are on the same page, I wish I had some other ideas to share. The miles Bob travels have been the anomaly and not the norm. You have to accommodate the pilot who has average means to attend.
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Re: Muncie NATS attendance

Post by boiler »

Sorry I jumped on you so hard Big Dog. The choice of a site is not an option we have. I'm glad I stirred stuff up enough that we're getting some ideas.
Don Grissom worked on donated stuff two years ago and said he couldn't do it two years in a row. Perhaps more of us could get stuff donated from our local hobby shops.
I love the NATS that have good attendance since I see pilots that I fly with in my travels meet each other for the first time and see they are all great people.
If you want to see some real expensive events at the NATS read the entry form for other events. Our $15 per class is chump change compared to some.
Bob (Longhaul) Loescher
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Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
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