Being an Ambassador for the Hobby

Recently, I have noticed a lot of podcasts and YouTube videos talking about how "Idiots" are destroying our hobby. While this might be true in some cases, it seems irrelevant in others. Take this example: Johnny Nobody is flying his plane over his local park when he suddenly loses signal. The plane goes into a steep dive and smashes Mr. Big Stuff's windshield on his brand new Corvette.
Mr. Big Stuff calls up the local news agency and before you know it, Johnny Nobody is being featured in all sorts of social media: his Twitter is filling up with angry death threats and hate mail until Johnny Nobody no longer wants to be a part of the RC hobby.

 Although this example is obviously exaggerated in some areas, (the chances of hitting a corvette at the park are remarkably small...) most of it is quite real! Many times have people been "flamed" on public forums, leaving fellow modelers asking themselves if they should just quit flying altogether. It is very easy to be a "troll" on the internet because hiding behind a screen name is so easy, but being on the receiving end is terrible! As we all know, mistakes happen and planes crash for reasons we could not have known would happen, so WE, of all people, should not be the ones screaming at the others who make those same mistakes.

In this blog post, I'm not saying there is no such thing as a stupid RC pilot. There is! There are plenty of examples of  what not to do in this hobby and we don't need any more, so check your surroundings and equipment before you fly. Safety is much more important than a good flight session resulting in a crash that damages others or even yourself. If you see a fellow pilot doing irresponsible or unsafe things with his (or her) aircraft, please, by all means, tell them, but make sure you do so in a way that is respectful. Getting "in someone's face" is easy to do, especially on the internet. As FliteTest says, always try to be an ambassador for the hobby. I apologize for such a "downer" post, but I've been seeing a lot of RC trolling lately and wanted to put in my own two cents. Thanks!

STATIK