Model rocketry dieing? Dead?

My dog has an opinion too, I just wish it wouldn't keep leaving it on the grass.

Joel. phx

Get off rmr and go fly rockets.

First off, it's not dying, not by a long shot. Under attack but it's not dead.

Most people on rmr are just confused. Every time I ask someone here what the time is, I get a different answer. ; )

Randy

Is this hobby dying?

Not from my perspective.

Popularity of an activity ebbs and flows with time - just look at slot cars for an example of that. Slot car racing has 'died' at least twice or three times in my lifetime. So has bowling, for that matter.

So long as the products continue to be available in any way, I'll still be involved.

Why?

Several reasons. First, it's been my major hobby activity for 38/48's of my life. I can't imagine all the ways in which my life would have been poorer without model rocketry, including:

- Two junior-high division regional science fair wins.

- A tremendous experience at one of the biggest NARAMs of all time, NARAM-15 in Columbus, Ohio (thanks again, Dr. Gregorek!)

- Friends I look forward to seeing every summer on the flying field, whether at NARAM, regional meets, fun fly events, or at HPR events.

- A never ending challenge to improve my building and flying skills. I don't know why, but it never gets old for me.

MJ

Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

:-)

John

Not dead....

Just resting.

model rocketry will never die, unless of course the BATFE gets a wild hair up its butt someday....

shockie B)

About time? No I can't imagine why? Oh no, we've all got time enough to die....

Randy

Well, only in Chicago. ; )

It's just pining for the fjords....

- Rick "beautiful plumage" Dickinson

The time is the present, which is why it's called a gift.

When did You ask them? ;)

Resting...I think not. Record motor sales. AT producing more and more reloads, CTI and AMW with new motors, and Ellis Mountain doing the same.

"Mike Pearson " > > Maybe it is a dieing hobby but not for me I still pursue it regularly and

Not dead....

Model rocketry never has, nor will be 'significant' in any culture.

Is it dead? No.

Joel. phx

Yup.. the glory days are gone.. but I can say that about a lot of different hobbies..

Just got back from launching at the local undeveloped park, Seems three of us "rocketeers" got the same idea at the same time... One group was three generations just cracking open a starter set RTF. Another group also had a RTF set, but they have flown before... Then you have I and my family.. I'm a BAR... All rockets were balsa, etc, etc, except for one Almost ready to fly Shuttle Express.. Everyone had a good time. One of the men stated.... "I thought model rocket interest had all but vanished.. I'm surpised there are three of us here!!!" .... I told him, when the wind dies down and the skies are blue, we come out of the woodwork.

I sure left a lasting impression when I launched my Maxi Honest John on a F21 ... Up to pressure ... Baaammmmm!!!

This is just a park around the corner from where I live...

It's not dead..

TF

Is "today's culture" significant? I have my doubts...

-dave w

ok i admit i am what you all call a "lurker" but this post has some significance. I am a horse shoer of 17 years. My clientele consists of people from all walks of life. The other day one of my clients, whom is a science teacher for 9-12th grade. I brought up the convo of Model Rocketry. She told me that they have a new teacher coming in and that for the first time in the school's history , there will be a Rocketry program. I then scriibeld so many websites for her to pass along so that they could get the kids interested and captivated, including ones that have some decent video to watch. Also gave them the NAR and Estes sites so they can get the classes really involved. So you see, here is a single person involving them selves for the future....the kids...isnt that how the first astronauts started? Maybe 1 or 2 of a class of

30 will only take the interest, but at least its a start for a school that never had a program in the past. Now do the math..if EVERY school got involved in the hobby, then maybe, just maybe the numbers would grow and sales, production, and strength in the industry would become even more greater. I believe, we as parents, and i know there are many of us out there, should take the time to get involved in the hobby with our kids. I know my 11 year old son wants nothing more in his life other than rockets. And he is not happy with the 18 yr old age requirement for certification, but he is patient. At least i can say he can assemble a HPR motor correctly. The smile he has when its completed is amazing. Now THATS the satisfaction i like to see coming from the hobby. Hopefully others do too. Jim

All methods with lower reliability and accuracy than almost any other stealth delivery mechanism.

On what economic basis can such a statement be made? I fail to see the connection between long term investment performance and this kind of potential event.

I respectifully disagree. Estes still sells millions of rockets and motor annually.

This is no different than it was 20 years ago. Mass market outlet don't make money on speciality products; they cater to a different market. Recognizing that economic fact does not relegate the hobby to "dying" status.

I agree.

The absolute number of hobbyists in any given hobby isn't necessarily relevent to whether or not a hobby is dying. The real ratios I believe should be examined are whether any given hobby has a sufficent critcial mass to develop products and promote events. If you look at the past 10 years of the rocketry hobby, that critical mass has been more than present.

I would obviously prefer that more people participated. However, with the numbers we have or are likely to reach, we have a sustaniable hobby, IMHO.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Mark B. Bundick mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net NAR President www - dot - nar - dot - org

"A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, but high above the quiet streets on the twelfth floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye."

Once we reached the moon, I've been hearing "the hobby is fading" since

1970. 34 years later, it's going very strong even with all we are dealing with today. Consider the size, type of rockets, engines available and the numbers of people belonging to the clubs and number of clubs since 1970, then tell me the hobby is fading.

There may have been a few drop out since 911 and because of the ATF but for the most part, I think the current environment has made the true rocketeers, more determined than ever to build, fly and enjoy the hobby.

Randy

On the contrary... My son and I just took up the hobby and are finding it totally fun for us to do! We have made 4 flights to date, (in two days) - but I am finding issues with the Rocket motors... out of 6 motors, 2 have been duds.. or am I doing something wrong??? If I am please reply!!

snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com

Hello,

I beg to disgress but here in Canada the situation is the opposite. Because of Aerotech's motor supply problems and seeming inability to deliver motors to Canada, people here have been dropping out of the hobby like flies.

Our club here near montreal has gone from a peak of around 40 active members to about 20 due to lack of motors, lack of insurance (CAR) which means we're forced to seek more expensive alternatives (MAAC/Tripoli) which has discouraged alot of folks here from flying.

The "bigger variety of motors" seems to be far for us up here in Canada. Our main supplies these days are CTI motors (Cesaroni), Hyperteks and Estes. No aerotech motors to be found anywhere.

I have tons of colleagues with 29mm and 24mm powered rockets that are gathering dust because we just can't fly them and retrofiting them to use 38mm is just a real big pain.

Hobby shops in Quebec carry fewer and fewer rocket kits. Five years ago you could walk into most hobby shops and find Estes and Aerotech kits everywhere. Nowadays, many have simply stopped carrying rocket kits at all, and if they do have kits, it's mainly Estes RTF junk.

I don't think rocketry is going to die inasmuch as there's always going to be a hardcore bunch of flyers who will do whatever it takes to get motors and fly. But the reality is that there's very little new blood coming into the hobby here and the barrier to entry is getting higher and higher which means to me, we're only going to see the hobby dwindle.

I don't know how it's going in other parts of Canada recently but my gut feeling is that many rocket clubs have seen similar things happen.

The irony of it all is that it's probably EASIER to fly HPR than to fly low-power now because more HPR motors are available (via CTI). However since the entry-level is sorely lacking, there's just no new flyers.

MHO.

- Yves