Our industry is struggling
Jay Smith
The hobby industry is struggling and this might not come as a news flash to you. Your local hobby shop could have already gone out of business, or maybe you heard the news that after 45 years, Hobby People is closing. Maybe you know that Sue and Luke have closed Luke’s RC?
You might have attended an aeromodeling event and noticed that the number of participants was down or visited a trade show and been surprised to see certain vendors were not in attendance. Did you notice that the advertising in this very issue of Model Aviation is down, and therefore, so is the page count? If you didn’t already know this, I’m sorry to break the news to you.
I share these observations not to alarm you, but to ask that you take action to support the hobby you love and enjoy. We can all support our hobby and be ambassadors of our sport.
If you have a local hobby shop, please support it. A hobby shop is a great entry point for people to get into our hobby and find out how to connect with others locally who also participate. Its staff is also a great resource for knowledge and assistance, and the best place to get products quickly.
Tell people about our hobby. Invite them to come out and visit your club or flying group. Let them experience the thrill of flight and help them get started.
Work with local schools to promote aeromodeling. We need to get more people into our hobby and each one of us can help.
If you have any success stories, please share them with me and I will be happy to pass them on to our readers.
