Why do I blog?

I get asked this a lot because it takes time and effort to keep up at it and I can be prolific. Besides being a narcissist, I do it for the reasons I stated way back when I started it on October 29, 2010. I really enjoy sharing that I am the average pilot. I am a mediocre flier, a mediocre builder, and a mediocre fixer. I know some stuff, and don't know a lot of other stuff. I started with helis, and have been flying one or another on and off for over 9 years, and still can get embarrassingly happy dancey over getting one to go around in a circle and land.

(This is the first pic I ever posted. I have no idea what heli this is... or if its even mine!)

When we go to the clubs, we see all the shiny, all the skills we don't have, we are embarrassed to try new things because we don't understand them, we are embarrassed by the basic things we don't understand, we are embarrassed when we crash or have near misses. Not just because meritocracies make us compare ourselves to others, but also because the others often forgetting their own struggles, can be unknowingly harsh to newbies, house proud. Everyone else seems to know what's going on and got skilz. Most clubs have a Bell Curve of member personalities, but it's not always evident that most love to share and teach. And every club has "that guy" that flies everything 3D, that guy who knowns the tech, that guy who builds marvels. The point is, where do newbies hang out, and who represents them?

Me. I am "Joe Schmuckatelly", the average guy. I am clever, can solve problems, understand how airplanes fly. But I came into this knowing nothing about RC. I had flown three U-Control 0.049 nitro planes as a kid, but I didn't understand them as I had no one to teach me. I started because I like helicopters and bought a Syma 107 (second pic) and loved it. I wanted more. I wasted a lot of money because I had no idea what I was doing and bought the wrong equipment. I quickly realized I probably needed to learn how to fly RC in general, and bought a Spektrum Dx6 and a cheapo foamie Cub from an US Chinese vendor,  immediately putting it in a tree. And I started teaching myself, I started experimenting. I learned that one could join a flying club, and learn how to fly from some really great guys who loved this sport more than their mommies. I had taught myself a lot, and was learning so much in just a few visits at MCRCC, my first club, and I got hooked. These flying monkeys literally got me.

I made a promise to myself that I would blog my successes and my failures, everything. I wanted to share that everyone first learns to move the pawn, and that most of us are mediocre and that is just fine. I wanted every persons to know that we are all making this up as we go along, that even pros shank one into the ground on a regular basis, that the hobby is "more fixing than flying", and that they were right on track with everyone else. I wanted to share that the hobby is for everyone, not just the 3D stars. That "276 days since my last crash" counter is so high because I didn't fly much last year, and winter came. Usually it's about a week. Don't be impressed. If you aren't crashing you are trying hard enough.

So read. Enjoy, and realize we are all doing just fine.