Age?

mpitfield said:

48 I had kids just to have an excuse to play with toys again...have you seen the Lego kits they have now.

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I have not seen a Lego kit that equals the 8880 in awesome. Mindstorms is pretty cool though.

Bat-mite said:

40 - 50 will win out. It's the age where your kids start to move out, you rediscover your childhood hobbies, and you are far enough along in your career to be able to afford them.

Now me? I'm 47, but I have a three-year-old and a five-year-old. Go figure. Late bloomer.

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Yeeeeep - 48 in Sept-
only have a ten year old - but yeah, it helps she likes daddys hobby's :wink:
She says she is ready to start racing boats with me and I dont know if that or boys scare me worse

Wizard said:

+1

45 here with one rocket retrieval robot- I mean 11 year old.

David

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THATS FUNNY !!!!

59. Been doing this about 13 years now, hard to believe I got my Level 3 10 years ago. Yipe..... Phil L.

40 and older is no suprise. It's usually when the kids are gone, divorces happen and us old dudes just wanna have fun(que Cindy Lauper). I knew it wouldn't be the over 60 group due to most not having the computer skills in general but I'm betting there's a lot more than the poll shows, they're just not here, they're out flying rockets

shrox said:

My dad was almost 80 when I was born, I've got 30 years yet to have kids. Someone convince me not to...

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A: get a pack of wild dogs. Why?
1) Easier to train
2) cheeper to feed
3) they don't lose your tools
4) they never want to learn to drive
5) they don't download crap music on your computer
6) if they piss you off, you can bury them in the back yard and not go to jail.
You may have guessed I have three boys.
Somehow, mysteriously, they all grew up to be productive adults. Something their Mom was responsible for-certainly not me........

troj said:

Edit: We're talking physical age, not the age we act, right?

-Kevin

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Definite clarification in the poll question...

The hard part of being old, which, by the way, is a relative term, is that you're only old on the outside. Inside you are whatever age you choose to be.

At 66 I find myself doing all kinds of stuff at launches that I know will hurt the next day and I do them time after time. I help with setup and tear down at almost every launch that often ends with me limping toward my car to go home and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't consider myself an old timer even though others may.

I have a friend that shares my other hobby with me which is Radio Control airplanes. He is really into it big time. He complains about aches and pains occasionally but we go flying at least once a week. We are going to celebrate his 80th birthday this evening and sometimes I wish I was as young as he seems.

When you post a chart take the time and make it correct.

Below is the way it should look.


14 or younger

15-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

60+


The way you had it, if someone was 40 they would be in both categories etc....

I would have though more people in their 30s. Taking my young son to a launch is what drew me in.

AfterBurners said:

When you post a chart take the time and make it correct.

Below is the way it should look.


14 or younger

15-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

60+


The way you had it, if someone was 40 they would be in both categories etc....

Click to expand...

You are right, of course. But I think this answer means you are probably in the old-fart end of the chart!

JoeG said:

The hard part of being old, which, by the way, is a relative term, is that you're only old on the outside. Inside you are whatever age you choose to be.

At 66 I find myself doing all kinds of stuff at launches that I know will hurt the next day and I do them time after time. I help with setup and tear down at almost every launch that often ends with me limping toward my car to go home and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't consider myself an old timer even though others may.

I have a friend that shares my other hobby with me which is Radio Control airplanes. He is really into it big time. He complains about aches and pains occasionally but we go flying at least once a week. We are going to celebrate his 80th birthday this evening and sometimes I wish I was as young as he seems.

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I agree!! It's the things we do that keep us young at heart. If you feel you are old and soon you will convince yourself of that. Live life and enjoy all the moments no matter how small or big. Never ever deny yourself anything!!

I'm a year past Life, the Universe, and Everything.


Later!

--Coop

ThirstyBarbarian said:

You are right, of course. But I think this answer means you are probably in the old-fart end of the chart!

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No it doesn't

No great surprise to me. The responders present a bimodal distribution centered in the 20's and 40's.

The increase in interest in the teen years is evident, but young folks typically don't have a lot of disposable income, and have many other interests and distractions.

My speculation is the peak in the 20's probably represents those who have finished school, have started working, have some disposable income and don't yet have kids.

The dip in the 30s is most likely the result of the economic reality of having responsibilities such as a home, significant other and/or children resulting in less disposable income and much less free time.

The peak in the 40's probably represents those folks who were in the hobby before, spent their 30s raising children, want to get back in the hobby and want to get their teenagers interested in something other than computer games.

The slow fall-of in the 50's and 60s probably represents those of us who like rocketry and never grew up, have disposable income again, and have grandchildren.

Bob

bobkrech said:

My speculation is the peak in the 20's probably represents those who have finished school, have started working, have some disposable income and don't yet have kids.

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Hi there!

Although I actually do less than while I was in school for want of fabrication equipment...

Cl(VII) said:

I would have though more people in their 30s. Taking my young son to a launch is what drew me in.

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bobkrech said:

No great surprise to me. The responders present a bimodal distribution centered in the 20's and 40's.

The increase in interest in the teen years is evident, but young folks typically don't have a lot of disposable income, and have many other interests and distractions.

My speculation is the peak in the 20's probably represents those who have finished school, have started working, have some disposable income and don't yet have kids.

The dip in the 30s is most likely the result of the economic reality of having responsibilities such as a home, significant other and/or children resulting in less disposable income and much less free time.

The peak in the 40's probably represents those folks who were in the hobby before, spent their 30s raising children, want to get back in the hobby and want to get their teenagers interested in something other than computer games.

The slow fall-of in the 50's and 60s probably represents those of us who like rocketry and never grew up, have disposable income again, and have grandchildren.

Bob

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I think its more a difference in generations. Those that are younger growing up in the 1990's and early 2000's lacked growing up with many adults that were hands on builder types... not all.. but many. I owned a hobby shop in the 90s and noticed a disturbing trend. Boys were coming in the store with grandpa more than dad. When they did come in with dad, it seemed dad just wanted to buy the kid a ready built toy, not anything that required time to build or skill. We became a nation of "thinkers" rather than "doers". No more "shop" classes in middle school or high school anymore. School counselors tell kids they have to go to college. Half of my "unskilled" warehouse workers at my last job had college degrees and were working for $10/hr. Our country has lost something important. There is nothing wrong with being a plumber, roofer, mechanic or machinist. Sure the average teenager can set up your home wifi... but ask them to read a ruler! lol

Also, I don't think money as too much to do with it unless you go crazy in HPR. It's not terribly expensive to dabble in LPR. Remember, there are barely over 4000 or something like that certified HP rocketeers in the U.S. TRF has a much higher concentration than seen in real life.

I would bet money that the 20 somethings are mostly the few rocketry teens that grew up and somehow didn't get lost.


Jerome

I'm 53 and lucky and glad to still be here.

Well, I'm one of the comparably rare guys in their 30s (became a BAR in my 20s), but apparently I have a hard time accepting it. I accidentally voted: 20-30. I guess the "40" in the line below scared me off.

Somehow, I suspect I will spend the rest of my life wondering how decade x-1 has already passed without me noticing it. It certainly feels so right now.

Reinhard

PS: Nice move making it a multiple choice test. :wink:

Truly you are as young as you feel! I just turned 60 but I feel 110

52 back in May. When I was in high school all my friends parents thought I was 40 year old creep hanging around teenagers. When I was 40, I started getting senior discounts at stores and restaurants. Go figure.

As for kids, mine have grown up. My daughter moved back with her husband and two kids. My son was murdered three years ago, and my wife and I are raising his three kids, their mother helps every now and then, but has health problems and we have them most of the time.

I have found that hobbies like rockets and model planes make a very good bonding process between my wife and I and the kids. Basically I am a parent all over again.
Would not trade it for anything.

The 40-50 and 50-60 are tied for lead! Go Grey Hair!!!

I'm staggered at the comments on this thread though my tongue is firmly in my cheek as I write.

To start with, I live in the UK, am straddling the 50/60 bracket, an engineer, completely ignorant on rocketry matters, but learning fast.

I'm surprised that the most indulgent are in the range of 40 to 60. Such a lack of young enthusiasts. Whose going to replace us?

I guess the older age range are those inspired by the NASA programmes in the 60's, and 70's. Also the range that includes those that can probably afford more to spend with a limited range of suppliers selling their goods at overinflated prices!

With age comes experience and knowledge to impart to youth. The poll suggests we haven't. We haven't given knowledge, instruction, but most of all inspiration!

In the UK, tumbleweed blows in dust across the rocketry launch sites. But what are you lot in the USA doing to inspire the young?
I remember Sputnik, Telstar, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Particularly Apollo, dragged downstairs by my Dad to watch the lousy black and white pictures on TV. Wasn't it fantastic? I was hooked onto the sky and engineering. What a combination?

If you want the hobby to survive, if model suppliers want to continue to make money and profit (with more competition to reduce prices), don't inspire the oldies, Inspire the young!

Strikes me that the poll indicates decline?
Don't go for "grey hair" go for hair. My wife endures my hobby because I take my grandson along with me. Trying to get kids thinking beyond Facebook and Twitter is quite difficult these days. But it's possible. Imagination is key.

SO.

Reinhard said:

Well, I'm one of the comparably rare guys in their 30s (became a BAR in my 20s)...

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Right there with you. Though, I'll be migrating into the next bracket up in 20 months.

Old Farts by a LANDSLIDE! Old Farts RULE! Yippee! Time to head out for the early bird special at the Buffet for lots of delicious puddin'!

You and others take their kids and grandkids to the launches. For myself it is mostly High Power, with a smattering of low power for the kids. The kids help with the builds and are interested. I realize that the kids are probably not able to spend the cash that we do, especially in their teens and twenties, BUT the rocketry bug is firmly planted, just awaiting the BAR seed to grow. When they get older, and the interest reappears, we have BARs.
Also, there will be a lot of kids out there that fly Estes that don't even know this forum exists.

JoeG said:

The hard part of being old, which, by the way, is a relative term, is that you're only old on the outside. Inside you are whatever age you choose to be.

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You got that right except sometimes the body doesn't agree with me.

JoeG said:

At 66 I find myself doing all kinds of stuff at launches that I know will hurt the next day and I do them time after time. I don't consider myself an old timer even though others may.

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Same here, I'm going to be 69 in Nov. Doing things you describe and eating the things that I love but pay for later seem to be the norm now,, but I still keep doing it.

JeromeK99 said:

I think its more a difference in generations. Those that are younger growing up in the 1990's and early 2000's lacked growing up with many adults that were hands on builder types... not all.. but many. I owned a hobby shop in the 90s and noticed a disturbing trend. Boys were coming in the store with grandpa more than dad. When they did come in with dad, it seemed dad just wanted to buy the kid a ready built toy, not anything that required time to build or skill. We became a nation of "thinkers" rather than "doers". No more "shop" classes in middle school or high school anymore. School counselors tell kids they have to go to college. Half of my "unskilled" warehouse workers at my last job had college degrees and were working for $10/hr. Our country has lost something important. There is nothing wrong with being a plumber, roofer, mechanic or machinist. Sure the average teenager can set up your home wifi... but ask them to read a ruler! lol

Also, I don't think money as too much to do with it unless you go crazy in HPR. It's not terribly expensive to dabble in LPR. Remember, there are barely over 4000 or something like that certified HP rocketeers in the U.S. TRF has a much higher concentration than seen in real life.

I would bet money that the 20 somethings are mostly the few rocketry teens that grew up and somehow didn't get lost.
Jerome

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My observations as well. I started in rocketry in the 70's when I only had 3 kids and they were young. After 2 more and many part time jobs I neither had the time or $$ to continue until 10 years after I retired in 2007, Health issues got in the way and was not able to continue until this year. No health issues right now so I'm going at it full bore now to catch up.

My wife and I have 14 grand kids but only 5 show any interest at all and 3 of them live 600 miles away. The rest are just into social media and video games,, sad.:sad:

I went to a technical high school in Chicago that offered all kinds of shop course like auto shop,foundry,electric, aviation, etc and had clubs which included a rocket society building and launching big rockets.
Today it looks as if there are no shop courses available but to their credit there seems to be more high tech stuff now to keep up with demand which goes to prove your "wifi and ruler" analysis.

While I do like all the new technical stuff I hope we don't forget about how to use our whole hands not just our thumbs.:wink:

JoeG said:

At 66 I find myself doing all kinds of stuff at launches that I know will hurt the next day and I do them time after time. I help with setup and tear down at almost every launch that often ends with me limping toward my car to go home and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't consider myself an old timer even though others may.

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Same here but I'm "only" 64.

CarVac said:

I have not seen a Lego kit that equals the 8880 in awesome. Mindstorms is pretty cool though.

Click to expand...

There are some that are close. Have you seen this? As a farm boy/ gear head/ mechanic, I had to have one. Actually I have 2. Each built with different engine configurations. My son and I have a pretty extensive collection. We have at least one 8880, too. I like the construction machines. I started with the expert builder sets in the late '70's. The Technic sets went further with the detail. I love the pneumatic functions. Yep, I'm still a big kid.

Adrian

Wow - I am amazed that I am a kid on here at 35! I became a BAR after completing my Ph.D. and realizing that school had left me with no hobbies and I was bored out of my mind. My kids are 5 (boy) and 7 (girl) so their 7 pm bedtime leaves me trapped at home. I wanted something that I could do with the kids as well. So building rockets in the evening and launching them as a family seemed like a great fit. After purchasing a few Estes kits I remembered the old Estes rockets which had a 35 mm camera. This got me started looking into cameras which led me to HPR videos on YouTube. If spending that kind of money I didn't want to lose it so telemetry entered next. I am now hooked and so are my kids! My wife still rolls her eyes.