quote:
Originally posted by warspiteIRC
I think what is needed more than enything else is good ponds! 3 foot deep, clear, sandy bottom. Enough islands, etc. to make it interesting.
I've thought about that quite a bit. To make it viable economically, it would need a good source of capital such as a grant or some nice, deep-pocketed sugar daddy. Then, some operating model that provides a source of revenue to keep it going. But, people get grants & subsidies all the time for athletic facilities, arts venues, etc. I've got no personal experience writing grant applications, but I've got to believe there's a way it can be done. Has anybody ever seen indoor tennis courts, soccer fields, golf centers, hockey rinks, etc.? Those kind of things
do manage to get built & operated somehow, & what works for them could work for us.
I'd expect such a facility would need to be shared among all potential R/C water users including racers, scale modelers, etc. Combat might end up being only about a 10% user, or so, but that would be OK. Setting a schedule, with different clubs/groups at regular times would provide a sense of consistency & reliability that's a big help for recruiting.
I think that a bowling center provides a good business model. Besides the basic facility for the sport (water vs. lanes) it could offer a "pro shop", food & beverage concessions, arcade (with the latest & greatest naval-themed video games), meeting facilities, washrooms, shop, etc. catering to the needs of all water-oriented R/C enthusiasts. Besides providing services to users, each would also provide a source of revenue to operate the facility. Equipment rentals could be used to help entice people to get involved; instead of house balls & shoes, provide rental ships to use in supervised "rookie-level" battles (just like the house balls & shoes at a bowling center aren't exactly what tournament bowlers would want, but good enough for the occasional casual user). Instead of league nights, there would be various formats of battles plus racing, regattas (industrial fans could even provide enough breeze for sailboats?), maneuvering events, & "open" sessions for practice.
Technical aspects of the facility wouldn't be difficult to build or manage. An enclosed space of about 1/2 ac. or so (approx. 100' x 200') with an open span (i.e. no supporting columns to get in the way) would be ideal & not hard to find. Plenty of aircraft hangars are a lot bigger than that (not to suggest that an airport might be an ideal location; just pointing out that building technology isn't an issue). A defunct skating rink might be just the ticket, if there's one around. Also, semi-rigid & even inflatable structures are used all the time for taking traditionally outdoor sports indoors.
4-6 courses of cinder blocks on a concrete slab could create the pond perimeter. That would allow launch & retrieval at a nice, convenient 32-48" height & provide a water depth that gives good sinks & easy retrieval. Islands, peninsulas, reefs, ports, beaches, etc. could be built in modular, collapsible form so that they could be moved around or removed entirely depending on the current need.
Of course, the 1st thing that would be needed would be a group of people committed to making it happen.
JM