New Downloads Section

[Admin]

Here is a video on the new up coming Downloads section of the site...you may need to watch full screen:

 

[media=vimeo]29075894[/media]

 

 

[eightyknots]

Ian, it is so great to see that you're putting so much into this great site.

 

I hope you will add a feature (perhaps a "donate" button) that successful sellers will use to give a percentage of the sale proceeds to this site. Better still would be an advisory system that suggests a value of the donation as a percentage of the sale price. In my opinion it should have a Flag Fall and a Percentage of Value component to make it fair to all.

 

 

[Admin]

There will be a lot more on the new Classifieds System (recflyBay ) when it gets finished...at least a weeks work so don't expect tomorrow...the Classifieds are for FREE and it is hoped it will help many users to offload their aircraft, aviation bits and pieces etc to new worthy owners so there won't be any charges applied...I have always said this site is not commercial to feather ANYONE'S pocket...as I mentioned in the video there won't be any advertising on the site in the future as well.

 

Wait to when stage 2 of the new site is done...WOW, the resources that stage 2 will bring to the site will blow you away.

 

Stage 2 is a concept that I thought up a couple of years ago but it was such a huge undertaking it has taken this long to get the idea straight in my head on how to go about it...I have passed the concept to a select few close friends and they have all agreed, there is nothing on the internet like it, let alone in aviation, so this is why I am keeping Stage 2 quiet...the site is moving BACK into being a HUGE free resource for every recreational aviator!

 

 

[Ronin]

Ian, I know i'm only echo a lot of other thoughts here, but again well done, what a great piece of techno help and what a great idea, thanks for all of your hard work....Eric

 

 

[Deskpilot]

I trust that 'RecflyBay' will be restricted to things aviation Ian otherwise it could become a general dumping ground.

 

BTW, great vid. Looking forward to all your changes.

 

 

[Admin]

Some things I am focusing on are the reduction in general "How are you" chat in the forums...the Chat Room is for that...adding one on one chats with a "Chat With Me Now" function...the segmenting of the forums into different categories of Recreational, a big section on GA and a couple more which are undecided on how I want the site to go like Commercial, ATC, Enthusiasts (spotters etc) OR perhaps a big Builders section...open to ideas on this...increasing the "Resource" focus of the site.

 

As I keep mentioning Stage 2 will add resources that will just simply blow you away on what you will have available for you here, a concept that has been 2 years in the making and ALL FREE.

 

This is why I have poured my own money into having a server that is so powerful and fast which will handle what is planned. the server has 8gig of RAM, over 11Mhz of processor power through 4 cores, our own Media Streaming Server software, 1,000gig of monthly bandwidth and all hosted right here in Australia to prevent any latency (time delay) of traffic going back and forth over water. It is all hosted in what is called a "Cloud" which means it can then also always pull on more resources if ever needed to prevent any overloading and keep the site lightening fast to help every recreational aviator and that ALSO includes GA...and again this has been done at absolutely NO COST to any of you.

 

The issues I am working on at the moment is that no one software package out there will do it all for me so trying to get things working with each other (called Bridges) are a real hassle at the moment. Wordpress have a better Blogging system but the bridge doesn't transfer Avatars, the Xenforo Forum Software is the BEST but that is still immature in terms of connecting to a powerful Video Library or Classifieds so some sacrifices may have to be made in order to get the grand scheme done.

 

Incidentally if anyone knows any other sites that may want to come on board with all this and be a part of it then let me know...we can always work something out if we put the users first

 

The final issue I am tackling with is the name...yes I know Recreational Flying suits everything we currently do, it is well known, it has nearly 8 years of history, is the preferred name of the current user base etc etc but there is the option of extending the site into something like "Aircraft Pilots - The Home of Pilots, Aircraft and Aviation Enthusiasts!"...it's not so limiting and I own all the .com, .net etc domains

 

 

[eightyknots]

It is all hosted in what is called a "Cloud"

Sounds like IFR flying to me.

 

 

[eightyknots]

As I keep mentioning Stage 2 will add resources that will just simply blow you away on what you will have available for you here, a concept that has been 2 years in the making and ALL FREE.

This is why I have poured my own money into having a server that is so powerful and fast which will handle what is planned.

I think that aviators who sell things on RecFlyBay should be offered a DONATE button at the time the sale takes place. I am sure that sellers would be pretty happy to fling a few dollars in the directions of the Rec Flying site after making a sale. It is an Australian thing to do.

 

The final issue I am tackling with is the name...yes I know Recreational Flying suits everything we currently do, it is well known, it has nearly 8 years of history, is the preferred name of the current user base etc etc but there is the option of extending the site into something like "Aircraft Pilots - The Home of Pilots, Aircraft and Aviation Enthusiasts!"...it's not so limiting and I own all the .com, .net etc domains

It is yours and Corinne's site and you may do with it what you please. I personally like Recreational Flying as a site name because it so aptly describes what people who frequent this site actually do whether they are weight-shift, ultralight, LSA or GA pilots. But, using the same argument you could say that the people who come here are also responsible aviators and therefore Responsible Flying may be an appropriate name.

 

Ultimately, if you wish to widen the appeal of the site beyond the recreational flying community, you have the owners' prerogative to change it to something that reflects this new direction. Perhaps the collective 'wisdom' of Forumites could provide you with ideas?

 

 

[Admin]

80knts...I have asked several times about the name and do so just about once every year to keep assurances going and the results are all valid reasons but if you sample orange growers you will get orange grower responses so you have to decide that if you change your orange growing site to that of fruit growing, can it be done in a way that will still ensure you will keep the orange growers happy, and could they benefit from also knowing about other fruit growing opportunities...user experience is paramount though

 

 

[eightyknots]

I therefore suggest that you:

 

(a) give us a general outline of what the site is likely to include in future, including things beyond recreational flying;

 

(b) conduct a survey (perhaps lasting a number of weeks to catch any that have not returned to the forum for some time) about the new name;

 

© this survey should only incluce choices that specifically do not include recreationalflying so that respondents will be forced to think of other alternatives.

 

I think that you would get better survey outcomes because including the current name will trigger human nature's inherant conservatism/resistance to change.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

so now you are trying to attract fruits....

 

not going there

 

Seriously, though. You keep decrying the divide between Recreational and GA flying, and yet we are talking "fruits" and "oranges" to use your metaphor.

 

We already have a broad site membership that include "license holders", "certificate holders" and those with an "interest". Many "license holders" fly recreationally and some are "certificate holders" as well.

 

A license versus a certificate, from a recreational perspective differs only in the aircraft that can be flown and some of the governing rules.

 

Let's not have a "GA" section, but:-

 

1. Cater for discussion of regulations where it can be flagged which scope is being discussed (remember that rotocraft and gliders, just as an example, also have some rule differences).
    
    
   
2. Cater for the different aircraft types.
    
    
   

 

 

I could say cater for discussion of IFR flight, but most who can, say that it isn't something you do for fun, so it probably does not fit in "Recreational", albeit that under "General" you can discuss any aviation topic.

 

 

[bushpilot]

Hi Ian - Speaking of First Class Members - mine must have expired, but I received no notification.. I will re-sign now, but how about offering an open ended subscription for FCMs that deducts against a CCard annually, until further notice?