RC Podcasting
Written by Matt Ruddick Aviation for your ears As seen in the April 2020 issue of Model Aviation.
What’s a podcast? Sixteen years after podcasting went mainstream, I still hear that question asked from time to time. I usually answer by describing it as a radio talk show that you can listen to whenever or wherever you’d like.
You can listen through apps on your mobile device, the web browser on your computer, and even the smart speaker you have in your living room can be a conduit for a podcast. Services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher provide easy ways to subscribe to the shows you like so that you never miss an episode and you can listen on your own terms.
Podcasts are a great way to be entertained, inspired, captivated, or educated about any topic you can imagine. What makes them great is that the most obscure of topics is likely represented. Would you like to hear a show about knitting? The Knit Picks is the show for you! Can’t wait for your next Dungeons and Dragons session? Listen to Critical Role to stay satiated.
What that means is that, like those hobbies, model aviation is also represented in the world of podcasting, and it’s possible you didn’t even know it! I want to showcase just a few of the great RC podcasts that are out there.
AMA Podcast
I would be remiss if I didn’t begin with AMA’s own show, AMA Podcast. Although still a young show (our first episode was released in September 2019), AMA Podcast has already become a well-received source for up-to-date information from the AMA to its members.
Interviews with top names in the hobby such as Joe Scully, Mason Hutchison, and Joe Bok, as well as in-depth interviews with FAA officials and AMA administration, make AMA Podcast a can’t-miss show, and one that I certainly hope that its listeners find valuable.
The AMA Podcast has a weekly release schedule and episodes average 30 to 45 minutes.
BK RC Podcast
For helicopter enthusiasts, there are few names that garner as much respect at the flightline as Bert Kammerer and Kyle Stacy, and they’re sharing their insights into the hobby on the BK RC Podcast.
Their show includes interviews with notable personalities, news from the model helicopter world, instructional topics, and their views on the state of the hobby in general. One episode featured an in-depth conversation about nitro-powered helis and how they fit into the current hobby landscape. The conversations are candid, raw, and insightful, and similar to what you might overhear during nightly cookouts at the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association Jamboree.
The BK RC Podcast is usually released weekly, although there can occasionally be some longer breaks. Episodes average between 60 and 90 minutes.
RC Afterhours
RC Afterhours is a polished show hosted by André Rousseau. What stands out about this particular show is how it features incredibly in-depth interviews with industry professionals. Representatives from Horizon Hobby, Flite Test, and Motion RC have been part of the show during its run, which is unique as of the time of this writing.
André’s interview style is disarming and leads to some great discussions about new products coming to the market, and some of the inner workings at some of the hobby’s most well-known institutions. Additionally, for those who like a visual element to their podcast, the RC Afterhours show live streams the interviews on YouTube as well.
The RC Afterhours has a biweekly release schedule and episodes range from 60 minutes to more than 2 hours.
RC Roundtable
Terry Dunn, Lee Ray, and Fitz Walker are three friends who are lifelong modelers. In their podcast, RC Roundtable, you truly feel as though you’re hanging out with them at the club field on a Sunday afternoon.
Although they occasionally have a guest on the show, the magic is when it’s just the three of them chatting about what they have on their benches at that moment, and talking about what they want to build next. Thanks to the diverse interests of the hosts, the RC Roundtable often covers topics from scratch-building balsa, to foamie ARFs, to RC boats and cars.
This show also covers the tough topics thoughtfully and with integrity. Last fall, the group released an episode interviewing the candidates for AMA president, allowing each to lay out his platform and vision for the future of the hobby. No topic is off limits for these three friends.
The RC Roundtable is biweekly, with episodes that range from 60 to 90 minutes.
The world of podcasting offers a wealth of opportunity to learn and be informed about the latest trends and happenings around our hobby. Not only do I encourage you to check out the podcasts mentioned in this article but look around and maybe you’ll find one that offers what you want in a show.
Listen to it on your daily commute, play it while you’re in the workshop building your next warbird, or maybe you just might decide to start your own show for others to enjoy.
SOURCES:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
AMA Podcast
BK RC Podcast
RC Afterhours
The RC Roundtable
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the reason people ask what a
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