How do you get sponsored

[topflight36]

rede2fly Im sorry Its land o lake not lake land that the feild is at. I always get the two towns mixed up lol. Where is your feild located. I am 45 min. north of tampa. I am like 25 min. from our feild. But I might stop my your place to check it out.

[GremlinX]

Coming from Racing, I have to live on sponsorship. This is how I have to live! It is a tough situation. I do know this, a lot, I mean a lot of sponsors come from a lot of what Tank said. If there are 4 guys who are equal pilots, the sponsor will go with the one who will best represent his company. If you throw your transmitter or throw a fit if you ball one up, they do not need this. Wrecking another car during a race or after a race because of emotion is the same thing. It's easy to do. Be around the big events, be as good as you can get. Don't be afraid to enter big events and so on. You won't get a call sitting on the couch watching reruns of American Idol. Unfortunately, like many hobbies, this is an expensive one! What this means is local help or sponsors. Like racing, you have to be out there doing it, which means out there in a car(flying field) and racing. Often times on your own dollar. Sounds unfortunate, but this IS a hobby and it is a catch 22 situation, sadly. So, I would start by burning another 100 gallons, and meanwhile, enter IMAC, enter competitions. Show them how bad you want it. Another thing, you have to be a little selfish to find money and sponsorship. You can't "talk" about deals you got working. More important though, it's not how you get the sponsorship, it is how you present their products and how you act at shows. Good luck.

[airborneSGT]

I would think so long as you can give good exposure to what your sponsor has to offer. In my case I own a Florida based construction co. It would be nice to sponsor someone who flies a lot in FL or even nationwide. It would give me good exposure.

[niccolo98]

Il fly for your construction company! lol

[airborneSGT]

Ha ha...I am only a G.C. in Florida for now. I am looking to expand to NC and SC this year. My goal is to build energy effecient homes at an affordable price.

[bradyrc]

airborne

I am moving back to SC this year let me know if you expand to God's Country!

[airborneSGT]

My NC license will cover me in SC. For now the sponsorship will be airframe only plus some cash prolly. Will have to have my company name on your plane and mention me as a sponsor. I am looking to sponsor 41% planes although I think I might do some 35% planes.

[dmichael]

My honest advice is this. Don't seek a sponsorship- let it find you. I find that guys who get sponsored have already spent much time and money of their own in the hobby (more than they will ever get back in sponsorship) because they want to - not to get a sponsorship.

I believe that companies will want to sponsor flyers who are "getting it done": hitting the road to fly at events, are held in genuine high regard personally, making contributions to other flyers and the hobby (holding contests and events, workshops, contributing back to the companies they patronize, etc..) I also believe if they think you're contributing with the purpose of getting a sponsorship- they won't want you.

Go out, fly, love the hobby, contribute to the hobby. Let the chips fall where they may.

Dave

[Chris Puckett]

I agree with Dave, you don't have to be the best pilot to get sponsored just one of the best to represent the hobby.

[yakwrecker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Kevin Y
	I completely agree with what Tank said. Sponsors will come to you when the time is right. In my experience most of the time you sponsor come from companies that you already deal with and have a good knowledge of there product. But remember getting sponsored isnt everything, this is your hobby and you choose it for a reason. Oh yeah the other thing is just because you are sponsored doesnt mean you get stuff for free.

Ya you deffinatly dont get everything for free. The folks i fly for give me new stuff to test but i have to represent them at any event i go to and give them a lot of feedback about the product. I get a pretty heafty discount but i work for it, especially during foamy season, and yes in my area there is foamy season and then there is real airplane season and i work hard for them during both.

[topflight36]

Thanks all of you for answering my question. I guess there are many ways of getting sponsors. Trust me Dave I fly for the love. I am moving up from glow to gas. It cost alot but I love them. Right now I am flying a goldberg edge 540 and a GP patty wagstaff. I have a 36% katana I will be starting soon. Need to buy all the servos and That high dollar engine lol. I have to say I am hooked on this hobby. I drop all the money I can on it. I guess It helps some when you still live at home lol. Well good flying guys. hope to see a few of you out at the feild someday.

Tom

[red_z06]

I'm not sure if I'm qualified to speak about sponsorship as I'm a newbie in sponsorship. But, here goes.

I believe one needs to think about what sponsorship means. I have seen people who are confused in thinking that sponsorship = grant. They are not! Grant in this hobby would be equivalent to receiving equipment purely based on merit such as skill, need, and such. That usually means that granter expects nothing from the grantee other than satisfaction of helping(not always). However, sponsorship is a business relationship. That means I scratch your back and I expect you to do the same for me. That means there is no free lunch no matter how free it really looks. You can think of sponsorship as a form of marketing and advertisement for mfg. That means mfg want exposure. That exposure can come in two ways. One, you are top contender and you get recognition from competition circuit. Two, as others have said, you are an ambassador to hobby where you make frequent visits to many events and thereby giving the product exposures to potential customers. Remember, you are the model wearing the new dress on the runway. Mfg do not want you to get into a cat fight with a model behind you pulling their hair out for wearing a competitors dress! They just want you to smile most and just look beautiful!!

Either case, it requires travel to fun-flies and competitions that you may or may not want. If you travel to get sponsorship, it will not work out at all for you as you may actually spend a lot more in expenses than you are compensated with the equipment you receive. However, for most, you do it because you love this hobby. You would travel spending your own money because you love to be there. If the latter get the sponsorship, it would be considered a gift or a bonus.

The bottom line is that you will never (for 99.99% of us) come out ahead. While flying to get sponsorship, think about yourself from a mfg's perspective. If you were a mfg, will you support you? Remember that, hobby or not, all business' are in it to make money. Will a mfg see $$$ sign when they see you? Most of all, do you act and behave in a model hobby citizen manner?

Anyways, that was my 0.02 worth.