AMA News: District II-2007/12
In the October 2007 issue of MA, I wrote about a partnership with the Civil Air Patrol we’ve begun to develop in our district. New Jersey was the location of this year’s first event, hosted by the Mercer County Radio Control Society (MCRCS) and the Washington’s Crossing RC Flyers Association.
Held at the MCRCS field, the three-day encampment included an intense flight instruction program for the cadets. Friday evening was ground-school night, which included a demonstration of CL flying and lectures and demonstrations on aerodynamics, flight controls, and safety. Afterward, the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area (ASTRA) hosted a stargazing party.
Flight school began Saturday morning with the help of eight instructors drawn from both clubs, staffing three flight stations and an advanced ground school.
Captain Ulric Gordon-Lewis, commander of the New Jersey Bayshore Composite Squadron, had worked beforehand with the cadets to develop a detailed syllabus to guide the students through the training process. The syllabus called for students to learn to take off, land, fly minor aerobatics, and get a model in the air and safely back on the ground.
The ambitious goal was to get the students to the point of soloing. While none of the students actually soloed, six of the eight were able to take off and land at least once without the instructor taking control. From an instructor’s perspective, achieving this in two days is a significant accomplishment.
Cadets received certificates commemorating their participation in the event.
Everyone involved with this inaugural event agreed that it was a complete success. I spoke with Captain Gordon-Lewis during the weekend and we agreed that we’d like to build on this year’s success in 2008. Information about how your club can become involved will be available soon.
AGS Hosts Successful TAG Day
Each of the clubs in our district that participated in AMA’s Take Off and Grow (TAG) program this year has now completed its events. You’ll be able to read about them in future columns.
The Aeroguidance Society (AGS) was one of the first clubs to host a TAG Day in 2007. My wife and I spent the day at the AGS field and left with the feeling that what occurred was exactly what AMA envisioned when we created the program.
AGS membership chairman Scott Wallace stepped up to organize the event. In addition to support from AMA, the club approached two local corporations, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, and both provided financial support used to advertise the day and to provide a picnic lunch for everyone who attended.
All participants went through a brief ground school presented by Joe Perucci, who lectured on the basics of flight. That was followed by time on a computer flight simulator and finally a trip to the flight line for some actual stick time. For those waiting their turn to fly, the club offered the opportunity to build a Delta Dart. Art Riegal organized those waiting to fly, and Frank Giofreddo managed the flight stations. It was clear that the two trainer aircraft provided by AMA would not be enough, so a third model was employed.
At the end of the day, the club had introduced 90 non-modelers—most of them teenagers and younger—to model aviation. They burned three gallons of fuel and put countless flights on the trainers.
After the event ended, we were invited back to club president Terry Terrenoire’s house to watch the local television newscast that featured a segment on the events. The reporter prominently mentioned AMA, the AGS, and the two financial sponsors.
The club will gain new members and generate positive press in the community. The AGS TAG Day was an incredible success.
AMA will continue this program in 2008. Information will be available soon in MA and on the AMA website detailing how your club can apply to host a day.
See you next time.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
