Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett | [email protected]
Do you think you’re too old to learn something new? Have you got it all figured out? Go figure again, my friends!
I attended a gathering of modelers—no, craftsmen—no, artists—no ... Maybe you realize that I’m at a loss for words to describe the scene I discovered in Blue Ash, Ohio.
The Blue Ash group
Under the passionate leadership of Bob Munson, a retired engineer from GE who spent 30 years working on jet aircraft engines, a group of 30 to 35 men get together every Wednesday morning for a couple of hours. They all bring what they’ve built, projects they’re working on, or what they’re planning. They range in age from 60 to 90‑something, and every week they learn something new.
The synergy in their meeting is amazing; they all respect and learn from each other. They build, among other things:
- Airplanes
- Sailboats and riverboats
- Steam engines
- Dulcimers and harps — yes, harps
Every bit is crafted by hand to perfection. Most amazingly of all, it doesn’t matter what you make; it’s admired and respected. These men learn something every week to take home and apply to their next project. Too old to learn? Not in Blue Ash!
One big observation for me was that it doesn’t matter what your modeling interest is. You know how some who fly can be narrow‑minded about other disciplines, even to the extent of excluding other aviation disciplines? Not in Blue Ash!
The group has a pond for the boats, a flying field, and, to stay sharp in the winter, a gymnasium to fly their micros.
Be as enthusiastic about others’ success as your own
Moral of the story? You already know.
“To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.” This is one of the promises given in The Optimist Creed. I’m not a member, but have always fancied myself an optimistic person.
I was the guest speaker for the Downtown Indianapolis Optimist Club and this was one of the items in the club’s creed that jumped out at me. We’ve all heard the criticisms of others at the flying field. Maybe it would be best if we simply offered to help them. I’m convinced that many of our flying buddies want some help but are afraid to ask. Many of our club members might have soloed on that perfect day with the wind right down the runway. But conditions change, the results are different, and a flier can be needlessly discouraged.
By improving each other, we make ourselves better — like those in Blue Ash!
Anyone who has been a flight instructor has learned from that experience. Does your club instruction include preflight of an aircraft? Do you insist that student pilots work under different wind conditions, practice engine‑out landings, etc.? These are things that can break an airplane and possibly a spirit, especially in the beginning of a student pilot’s growth. Offer it up. Help a member of your club and be just as enthusiastic about his or her success as you are about your own!
Suggested instructor focuses:
- Preflight inspections and checklist discipline
- Flying in varied wind conditions
- Simulated engine‑out approaches and landings
- Encouragement and patient feedback
Academy activities and outreach
As Director of Education for the Academy, I am fortunate to have a wide variety of opportunities and experiences. As I write this, we will soon be traveling to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum — one of the world’s finest — to finalize our role in the NASA grant we are sharing with the museum. While I’m there I get to do a flying demo for the museum staff, share what the Academy does for our membership, and relate to others the potential role model aviation plays in education and career paths.
I am also proud to support Dr. Gordon Schimmel, our Education Outreach Specialist. Gordon is a wonderful component of our educational team. He is an amazing speaker and educator. If you would like to have a round‑table get‑together with area clubs featuring his presentation on how your club could do educational community outreach, you couldn’t do any better than Gordon. Call AMA Headquarters and we’ll put you in touch with him.
Model Aviation Standards Committee
Finally, one of the latest opportunities I’ve had is to serve on the Model Aviation Standards Committee led by Rich Hanson. I won’t bore you with all the details, but the work this committee is doing is simply outstanding.
The document produced by this committee, following approval by the Executive Council, will be what we submit to the FAA — the agency that controls the National Airspace, even the space you fly in — so yes, it’s that important.
One of the most impressive things about the committee is the quality of people serving on it: AMA members who give so freely of their time, talents, and especially their intelligence.
Once again, the best group of people to be around is modelers! Go be around your modeling friends or make a trip to Blue Ash and learn something!
Fly and have fun!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
