Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett | [email protected]
"Humor is mankind's greatest blessing." — Mark Twain
If I don't laugh, I'm not happy … hmmm, that's a bit confusing! What I mean is that life is best lived with a smile and a good laugh. As Mark Twain once said, humor is indeed a blessing.
By now it's the end of January, a great holiday season is behind you, and thoughts of the upcoming flying season are spinning in your head. Those of us in the parts of the country that have winter know about dreaming of those great days spent at the flying field. We also know what great fun it is to spend time in the gym flying the small electric stuff!
Maybe you were lucky enough to get something fun as a holiday gift. When you're building it, flying it, or just talking about it, have fun and have a good laugh with your flying buddies!
We have many people involved in the FAA effort, but I'll go ahead and risk mentioning an individual's name. Dave Mathewson has worked tirelessly on maintaining and developing our model aviation activities within the FAA directive.
Keeping the balance between the FAA and our interests is not easy. Because the FAA controls the National Airspace (NAS), it's an issue to be taken seriously. Limiting our enjoyment of model aviation hasn't been an option for us. Dave, Rich Hanson, our Executive Council, and many others have stepped up for this challenge.
If you haven't considered it yet, take a moment to thank the leadership of this organization who work as unpaid volunteers, spending countless hours on your behalf. Those hours right now are as critical—or more so—than they were in the 1990s with the FCC.
I write this on my six-month anniversary as a member of the staff of AMA. As a longtime member, I have to admit that much of what is done here I simply took for granted. Don't make the same mistake I did. Take a moment to drop an e-mail or card of thanks to let these people know that what they're doing is not only critical, but greatly appreciated.
It has been said that times of great challenge reveal the character of our nation. This challenge should illuminate to our membership not only the great character of this organization, but also the quality and quantity of time spent by our district officers and all the volunteer leadership we have. It comprises people who simply care enough about our activity to give so freely of their time and talent.
AMA will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer. To help put that in perspective, Craig Fuller, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), wrote in his December 2010 column in AOPA Pilot that 71 years ago the AOPA's founders "recognized the need for an organization to prevent encroachment on our freedom to fly." The AMA started even before that and we're doing the same thing today: working to make sure that our membership continues to enjoy this great activity!
In mentioning the 75th celebration this summer, I guess I should admit that I was the guy who accidentally had his hand up at the wrong time and, before knowing what was going on, became the co-chairman of flying activities with Jay Smith. We're scheduled to have our 75th Anniversary Celebration July 14–17. It's my sincere hope that each and every flying site available is full of flying activities all four days. Think about the Nats of old—multiple model disciplines going on simultaneously! We've contacted all of our SIGs with the details. I've received confirmation from our jet and helicopter fliers. If you can make it to Muncie, Indiana, during these dates, please bring something to fly!
The year 2010 has been very productive. We've engaged the EAA Young Eagles, developed a membership program to allow all youth free membership, and awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships. If you know of a youth member with 36 months consecutive membership, please have him or her check out our scholarship opportunities! I am not satisfied with the number of applications we receive, and am determined to raise that number. This is simply too great an opportunity for our members—you—to ignore. More information and the application itself may be found on our Web site at www.modelaircraft.org.
I will be traveling soon to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, to meet with my counterpart at the Civil Air Patrol headquarters. I hope to engage this great organization in another collaborative effort of providing kids, through the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the joy of learning through aviation!
The addition of a new AMA-chartered program, the Model Aviation School Club (MASC), is also exciting for us. Kids can now form clubs at school and use their school as a place to learn about aviation!
This is also a great opportunity for our chartered clubs to reach kids at school, become active and validated in your community, and reap the rewards regarding club challenges such as potential flying site issues down the road!
I had a great phone conversation with Bob Hunt, one of our CL legends and Editor Emeritus of this magazine. We were discussing the 75th celebration and flying opportunities for our CL members when the conversation turned to education.
I plan to make CL a larger part of the education offerings we have for 2011. That's how I started in modeling, and no doubt many of you did as well. For some, especially kids, CL is simply more accessible than RC. There is a huge difference in costs and finding a place to fly is much easier.
Bob said something that has really stuck with me. In our discussion about education and what the AMA can do, he said, "What if everyone in the AMA adopted this saying? Each one, teach one." Wow, talk about a solution to membership decline. Outreach, youth, and so many areas that we all must address are solved with this simple, timely, and poignant phrase!
Do the math, and let the exponential thing happen. What if each one of us simply taught one? Whether it is FF, RC, CL, or helicopters, it doesn't matter. Each one, teach one!
Go have a good laugh with your flying buddies and don't ever forget how much you enjoy this hobby.
"You can observe a lot by just watching." — Yogi Berra
Fly and Have Fun!
2010 Scholarship Recipients
Since 1970, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has provided scholarships to young men and women seeking to continue their education in colleges and universities. The primary awards are presented through the Charles Hampson Grant scholarships.
In 2010, five individuals received a portion of the $32,500 Charles Hampson Grant awards. These monies came from a variety of sources including gifts, memorials, and the AMA general fund.
AMA has established a Scholarship Endowment to help sustain the scholarship program. This further supports student success and opportunity by creating a permanent fund for scholarships and safeguarding the promise of an education for future generations.
By giving to the Scholarship Endowment, you will help create a permanent fund for student scholarships, helping to ensure that more students have the opportunity to realize their potential. Invest in the future of young aeromodelers and help them prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
The top winners of this year’s Grant awards also received a scholarship provided by the Toledo Weak Signals from monies generated from the club’s annual trade show and exposition. This year the Weak Signals contributed $1,500.
In its fourth year, the Telford Scholarship, honoring the late Cliff Telford, is based on participation in competition activity in the AMA and FAI classifications including national and world-class competition. This year’s award was $5,000.
This year, 15 applicants met the established criteria and were considered by the committee. Evaluated by a three-member committee, the applicants are rated in several major areas including grade average, test results, school and community activities, and modeling activities. High achievement in all of the categories is important for the maximum amount of scholarship awarded to an individual.
Again this year, the committee members were extremely close to one another in their evaluations of the applications. Five students were granted awards this year and $39,000 was awarded in all.
The students’ planned majors include:
- Materials science
- Aerospace engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
Information regarding applications may be obtained from April Hathaway at AMA Headquarters or from the AMA Education Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/education.aspx. The deadline to apply for next year’s scholarships is April 30, 2011.
If you would like to support the growth of the Education Endowment, please contact April at (765) 287-1256, extension 516, or e-mail her at [email protected].
Oliver Cai
Oliver Cai of Orange, Connecticut, is the recipient of a $7,300 Charles Hampson Grant award, a $750 Weak Signals Scholarship, and a $5,000 Telford Scholarship. Oliver is receiving $13,050 to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In first grade, Oliver began playing the piano. Since then he has explored classical music and participated in many recitals. Every year Oliver takes part in the Young Musicians Festival at Fairfield University. Additionally, he has played in concerts to raise money for global causes including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Oliver’s FF career took off in 2001 at the Eli Whitney Museum summer programs in Hamden, Connecticut. Shortly after, he joined the Wilbur & Orville Society, an FF organization at the museum, where he was mentored by Art Ellis. Within a year, Oliver advanced from small rubber models to the P-30. He built a variety of hand-launch and catapult gliders that he took to his first Nats in 2003.
Oliver began working as an apprentice for the Eli Whitney Museum at the age of 13. For two years, he spent a day every week helping put together hands-on projects for children and mentoring group events. During these two years Oliver was also a counselor for summer camp programs including aeromodeling camp.
In 2007, Oliver became president of the Wilbur & Orville Society. He is also webmaster for the organization’s Web site.
Oliver participated in numerous competitions starting in 2003. He flew in Nats events from 2003–2007 and also took part in Society of Antique Modelers contests, National Cups, America Cups, and more. In 2006 Oliver received the Skyscrapers Youth Achievement Award and a second-place team medal from the F1A Junior World Championships.
A graduate of Amity Regional High School in Connecticut, Oliver ran cross country and track. In his freshman and sophomore years, Oliver was heavily involved in science fairs around Connecticut. He participated in the Southern Connecticut Invitational Science & Engineering Fair at Staples High School, the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Science Fair at Quinnipiac University, and the Norwalk Science Fair at Norwalk Community College.
In 10th grade, with Art Ellis mentoring, Oliver produced a science project studying the effects of temperature on elastic polymers. This project won the Connecticut Science Fair Special Award from the American Society of Metals Hartford Chapter.
Oliver will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study electrical engineering.
Deborah Day, Oliver’s Science Research instructor, wrote, “Oliver Cai would be an exceptional candidate for any field—particularly engineering and/or design—that requires flexibility of thought, challenging problem solving, technology-based learning, creativity, and insight. He is indeed capable of setting and accomplishing very high academic standards for himself and I recommend him without reservation.”
Congratulations on your award, Oliver!
Ryan Feathers
Ryan Feathers of Shorefield, Wisconsin, is the recipient of a $7,300 Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship and a $750 Weak Signals Scholarship. Ryan is using his $8,050 award to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison and major in engineering.
A graduate of D.C. Everest Senior High School in Weston, Wisconsin, Ryan was the treasurer for the National Honor Society, skip of the varsity curling team, co-captain of the Science Olympiad, and a leader of the school's first-place math team. He was enrolled in several advanced placement (AP) courses, earning a 2009 AP Scholar with Honor award and a 2010 National AP Scholar award. Ryan was able to complete 41 college credits while in this program.
Ryan is a 10-year member of the AMA. He was approximately nine years old when he helped build his first model, a Dynaflite Butterfly. Learning through buddy-box flying with his dad, Ryan made his first solo flight in 2003 at 11 years old.
That fall Ryan picked up RC Combat flying. From then on, he traveled to many contests throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
Ryan participated in his first RC Combat Nationals at the AMA in 2004. He returned again in 2005 for competition. He continues to fly RC with his father, mostly with their electric foam jets.
Ryan is an avid member of the Boy Scouts of America. He joined the Scouts as a Tiger in 1998 and worked his way to Eagle Scout in 2008. At age 18, Ryan volunteered to be an assistant Scoutmaster for his troop. He spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 working as a camp counselor at Tesomas Boy Scout Camp in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
He is active in the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts' honor society, and serves on the Lodge Executive Committee of Tom Kita Chara Lodge. Ryan was the newsletter editor and is now in his second year as vice chief of administration. In the summer of 2010, he took on the role of Order of the Arrow coordinator in which he organizes and runs the camp's OA program.
In his letter of recommendation, Ryan's school counselor Robert Hinck wrote, "These words come to my mind when I think of Ryan Feathers: personable, intelligent, creative, athletic, cooperative, growing, and one of his class' best ... Ryan is also an excellent young man that surrounds himself with positive students making positive decisions. I recommend him highly without reservation."
Congratulations, Ryan, and best of luck at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Jessica Goodman
Jessica Goodman of Palm Harbor, Florida, is the recipient of a $6,300 Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship.
Jessica's experience with aeromodeling began with her father, Jeffery Goodman, who is the owner of JGRC, a retailer for radio control hobby items based in Palm Harbor. She started flying at the age of three. By five years old, Jessica was flying at clubs affiliated with the AMA.
Although she typically flies her dad's models, Jessica has had a few she constructed herself. The first model she built was a Kadet at age five. Jessica admits she had quite a bit of adult assistance.
While Jessica does not fly competitively, she does participate in Class C events. She attends not only as a pilot, but as an unofficial employee of her father's store. She has helped her father in his business for more than five years.
Jessica spent most of her life involved in a large number of academic extracurricular activities. She attended Palm Harbor University High School in the International Baccalaureate program. She was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, a national math honors society, since 2006. She was also the group's historian. Jessica was an active member and tutored other students in math and attended mathematics competitions at the regional, state, and national levels. Jessica was also a member of her school's Spanish Honor Society, Academic Team, and Palm Harbor Jewish Union of Students.
Outside of school, Jessica volunteered at Sunrise Senior Living, a local assisted-living facility. At Sunrise, she coordinated group activities and visited with individual residents to provide companionship. She helped at the facility throughout high school and accumulated approximately 250 hours of community service.
During part of high school, Jessica was employed at a local Chinese take-out restaurant. She greeted customers, put in orders, and ran the phones. Jessica had to quit the job in March of 2009 because of the increasing difficulty of her schoolwork.
Jessica's International Baccalaureate Program Counselor, Michael Burkett, wrote, "Jessica is a very kind, giving person who has devoted herself to learning and also to helping others. The more I learn about Jessica, the more I am impressed and surprised by her interests, her talents, and especially by her humility."
In September 2010, Jessica began attending the University of South Florida. She is double majoring in anthropology and interdisciplinary classical civilizations with a minor in chemistry.
Good luck in your future, Jessica!
Emily Brown
Emily Brown of Kingman, Arizona, is a $6,300 Charles Hampson Grant recipient. She is using her award to attend Northern Arizona University for her undergraduate degree in chemistry with a minor in electronic media.
Twelve years of homeschooling gave Emily many opportunities. She developed strong study skills and responsibility and had the flexibility to be involved in many activities. Emily was industrious in the Kingman Modelers Club, which led to many other opportunities to be active in her community.
It all began with a trip to her neighbor's hobby room. Emily's interest piqued at the sight of all the brightly colored airplanes of every shape and size. Her first model was a Dynaflite Daydream glider.
When Emily joined the Kingman Modelers, the club's flying field was in an isolated area often subject to vandalism. Emily, with her brother and support of the club, set out to raise money to erect a barbed wire fence along the field's perimeter. They raised the money for the project in less than two months.
Emily and her dog, Molly, participate in the "Read to a Dog" program in local elementary schools and visit nursing homes as a certified dog therapy team with Kingman Therapaws. In 2006, she started her own pet-sitting service. To promote her business, she created brochures and distributed them throughout her neighborhood. It did not take long for Emily to acquire many clients and she realized she loved working with animals so much it never seemed to be a chore for her.
During the summer of 2009 Emily worked at the Manzanita Animal Hospital. She cleaned and maintained the facilities, cared for pets at the hospital, and even assisted in surgery, monitoring patient vitals and passing instruments to the veterinarians. This helped cultivate her passion for animals and made her choose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Emily's dream is to open her own practice someday.
While in high school Emily began taking classes at Mohave Community College. With her concurrent enrollment at the college, she graduated from high school and also received her associate's degree with a science emphasis.
At the college Emily was involved with Chi Sigma Christian Student Association, the Conservative Students Club, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She was nominated to Team One of the 2010 All-USA Academic Team and earned several outstanding-student awards from Mohave Community College.
In his recommendation, Emily's principal, Clark Brown, wrote, "Throughout [Emily's] twelve years of home school education, she has excelled academically, socially, and in her service to others. Her personal and leadership skills also demonstrate her rich potential for success. I also have complete confidence that an investment in her future will result in excellent long-term rewards for each of those elements that have already figured prominently in her success, including the model aviation industry."
Congratulations, Emily!
James Bumbaugh
James Bumbaugh of Wexford, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of a $5,300 Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship.
An AMA member since 1995, James' interest in modeling began when he was five years old. He is a longtime member of the Model Airplane Recreation Society (MARS) and has served as the club's vice president since 2007.
In 2005, James placed third in the basic division of the Curt Chapman Youth Masters and in 2006 took fourth in the advanced division. At the Keystone Indoor Electric Fly (KIEF) 2008, James received the Best Helicopter Award after flying his T-Rex 500 at the noontime demonstration. He flew in the event again this past year, this time with a T-Rex 450 Pro. Also in 2009, James was a semi-finalist in the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Amateur Nationals.
Throughout high school, James was active in Air Force Junior ROTC. He also participated on the bowling team, in model rocketry, and in the Kitty Hawk Honor Society. As a member of the honor society, James volunteered at a local personal care home, visiting with residents, playing games, and serving refreshments.
James was the squadron commander for his ROTC unit, which required his attendance at staff meetings and promotion board meetings. Each year at the annual ROTC banquet, James has received an award. His awards include the Military Order of World Wars, Outstanding Cadet, the Air Force Award, and the American Legion Scholastic Excellence award.
Starting in April 2005, James ran a lawn care service. He maintained several lawns as well as provided spring and fall clean-up and any other related duties his customers requested. For several years James worked for Luke and Sue Simion of Luke's RC Planes where he helped sell products and answer questions at major shows and fly-ins.
James is attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to follow a career in aerospace engineering. His enthusiasm for aviation was reinforced when he flew a combat demonstration with Matt Chapman at the Thistledown International Miniature Aircraft Association (MMAA) mini-fest in September of 2006.
Peter Martorelli, James' school counselor, wrote, "James is an exceptionally versatile, talented, and personable young man. Not only has he excelled academically, but James is also a key leader within our high school and community." He continued, "He exhibits all the skills, characteristics, and talents we try to develop in all our young adults. I have no doubt James has the ability to not only succeed, but to excel in any career path he should choose for himself."
Best of luck, James!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
