Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett | [email protected]
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wouldn’t you agree that many of the ingenious, innovative, and creative people you know are your modeling buddies? It has always struck me that so many who are involved in this great activity are the never-give-up type, and fit Emerson’s marching orders well: they go anyway and leave a trail.
Having just returned from Toledo, seeing the mecca of model aviation, I’m reminded of how many innovators we’re proud to associate with. So many creative people and their beautiful models, products, innovations, and plans — you name it.
So how does this happen? What attracts this type of person to model aviation? I have a theory: it isn't easy! To be truly successful in any aspect of modeling, an individual must enjoy a challenge that’s placed directly in front of him.
This accomplishment may not always be the same. It could be in the form of designing, building, or flying, and during the course of addressing these challenges, great modelers always find out, figure out, and make right the wrongs along the path to the end result. Emerson must have known some modelers.
Maybe he knew Bob Hunt! I’ve mentioned before the approach that Bob, Editor Emeritus of this magazine and CL Stunt legend, has to say about sharing our great hobby.
His approach of “Each one, teach one” is the subject of his latest editorial in Stunt News. I highly recommend reading it. You can find the editorial on the AMA web site. For more information about Bob and the SIG Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association (PAMPA), visit its website. See the “Sources” listing for the address.
I recently completed an aircraft review that will appear in next month’s MA. During the course of this project, I identified two important elements for me in a modeling project. Okay, I’ll admit that some of this might be part of the aging process, but we’re all aging at the same rate so I’ll share these and you can decide if they resonate with you.
The Fun Factor: The fun factor has to be there in some form all the time. Let’s face it. There are parts of a project that we enjoy more than others. The challenge is to figure out how to make them all enjoyable.
The Walk Away: I learned this from a dear friend who shares back and forth with me, almost daily, his ups and downs on various crafting projects. I’m guilty of keeping after something long after the fun factor is gone, determined to “get ’er done.”
That’s when you simply walk away. It amazes me how much more effective I can be 10 minutes or a day later. Try keeping these two things in mind during your next project. Are you having fun? If not, walk away.
Leave when the fun factor ends! When you come back to it, suddenly that task will not be frustrating, but actually fun!
Learning, through any means or medium, is something we all put under this giant umbrella called education.
In the final analysis, education is the good fortune we have in taking the shortcut around the difficulties someone else figured out and shared.
Share what you know. Each one, teach one, and make the path you create fun along the way.
Fly and have fun!
Sources
- Bob Hunt’s editorial: www.modelaircraft.org/education/bhunteditorial.aspx
- PAMPA: www.control-line.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
