Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett | [email protected]
“When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that person is crazy.” —Dave Barry
Or maybe it's the president of your club, your favorite columnist, or possibly the guy you fly with every chance you get. Any way you look at it, it's someone who is willing to take command.
One of my personal goals is to provide a level of communication with our members that is not about AMA Headquarters, but about the individual members and clubs.
Our clubs are really where the action is, always have been, and will continue to be. Clubs are the heartbeat of this activity. I can write all day about educational outreach, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, NASA grants, my favorite aerobatics (Pattern) airplane, a gas-powered aircraft, or whatever.
And do you know what? This organization always comes back to the social value of a group of people who enjoy spending time with each other. If you take a careful look at those people with whom you like to share interests, go flying with, go to meetings with, host events with, or attend swap meets with, there's one person who always makes sure that everyone has the information, energy, transportation, whatever it takes to make it work—the one person who is willing to take command.
Have you ever given pause to why that's the case? People tend to fall into one group or another:
- "get 'er done"
- "somebody will take care of it"
As we (the AMA) engage the challenges of membership, the upcoming release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the FAA, and the usual stuff we handle, where is your saddle strapped? If you haven't made yourself aware of the FAA scenario, please do so. It's on our website and very easy to use and understand. If you aren't aware of it, our numbers are dwindling. Have you ever brought one single individual into this great hobby? Recruiting members is not just about kids; it is about engaging potential members from all sources.
What does your club do to promote model aviation in your community? Are you waiting for a leader? If you've thought of it, you're probably the person to lead the effort.
So, what's the moral of this story? Get crazy. Be willing to take command. Don't allow our government to control model aviation. Don't allow a local civic authority to take your flying site because you weren't visible in the area.
Don't let someone talk you out of the educational value of model aviation. Get crazy. Take command.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
