Education Through Aviation
By Bill Pritchett, Education Director
"If something's broken, fix it. If you don't know how, learn. If you're not willing to learn, don't complain about it. If it can't be fixed, accept it and move on."
Sorry, no credit for this month's quote. No matter; it's a great one!
We've recently undergone something like this month's quote with our Education Committee. After more than five decades of volunteer service to the AMA, Travis McGinnis has decided to retire. Travis concluded his 50-plus years of volunteer contributions to the AMA as the chair of the Education Committee. In that position, I naturally have a special working relationship with him, and I am forever grateful and appreciative of the fact that Travis hired me.
We share a lot of common interests, but one of the biggest is that, as younger guys, we were both public school band directors. In his work with the AMA, Travis has been invaluable in helping promote the educational aspects of the hobby to countless individuals. We certainly wish Travis and his family the quiet time they deserve and hope this also allows him more time to fly!
Despite my best efforts, it wasn't possible to talk Travis out of his decision. So, as the quote this month tells us, accept it and move on. You don't replace a man like Travis. You accept that change is on its way—that's not necessarily a bad thing, just a reality.
Our Education Committee comprises some of the brightest minds in education through model aviation, and therefore requires leadership that is challenging and exciting. The committee has an Executive Council (EC) member as liaison to the council, and we're fortunate to have District VII's Tim Jesky in that role.
Before Tim assumed that role, Jim Rice, vice president of District VIII, covered it. As fortune would have it — at least for the committee — Jim will be leaving the EC after the conclusion of his current term. With his familiarity with the committee's work, background as a retired colonel in the US Army, and love for kids, aviation, and the role education can play in all that, Jim Rice has agreed to chair the Education Committee.
As a volunteer for the AMA, in addition to his time on the education committee, Jim has been a source of inspiration and enthusiastic support. Please welcome Jim Rice and know that we're thrilled that he accepted the invitation and look forward to his continued service and contributions to the AMA.
Jessy Symmes and I have just returned from the first-ever Civil Air Patrol (CAP) RC Camp in Wisconsin. Our job was to teach 35 cadets in just a few short days—and we did it!
Randy Carlson, our CAP liaison, will, I'm sure, provide additional details in AMA Today and Flightline, but I wanted to share a concept we used with great success in training these cadets that might help some of you if faced with the same kind of situation at your local club.
CAP RC Camp training approach
- We had six or seven students on five flightlines. After the usual ground school and general briefings, they started flying with buddy boxes.
- Each student stayed on the flightline in a single-file row while students flew for roughly three minutes at a time.
- Students could easily see and learn from watching others fly and could hear all of the instructors' comments.
- They didn't lose interest by having to wait an hour between flights; this worked out to be roughly one battery pack's charge.
- When we landed to swap packs, we held a general session on the line because many of the same mistakes were repeated.
- After two days of this approach, half the cadets could take off and fly around.
- After three days, all but a few could take off, fly around, and land.
They really added to that sense of teamwork, and whenever one cadet did something good, the others would applaud. Great stuff! It might work for you!
Fly and have fun!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
