Education Through Aviation - 2012/10

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, but also 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 one Executive Council
(EC) member as liaison to the EC and
we’re fortunate to have District VII’s
Tim Jesky in that role.
Before Tim assumed that chair, 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
of 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.
Travis McGinnis.
Jim Rice.
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 kids that might help some of you
if faced with the same kind of situation
at your local club.
We had six or seven students on five
flightlines. Following 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.
They could easily see and learn from
watching others fly and hear all of the
instructions.
They didn’t lose interest by having to
wait an hour between flights, and this
worked out to be roughly one battery
pack’s charge. When we would land
to swap packs, a general session took
place on the line because many of the
same mistakes were repeated.
After two days of this approach,
half could take off and fly around.
Following three days, all but a few
could take off, fly around, and land!
They really added to that sense of
teamwork, and whenever one would
do something good, the others would
applaud. Great stuff! It might work for
you!
Fly and have fun!