Education Through Aviation by Bill Pritchett, Education Director
"It is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." —Nelson Mandela
This column is being written a few days after the passing of Nelson Mandela, and it's only appropriate that this month's quote be his. I'm not going to offer a history lesson or political rant—there's plenty of that available on social media. What I would like to do is illuminate this quote in the world of model aviation.
Terminology and the need for education
The classic example of something that lacks education is the word "drone." For me, and I think for the general public, this word has nearly always had a military connotation. As we move to embrace the world of sUAS at the AMA, we've tried to stay in front of the terminology that accompanies any activity.
Common terms include:
- Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)
- small Unmanned Air System (sUAS)
- radio-controlled aircraft (model aircraft)
All of these describe the model aircraft we've been flying for years. Without warning, "drone" video footage started coming into our homes more than ten years ago, and some people can't let go of the difference between a one-pound quadcopter and the missile-firing Predator currently deployed. Wouldn't some education help here?
Then, of course, there are people who think that using the more sensational word "drone" will improve their TV, newspaper, or magazine ratings. Would education help here, or is this a matter of choice made by people who already know the difference between our recreational and light commercial use versus military variants?
If we believe Nelson Mandela—that education can change the world—then let's at least lead that change with education.
AMA initiatives and training
At this year's AMA Expo in Ontario, California, we will introduce e-learning as part of AMA Flight School. This will be an additional feature that allows us to provide our members with evaluated learning resources. We can license or certify (whatever we end up calling it) everyone who wants to fly light commercial sUAS under the auspices of the AMA.
Additionally, we can provide lists of approved equipment for that use—admitting that there is a difference between the $150 sUAS you fly in your yard and the $8,000-plus commercial platforms. We have to understand, accept, and embrace that.
The other information that we, as AMA members and longtime enthusiasts of model aviation, must embrace is that this ship has sailed. The true definition of the sUAS phenomenon, while describing a radio-controlled model airplane, also encompasses quadcopters, hexcopters, and other multirotor platforms.
One interesting educational aspect of sUAS is that an individual doesn't have to learn to fly a traditional model airplane. With gyro stabilization, many platforms fly themselves—users simply adjust throttle to change altitude. Onboard gear such as GPS allows position hold, which makes camera work simple when the platform is that stable. The equipment and function of these platforms are advancing daily. News programs and companies have brought to the general public the idea of what might be possible.
The use of sUAS will continue to expand into:
- search and recovery
- law enforcement
- agriculture
- property management
- mapping
- other commercial and educational ventures
sUAS in education and AeroLab II
Oh, and then there's education!
We are planning to release AeroLab II in an online-only version that will include sUAS content. It's no surprise that many educators are already utilizing sUAS in classrooms.
At the bottom of this column is a photo of a Quadrotor Flight Controller class at the HiTech STEM Lab at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library System in Maryland. The purpose of the class is to introduce students to quadcopters through hands-on learning. Students investigated the physics behind multirotor liftoff, stabilization, direction of flight, and landing. They worked in teams to assemble the propulsion system and wire the flight controller and power system. Students honed their flight skills through a flight simulator before flight-testing their builds in the final class.
It's time that everyone embraces the future and the excitement it brings.
Okay, I can't help it. One more thought from Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it's done!"
Fly and have fun! ✈️
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
