Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett | [email protected]
“I wish I had an answer to that because I’m tired of answering that question.” —Yogi Berra
AMA’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY: Although I didn’t think it possible, my fun meter has been pegged lately. We celebrated the AMA 75th Anniversary at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) and all went well. It was a great deal of work, but your AMA staff members stepped up and made it happen.
The 75th included so many great moments, but a few I’ll always remember including the flight of the 1/2-scale H-1 Racer that Joe Bock built and our own technical director, Greg Hahn, flew.
Watching Greg do the preflight, fix the carburetor for a more consistent motor run, and make other adjustments, was a great display of what a guy can learn. If I were to ever need a large model aircraft test-flown by the best, I’ve seen him in action. Greg flew the H-1 for the noon demonstrations and all went without a hitch. His ability to understand how a 123-pound model will fly before it flies was a treat to witness.
Greg has accumulated countless hours with large models, mostly warbirds, won Top Gun four times, and continues to hone his skill set. The great thing about it all was that when we were still in the planning stages and discussing a pilot of choice, Greg didn’t hesitate to step up and say, “Yes.” Bravo!
We were fortunate to have 300 registered pilots and literally thousands of guests. The museum enjoyed hundreds of nonmembers visiting daily. That’s huge! New people coming to the IAC and checking us out!
There were great sessions for special interests in the McCullough Educational Facility that’s a part of our National Model Aviation Museum. All were well attended, diverse in subject matter, and thanks to Ilona Maine, ran like a clock. Ilona didn’t hesitate to step up and make all the workshops happen. Bravo!
Eric Myers graciously participated in our noon show, and if you haven’t seen the stable of aircraft he brings, you’re missing a real treat. The range is from Pylon Racer to Scale helicopter, turbine to turbine sailplane. Amazing guy, great pilot, and he didn’t hesitate to step up. Bravo!
So many people helped make this happen. Chris Brooks’ work on the Gala Banquet was outstanding. Our Marketing team, led by Jeff Nance, was responsible for bringing the H-1 Racer and NASA, Erin Dobbs on the banquet, Mark Renson on media, and Ben Flesher working graphics and signage. People stepping up. Bravo!
A couple months ago you received the 75th Anniversary supplement that was packaged with the August issue of Model Aviation. Jay Smith, MA editor, thought this would be a good idea so of course that meant that he “volunteered” to do it. And Jay graciously “volunteered” fellow publications team member, Chad Boudreau, to design the piece. It was simply outstanding. Two more AMA staff members stepping up. Bravo!
We all know the danger of mentioning names, but I’m taking that chance. You see, our organization, like your club perhaps, has a number of people who jump at the chance to step up. What makes for success in any organization are all of those who are not named who stepped up as well.
We can all find a few—your AMA is fortunate to have many. Stepping up. Bravo!
If you recall last month’s article, I discussed Ron Hubbard and Al Burton stepping up. It’s amazing what people can accomplish by simply taking the first step. My sincere thanks to all AMA staff members, families, the Muncie community, April Hathaway, my assistant director of education, and our own AMA Executive Council for their unwavering support of our 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Although it’s finished here in Muncie, Indiana, this party lasts for all of 2011. Step up and put together an event where you are celebrating the amazing history of your organization by recognizing 75 years of great strides in model aviation. Bravo!
Why Youth? I receive many emails, telephone calls, and yes, letters. One letter I received was from Tom Dixon, one of our members in Georgia. Tom raises a good question (and one I get all the time): “Why do we spend time, energy, and maybe most important, money on promoting model aviation to youth?”
Let me address this great question with some strategies that both I and the AMA Education Committee share. First of all, there are many things to learn through model aviation.
Our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Certified program AeroLab addresses math, science, and physics nearly all the time. While addressing these subjects (that are sometimes annoying for some kids), they find themselves having fun while they learn. Funny things happen then. While having fun, they’re not only learning critical subject matter and learning to work together, they are also being exposed to model aviation.
Is the point of the exercise to raise Navy fighter pilots? To train world champion modelers? No. The point is to expose as many young people as possible to model aviation in an educational setting and see what happens. We don’t really have any hard research data on how this plays out, but I do know this. Virtually everyone I speak with at EAA’s AirVenture got their aviation interest through modeling. I’ve also watched too many kids having fun learning math to think it’s not the right thing to do.
When we reach out and promote to youth, are we solving our membership concerns? Probably not, at least for the near future, but again, the hard research data isn’t there, and for one I really don’t need that data to know what happens if we don’t expose model aviation to kids—we all lose.
Now that we’ve concluded that we’re teaching STEM and not sure about where our work with youth leads, what exactly are we thinking?
Well here’s what I’m thinking: when you have a young person engaged in model aviation you’ve also engaged a parent and quite possibly a grandparent as well. This is a generational activity and we see this all the time. A young person becomes interested in flying models, talks dad into taking him or her to the local field, and suddenly they’re both learning to fly. The people who have immediate disposable time and income are the parents and grandparents of the youth to whom you’re reaching out. Be ready to have a lot of new activity if you do it right!
Civil Air Patrol: Finally this month, I want to remind all of you about our great relationship with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
Education Through Aviation
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We're kicking off a program this summer that will basically combine an AMA TAG event with a local CAP squadron. This program is called Model Aviation Radio Control or MARC.
The response from CAP has been very exciting, so prepare your club that they might be contacted by CAP.
It will be very easy for our club members—CAP has the kids, the program, and all the organizational materials. Our clubs will simply need to provide some volunteers willing to do some buddy boxing, use the field for the event, and act as subject matter experts for model aviation.
Step up!
Fly and have fun!
Education Through Aviation
WEST POTOMAC High School Technology Education offers students nine courses, covering everything from basic technical drawing all the way up to research and development engineering. Two years ago the Engineering Club and aerospace science class began hosting fun-flys in the gym.
The first one was a huge success and has continued support from many local clubs, including Prince William County R/C Flyers Club, Northern Virginia R/C, the D.C. Maxecuters, Fauquier Aero Recreation Modelers, District of Columbia RC Club, as well as many other local fliers and school principal Cliff Hardison.
We have also been supported by West Potomac Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and have received donations from Chantilly Hobby Hangar. Everyone coming together for an event like this to support the aerospace class and the Engineering Club is fantastic. Some individual attendees have made wonderful donations including airplanes, kits, plans, and parts.
The fun-flys have been so successful we now have them twice a year and are looking at possibly doing a spring fly using the school's outdoor facilities.
Fliers are charged $5 for six hours of open flying in the gym and/or an outdoor lot. Spectators are free. There is also a concession stand lead by PTSA president and volunteer Jane Quirk. We offer coffee, drinks, donuts, hot dogs, pizza, etc., and some custom-made mugs and T-shirts with the West Potomac Fun-Fly logo.
We encourage fliers to bring models for display in the lobby so people can see the full scope of model sizes, power plants, and enjoy other people's models. The fun-fly is open to the community to help expose the general public to model aviation. The students run most of the event, which includes a kids' table for making foam-plate gliders.
The fun-fly is open to RC as well as FF. It is nice to have this mix so that both types of hobbyists have a chance to see each other's airplanes. The students have the opportunity to meet with experienced fliers and get some (lots of) help on their own models.
West Potomac is always looking to improve and add to the Fun-Fly. Recently discussed was the possibility of adding indoor Pylon Racing and an Introduction to RC Models seminar for spectators.
The students are also the proud new owners of a laser cutter; in the near future, students will be able to make laser-cut kits!
The Winston R/C Club held its annual swap meet January 8, 2011. Attendance was down slightly because of a change in the original date. There were plenty of tables with articles to sell in the especially large space.
Many were stocking up for the upcoming flying season. There were bargains galore on just about anything you would want or need. Some of the local merchants gave items for the raffle and door prizes.
Everyone enjoyed the meet to catch up with friends they may have not seen over the winter and enjoy the bargains for the coming summer flying. If you are in the area next year around this time, check it out.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
