Flying Site Assistance - 2004/03
Coordinators
- Joe Beshar
- Coordinator, Eastern Region, Districts I - VI
- 198 Merritt Dr., Oradell, NJ 07649
- Tel: (201) 261-1281
- Fax: (201) 261-0223
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Wes DeCou
- Coordinator, Western Region, Districts VII - XI
- Voice: (480) 460-9466
- Cell: (480) 296-9515
- Fax: (480) 460-9434
- 202 W. Desert Flower Ln., Phoenix, AZ 85045
- E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
A previous column described the Leader Club program which the Academy has established to recognize clubs that were doing a good job of “being a club.” The details were presented in the January 2004 column and can be reviewed there or on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org.
This month I will share what other clubs have been doing to strengthen their position in their communities and consequently enhance the security of their flying sites. These are activities that can be undertaken by any club of any size in any area and are guaranteed to reap benefits if approached with sincerity and enthusiasm. It doesn’t matter whether or not the club is participating in the Leader Club program.
When I write of how important it is for clubs to become involved with their communities, what I mean is that clubs must become a vital part of their neighborhoods in ways that are not centered around model airplanes. The general public does not hold model aviation in the same high level of interest and importance as we participants do.
In general, people don’t pay much attention to us unless they happen to get personally involved with a club about concerns such as noise, overflights, dangerous activity, etc. This often results in bad impressions of modelers by the general public and bad impressions of the public by the modelers.
Ultimately this can culminate in the loss of a flying site. This is not a good situation and it is one which we all must work on diligently to prevent.
During the course of my conversations with club members, at some point I always ask what they do to be involved with their community. The most common answers I receive are “we put on a free air show every year,” or “we have an open house at our field and give people a chance to fly.” These are good activities to offer those who have an existing level of interest in model aviation, but they are not necessarily good for the ordinary people. Many will say that these are ways to introduce the sport to potential new members. That may be somewhat valid, but, realistically, those who show up at such events already have some interest in aviation.
The real key to public relations is how your club connects with the people who could not care less about model aviation and are potential adversaries when it comes to preserving a flying site. You connect with them through activities they can relate to and/or are personally involved with.
Every community has a handful of favorite charities—the ones that always get the media coverage, always get the donations, and are somehow determined to be the charities to be involved with. These include:
- American Cancer Society
- Red Cross
- Meals on Wheels
- Ronald McDonald House
Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the Police Athletic League are examples of organizations that are highly visible and have the reputation of doing good work. These are examples, and your community no doubt has similar groups, but you know the ones that are the favorites in your area.
Community projects such as Toys for Tots, downtown clean-up projects, Adopt-A-Highway, and historic site restorations are also quite visible and full of “warm fuzzies.” It is imperative that your model airplane club becomes more involved with the community in which you live and fly in ways other than aviation.
If your club decides to support a charity with financial contributions, always remember that how much you give is not as important as the fact that you gave. Your willingness to contribute and support your charity of choice adds value to your club. Make sure that if you make a financial contribution someone from the club photographs the presentation. Take the photo with a caption to the local newspaper for inclusion in its next edition. This holds true for donations to organizations and projects if that is what your club determines can be its best contributions. Remember to document your efforts and make sure that members of the community are aware of your involvement.
Okay, okay! So what does all of this extra work the club is doing have to do with getting or keeping a flying site? By achieving this level of community involvement the club has significantly widened its circle of friends and supporters. These people may be helpful should the club ever find itself in a time of need. They are friends who would step forward to assist because the club is a valuable part of the community.
Consider this: for whatever reason, a neighbor of your flying site decides to lodge a complaint about your existence in an effort to force the club to cease and desist. He (or she) is adamantly opposed to the club being there and is convinced he will be successful in his efforts.
Which type of club do you think he will have the least amount of difficulty having evicted?
- a) The club that is a viable and valuable part of its community and is recognized as a supporter and benefactor to community charities and projects.
- b) The club that is seen as a group of “grownups playing with toy airplanes,” if they are seen at all.
Think about it and you will see the importance and benefit of your club being more involved with your community in a nonaviation way.
— Jay Mealy Programs Director
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
