Flying Site Assistance - 2006/06
Wes De Cou | [email protected]
How could something like this work in your community?
Props, cops, and kids equal education, recreation, and drug awareness. Who knew? Officer Randy Dullum knew.
In January of this year, I received a call from Randy Dullum, a police officer in Buffalo, Wyoming. Randy had some questions regarding the development of a new flying site.
Normally I can provide answers to such questions, provide the appropriate support to the member, and get ready for the next call. This case was different. Sure, Randy had a few questions, but he also had a story to tell.
Randy shares responsibility for the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in the Buffalo area. The program tries to provide education and alternatives to youngsters who might otherwise make life-ruining choices with respect to illicit drug use.
Having a lifelong interest in aviation, Randy came up with the idea that model aviation—accessible in one form or another to virtually every student—might be an outreach mechanism through which the D.A.R.E. program could be presented to local students. With the nucleus of the program in mind, Randy approached Mike Dahmer, the chief of police in Buffalo, explained the concept, and received a thumbs up to go forward with the effort.
Next, Randy explained his concept to the local school principal. Again, the concept was enthusiastically embraced.
Well, we have lots of support, but no place to fly. What to do, what to do ...?
The next stop for Randy was the city of Buffalo administrative offices. One well-reasoned presentation later, Randy had the city's agreement to provide flying space, and the Props, Cops, and Kids RC Park was established.
How the program works
- Instructional staff:
- Randy Dullum and a group of volunteers from the Buffalo Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.
- Supported by a member of the faculty at the local junior high school.
- Classroom activity:
- Volunteers go into sixth- through eighth-grade classrooms twice a week for an hour.
- The focus is on all aspects of aviation, providing an alternative to drugs and alcohol and laying a foundation for future possibilities.
- Curriculum highlights:
- Explanation of employment opportunities in aviation and aviation-related industries.
- Technical subjects: lift, thrust, weight, drag, pitch, roll, yaw.
- Hands-on progression from building to flying radio-controlled aircraft so students can see and feel the principles in action.
- Special events:
- In late March, the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) chapter in Gillette, Wyoming, provided Young Eagles flights to 43 students and parents as part of the program.
- Community and industry support:
- Randy secured support from manufacturers and distributors in the model-aviation arena, including Horizon Hobby, Hobbico, Hobby Lobby, Great Planes, and many other suppliers.
- Full-scale aviation luminaries such as Patty Wagstaff and Kirby Chambliss also supported the effort.
The Buffalo Props, Cops, and Kids story is one example of model aviation's potential positive impact on a community and its members. It doesn't take a police department to get such a program moving. It takes a vision, a plan, and a willingness to put yourself in front of people who can share your vision and help move it toward fruition.
Next time, we'll review a case of dogged determination and a refusal to take No! for an answer. It's an object lesson in the value of getting to the right person.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
