Modeling Spoken Here
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
Times like these make us search our souls ...
JUST AS THE last issue was put to bed, the incredible news of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington reached us. I am at a loss for words to describe how this news affected me; I'm sure that's how most others feel also.
I won't even try to editorialize on the events of September 11, 2001 because my observations and thoughts are totally inconsequential in respect to the gravity of the situation.
What I would like to discuss is how a few modelers handled the aftermath and how that can be a beacon for our own actions.
I had planned to attend the second‑annual NEAT (Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair electric fly‑in in Downsville, New York that weekend. After the attacks, I was quite sure the event would be postponed or canceled.
To my surprise, I was informed by the organizers that they had decided to go on with the fly‑in. After the awful week of watching the most unbelievable sights over and over on the various television networks, I concluded that a short break was probably a good idea.
I arrived at the Fair to find a large number of participants already there and enjoying the beautiful site and the spectacular weather. It dawned on me that I had all but ignored the fact that the entire week's weather had been so wonderful; other things were on all of our minds.
I quickly sought out Tom Hunt, one of the Fair's chief organizers, to let him know I was there. Tom seemed glad to see me but quickly confided in me that he felt that they may have made a mistake in going on with the fly‑in.
Apparently, he had received a couple of calls from modelers who strongly took him to task for holding the event while the whole world was in such turmoil. He was clearly disturbed and concerned that they'd made a grave error in holding the event.
I really didn't have an answer for Tom's apprehension that day. But after spending the day at the Fair and talking with many modelers who were in attendance and taking some time to think about the real meaning of such gatherings, I think I'm ready to give Tom, and everyone else who cares to listen, my thoughts.
I heartily applaud Tom and all of the other organizers of the NEAT Fair for having the courage to go about being free Americans, especially in light of the brutal, cowardly, and evil attacks on that very freedom.
Times like these make us search our souls for our true selves and our true resolve. Many are scared to go about the business of being free.
Let's also never let the process of exercising our freedoms become a source of guilt. Those who lost their lives in this tragedy, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have paid the ultimate price in defense of freedom since this country—and all free countries—came into existence, would not want us to feel guilty for making full use of that freedom.
The average person probably feels that there is little he or she can do that will offer a tangible contribution to the whole of this new problem. What we all can do is be aware of what freedom really means and make personal vows to not only defend and revere it but also to really start to appreciate it and privilege. Sometimes I believe we don't really grasp the significance of this depth of freedom.
If we have chosen modeling as a hobby/sport, we should pursue that pastime with all of our ability and passion. It's simply an acknowledgment that we have this freedom and want to honor it by doing it as best as we possibly can.
That's what I saw at the NEAT Fair. It seemed that everyone in attendance was really aware of their freedom, and they were enjoying themselves in celebration of that freedom.
During the lunchtime air-show portion of the NEAT Fair, Dave Baron flew his Joe Beshar-designed and -built, electric-powered B-17. This is a really large model (see the cover of the June 2001 Model Aviation), and it flies extremely well, and Dave put on a terrific show with it, performing several low, slow passes.
The crowd loved it, but the response was a bit different from any I'd ever witnessed at such a show. The B-17 seemed to become a sort of symbol of our freedom, and you could feel the collective pride as it flew gracefully by. It was a time for some serious goose bumps!
There were other Scale warbirds at the NEAT Fair, including several of Jim Ryan's fabulous little Speed 400-powered fighters. And, again, the crowd paid special attention to them as if paying a sort of homage to what their heritage represented.
All in all, I'd say that the NEAT Fair gave those who attended a chance to gather with brethren of similar interests and grieve together for our country's losses, and also celebrate together the reawakening of our awareness of our awesome freedom.
In any personal crisis it is your family that holds you together. In this national crisis it is natural and healthy for those of us with this common interest to gather with our larger modeling family to share our thoughts, feelings, fears, anger, and pride.
Hopefully those who questioned the appropriateness of going on with the fly-in that fateful week will now have had time to realize that it was perhaps the most appropriate thing we all could have done to show our unity and support.
You can get in touch with me through Model Aviation magazine or call me direct at <REDACTED>; E-mail: <REDACTED>. RA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
