Our Members Speak - 2011/05

20 MODEL AVIATION
Ali R. Moshiri with one of his designs on a
r e c e n t t r i p t o t h e fl y i n g f i el d . D a v e
McGuinn photo.
“Regarding recent motion by FAA
about regulating our hobby, it saddens me.
I was born in Iran and came to USA in
1976. My earliest memory of building a
model airplane is when I was six years
old. As I was growing up and still lived in
Iran, any time I build a flyable model my
father was against it and he was very
unkind to me and my passion of flying my
model planes.
“I used to use shaving blades to cut
balsa wood and many times I cut my
fingers doing so, but I loved building
model planes. I used to use regular writing
papers to cover my planes, not because
shrink papers were not available but I was
forbidden to go to buy it. I used clothing
elastic to power the rubber-powered
airplane and the results were not that
great.
“My father always broke my planes by
hitting it at the edge of the table saying
that my son does not play with toy planes.
While I still lived in Iran, I used to take
bus then walk a few miles to get to where
radio-controlled planes were flying to just
watch and be amazed. When I came to the
USA my first goal was to find a nearby
hobby shop and see what’s there.
“Now let’s forward fifty-three years. I
still fly RC planes even when at that time
my wife was not happy with me. Once she
told me that if she had wings I’d pay more
attention to her. But her and my father
failed to see that aviation was in my blood
and no one could take that away from me.
“I have always enjoyed flying and I am
always amazed by anything that have
wings and can fly. After all flying is man’s
oldest dream.
“And now the big brother (FAA) is
coming in and is going to tell me, where
and how I should fly my plane. In short I
am facing my dictator father with another
name (FAA). Please don’t let them do this
to me, after all flying is indicator of free
spirit, and now big brother is say that I am
that rich kid in the block and I have the
ball. My ball my rule.
“I do understand that as a civilized
society we must have rules, but there are
soft rules and there are hard rules. For
example a traffic stop sign indicates that
you stop your vehicle, look both ways and
then if there’s no car coming in your path
you proceed and drive on through. A hard
rule is a red light. You cannot pass it
unless the red light changes. Please AMA
personnel don’t let the big brother make
hard rule. After all, this is a hobby that
should be enjoyed and not be limited.”
—Ali R. Moshiri
“I, among thousands of others, am a
member of a marvelous national
organization called the Academy of Model
Aeronautics which promotes flying our
models in a safe manner for the utmost
safety of our members, spectators and the
possibility of any full-scale aircraft that
may be nearby. The purpose of the FAA is
to regulate an industry that needs it, not an
organization that doesn’t.”
—Boyce Coble
“ … not too many years ago I was
actually quite anti-AMA. I had at that time
a misconception that the AMA was simply
a waste of money. Well, a few years of
maturity, some research in to what the
AMA stands for, and the desire to belong
to an organization who stands for the
advancement of model aviation I am a
proud member. Thank you to the AMA for
being there and helping make this hobby
what it is.” MA
—Arend Schuurman
Our
Members
Speak
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