View From HQ - 2009/02
How do we pass on those building skills to the next generation?
President Dave Mathewson mentioned in his December 2008 MA “President’s Perspective” column AMA’s new endeavor: we are attending statewide meetings of local officials to educate and inform those who have control over many potential flying sites about the goals and mission of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
To date, AMA has participated in:
- Florida League of Cities annual meeting — August
- Texas League of Cities — October
- National Recreation and Park Association — Baltimore, Maryland — October
- National League of Cities annual meeting — Orlando, Florida — November
To say AMA had the most exciting booth would be an understatement. Grouped among the stoplight, park bench, water meter, lawn equipment, EMS, and other expected vendor booths at the conventions was the AMA booth. Our booth featured:
- a flight simulator projecting an airplane on a screen
- helicopters and small electric airplanes flying overhead
Each time an aircraft was flown above the booth dividers, a rush of attendees came to see where it had originated. Once an official was in front of the booth, a flight on the simulator was almost a given. That provided insight into the skill it takes to pilot a model airplane and gave the person a better appreciation of our sport.
The recurring question was, “What are you selling?” The positive response was that we’re not selling anything; we’re just looking for flying sites. This reply was well received, and we provided those inquiring with AMA materials developed for this effort.
Mentioning the $2.5 million primary insurance we offer through our chartered clubs for flying-site owners was very popular with administrators. Apparently few organizations seeking permission to use public lands offer their own insurance coverage.
Once it was established that we were not into helicopter or airplane sales and that we were seeking flying sites for our members, the AMA scored big in public relations. We hope that will carry over when a local group stands before a governing board or park council seeking acceptance to fly on public property.
We plan follow-ups from the Academy to notify the clubs where a local official stopped by the booth, in addition to direct-mail letters to all. Building relationships is a long-term process. Clubs that have gone out of their way to involve elected officials in activities and functions tend to have fewer problems in the long run.
Returning to Muncie, Indiana, from a visit to Florida during the Thanksgiving holidays brought home a point that has been discussed in online forums, club meetings, and nearly any gathering of modelers across the nation. This had nothing to do with modeling. A young person was counting back change to me after I purchased something at the airport in Atlanta. Something disturbed the normal flow of the transaction and the cashier didn’t have the cash register to indicate how much change I should receive. With a panicked expression, the person ran in search of a handheld calculator and painfully entered the amount I gave, subtracted the purchase price, and arrived at the amount of change I was due.
I’m showing I’m old school and a long-ago product of the JCPenney company (read between the lines—before computer cash registers), and was taught in school and at work to count back the change to the customer. It’s simple math: begin with the cost of the item and count back the change up to the amount tendered for the purchase.
I have been told that stores don’t want clerks to use their minds and should just do as the registers tell them to do. What we have is the loss of a skill set, which mirrors our own problem with the loss of building skills as one generation comes forward with only the ARF (Almost-Ready-to-Fly) skill set. I don’t begin to question the benefits of what ARFs and RTFs (Ready-to-Fly) have done. They allow those who have neither the time nor the skill set to build a model the opportunity to become involved in model aviation.
We all welcome them in the challenge and joy of flight, but unlike my Atlanta experience where a handheld calculator saved the day, what’s to become of that modeler who doesn’t have a clue about repairing that model or properly maintaining it? It’s something to think about.
Maybe I’m looking for an answer in this world of instant gratification. How do we pass on those building skills to the next generation?
Jim Cherry Executive Director [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
