Flying for Fun
THE ALTERNATIVE to Aging is Unacceptable! Likely, you've heard this sentiment before; consider the alternative and see if you don't agree. Unfortunately, the aging process is both unstoppable and inevitable. That reality only adds to the importance and urgency of activities such as I am about to relate, and on a broader scale, the Celebration of Eagles that will be held at AMA headquarters July 6-7, 1996. Have you ever considered how untimely eulogies are? Much preferred is an expression of respect and admiration delivered to the person while they are still able to appreciate it! As someone once said: "Honor the living, respect the dead."
Flying for Fun
Editorial Comment: One of the cardinal rules of journalism involves the difference between news and commentary. As an example: "Miss Melanie hosted a sixth birthday party last Sunday," is news; adding "and a good time was had by all" is no longer news but an editorial comment, since it expresses a personal opinion. And a good time really was had by all! AMA hosted Celebration of Eagles at the national flying site in Muncie the first weekend of July 1996, and everyone had a fun-filled weekend. I was there and saw nothing but ear-to-ear smiles, heard nearly continuous laughter, and everyone I talked to raved about the really good time they were having!
Flying for Fun
IMAGE: This column will reach you just before Election Day 1996. Need I mention how disproportionately important the candidates' media images have become? Issues are now almost secondary to how the office-seeker looks and sounds on camera and in the newspapers. I mention this as a lead-in to something that involves the model aircraft sport/hobby and the image we frequently present to the public. All too frequently, our image is that of a bunch of senile older men flying toy airplanes! This image is not going to get us "elected" by the voting public!
Flying for Fun
OXYMORONS: Webster defines an oxymoron as "A combination of contradictory or incongruous words." Some classic examples are: "military intelligence," "sanitary landfill," "new antiques," and my pet, "converted rice." Modeling also seems to have created its share of these contradictory phrases. The amusing aspect of this phenomenon is our tendency to verbalize and write them without much consideration. I often catch myself saying and writing phrases that are rather embarrassing when I stop and think about them. As an example, "glow and ignition engines" doesn't hold up well to analytical process. Don't glow plugs ignite the fuel/air mixture too? In reality we mean "glow and spark," don't we?
Flying for Fun
I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT NEWCOMERS to the model airplane hobby. While some of my opinions are counter to those that are generally accepted, they are the result of more than 55 years of involvement in the hobby. I am certainly no "expert," but I do have experience on which I base my opinions. In the January 1995 Newcomer issue of Model Aviation I attempted to draw a comparison between planting seeds and growing active participants in our hobby. In that column I tried to subtly suggest that it was unlikely that young people under 20 would develop anything beyond a temporary interest in modeling. My premise was that recent empty-nesters, retirees, and father/son combinations possessed the necessary components for long-term active participation, but contemporary teenagers would likely be unable to overcome the built-in obstacles.
