Modeling Spoken Here
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
Something that happened at AMA Convention 2002 ... has me even more excited about television.
SINCE THE EVENTS of September 11, there have been countless stories of the durability and generosity of the American spirit. Interestingly, nothing pulls this country together in a more positive way than a shared national tragedy such as the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the downing of the airliner in western Pennsylvania.
Our makeup in times like these is such that all petty bickering, political polarity, and personal differences are relegated to the status where they really belong: forgotten! I don't know about you, but I've been more proud to be an American since September 11 — or at least more aware that I really have something of which to be proud and that I always have.
Taking things for granted is human nature, especially good things. That's why when I heard about the following story, I made a vow to continue to try hard to keep aware of my blessings as an American each and every day. I want to be vigilant to look for the positive things that humans can, and do, accomplish and try not to be too concerned with the negative.
In the March "Letters to the Editor" section in Model Aviation there was a letter from Vincent Aprea. Vincent, who is a police officer assigned to the Emergency Service Unit in New York City, was off duty on September 11 and was on his way to the flying field near his Levittown, New York home to fly his Radio Control Kyosho Corsair when the call reached him about the attacks.
Immediately Vince headed to his car at extremely high speed toward the city to report to his squad. It was apparently a pretty rough ride. He got there and did his duty, and we're thankful that he made it through that day physically unscathed. His unit of 348 officers, however, lost 14 members. Two of these were from Vincent's own station.
I don't think that any of us who were not there can even begin to imagine how horrible the events of that day were for Vincent and his brother and sister officers. To him and his unit we extend our sincere condolences for their losses and a prayer that they will never again have to experience a tragedy of that magnitude.
In the aftermath of all this, Vincent finally made it back to his car and drove home. He found that his Corsair model had been totally destroyed by the rough ride of that morning. I'm sure this was of little or no consequence to Vincent in light of the rest of that day's losses, but here's where one of those wonderful human kindnesses comes into play.
The nice folks at Hobbico had apparently read Vincent's letter and have sent him a brand-new Corsair — free of charge!
There are times when we all have a tendency to believe that the larger companies have little or no regard for us as individuals, but think of us only as a number. This story certainly dispels that thought for me. Way to go, Hobbico.
Enjoy it, Vincent.
Worthwhile Viewing:
I don't know about you, but I'm finding less and less worth watching on the great "one-eyed monster" (TV) these days. If channel-surfing was an Olympic sport, I'd be on our team!
I've always been a moderate sports fan, so ESPN gets some viewing time. Ditto for motor sports (especially motorcycling — ask me about my Hayabusa!), so I also stop often at the Speed Channel (formerly Speedvision). I find the "Biography" program on the Arts & Entertainment channel extremely interesting, and, being an animal lover, I get a kick out of the Animal Planet channel (can you believe that Steve Irwin guy?). Who among us can't relate to good, old Norm Abram and his "The New Yankee Workshop" series? Norm would certainly make an excellent modeler!
And I have to admit to being a movie junkie, especially of the World War II movies with airplanes and submarines. (My all-time favorite flick is Air Force with John Garfield.) I'm certain that most of you reading this can relate to that. So the American Movie Classics channel, or AMC, and Turner Classic Movies, or TCM, are also frequent stops for me when I have the "clicker." My wife will tell you that's all the time ...
Modeling Spoken Here
The following is not a plug—just an opinion. I believe that the two consistently best channels on television are The History Channel and the Discovery Channel; I’ve learned more from programs on those networks than from anything else I’ve ever watched on the tube.
Yes, for a long while I had felt that television was a vast wasteland, but in recent years the aforementioned channels and programs have made it a medium from which a lot of information and knowledge can be gleaned. Too bad the networks don’t take the hint.
Why am I writing here about my viewing habits? Something that happened at AMA Convention 2002 in Pasadena CA this past January has me even more excited about television.
Have you been watching The History Channel’s series entitled “Modern Marvels”? This is a really interesting program that deals with high-tech “toys,” and I’ve always thought that our world of model airplanes and helicopters would be a natural for them to highlight in a segment of that program.
It seems that they had already thought of that, and through a visit to our Web site they found out about the convention and sent a video crew and producer to cover the event for an upcoming segment of “Modern Marvels.”
I was honored to have been asked to be the spokesperson for AMA and technical guide for the crew, and I spent a whole day walking around with them, explaining the many and varied aspects of our hobby/sport.
Having been involved in video production myself for several years, it was enlightening to see how top-end professionals gather information. They shot several hours of footage which will eventually be edited down into a half-hour program. It will be very interesting to see what portions they decide to use.
When will it air? The representatives of Actuality Productions, who shot the footage at Pasadena for The History Channel, told us that the likely air date would be June 20 of this year. To be sure you don’t miss it, just in case it is scheduled for a different time slot in your area, check your local listings.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Donnie Anderson, who was the producer sent by Actuality Productions, and Jed Udall, who did the videotaping. They were very quick studies who were enthusiastic and receptive to my ideas. It was a great experience!
As always, if you would like to get in touch with me, I can be reached at <REDACTED>. My address is <REDACTED>. My E-mail address is <REDACTED>. I’m usually here, except on those rare occasions when I’m out on location for a “shoot” — ahem.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
