Get involved
Thayer Syme
thayer@flying-models.com
One of the great laments you often hear in our hobby is that there are fewer and fewer young people getting involved with building and flying models. I’ve heard all sorts of reasons given for this throughout the years, with the most common these days being that “kids are distracted by electronics and the Internet.” No question—that is happening.
In the 1920s and ’30s, long before television and Al Gore, aviation was the big draw of the day. Charles Lindbergh’s flight sparked an explosion of flying interest that will never be seen again. Every scrap of open land was fair game for budding pilots of all ages, and it was not uncommon for a large model contest to attract several thousand or more competitors and spectators.
Most kids couldn’t help but be interested in flying models because everyone was doing it. Times change, though. That simply isn’t the case anymore, and hasn’t been for a while.
For example, when I was in high school in the late 1970s, a couple of friends and I thought our school should have an official model airplane club. We
knew that one of our faculty members was an active modeler, and as the metal working instructor for our shop classes, he was the natural choice as our advisor.
He expressed interest when presented with our idea, although he also asked how many others would be joining. It was decided that we would come back and talk to him again after recruiting at least a few more members for our nascent group. The three of us put up signs around the school and talked it up, but to no avail. We ultimately came to realize that we were the only few among 700 students who were actively interested in building flying models. Our club had exactly one meeting.
Despite my preceding words of doom and gloom, I believe that the inherent magic of flight is timeless—especially when the flying machine is something you have crafted with your own hands—and remains just as seductive
longer has the mass draw of yesteryear, one obstacle for kids entering our hobby these days is simply getting the appropriate exposure and experienced guidance to explore their potential interest in an age-appropriate manner.
Give Them a Chance
As a case in point, early last spring, my wife asked me if our son’s Boy Scout troop might be able to do something with Estes model rockets during the family camping weekend in June, which traditionally ends the season. Of course, she was really asking if I was up to supervising such an activity, and I willingly jumped in.
What I wasn’t prepared for was that in his troop of roughly 20 boys, few had previous modeling experience of any kind, but not to worry. We still had three weekly meetings set aside for building the rockets when our goodies arrived
from Hobbico. And no, it wasn’t enough. Only one rocket was completed by the end of the third meeting in the gym. Most were close though, and with a final push at the campground, we finished the final assembly and painting by modeling al fresco on a picnic table.
The entire troop proceeded to the launch site en masse as the wind dropped late in the day, and we began to set up for fun. We started with a full safety briefing, a quick lesson on packing a parachute, and another lesson on preparing the engines for launch. We also established a spectator line to ensure safe viewing for anyone who was not actively launching a model.
Each Scout initially made a solo flight with the recommended first flight engine. Much as when a rubber Free Flight (FF) model is trimmed, starting
As the day progressed, several just-for-fun races added an extra level of excitement to the launches—and helped speed things along.
with low-power launches allowed us to get a good feel for the wind drift and ensured that all of the fins were straight. It also helped to make sure that everyone received the appropriate attention, and left us plenty of room to raise the performance on later flights.
With the initial launches behind us, we put a second, and ultimately a third, launch pad in play. The boys had a great time “racing” their rockets and comparing the different results that various designs and engine sizes offered. A few Scouts had older rockets that we encouraged them to bring in addition to the provided models.
Of course, there were a few “issues.” Miscalculated wind drift, parachutes that didn’t deploy, and a few fins that were not glued to the rocket quite as firmly as we thought, all came into play. In the end, however, it didn’t really matter, because everyone had a wonderful time.
More than 2½ hours passed in a flash, and as we packed up and headed back to the campsite for dinner, the Scouts chattered away, debriefing each other on the spectacular successes and failures.
It has been great to see the memories from that successful day living on within the troop. Even now, six months later, new Scouts are being told of the fun they can expect in June as they are welcomed into the fold.
Whether it is an Estes rocket or a simple FF model, seeing the boys successfully build something that taps into the magic of flight reminds me that as long as we help spread the word, this great hobby will easily outlast us all.
Sources:
Estes
(719) 372-6565
www.estesrockets.com
