Education Through Aviation
Bill Pritchett, Education Director
“The paradox of reality is that no image is as compelling as the one which exists only in the mind’s eye.” —Shana Alexander
We were lucky last fall. The flying season lasted all the way through October and into November. I clearly recall one of the last days we had before the weather broke and saying, “We need to remember this day.” Of course, we then race into the gym and sort of distract each other from the reality of that beautiful 70° November day.
We don’t remember that day; or, do we? I’m pretty sure we all remember some part of those kinds of days. Although this is written for the April issue of Model Aviation, there is a wind chill of 6° today with a few inches of snow on the ground. Those of us who can’t fly outside year-round are left to our imagination, memories, or rather the image that exists in our mind’s eye.
My own image is kind of complex in that it’s more than visual. I always feel the warmth of the sun, the bright light in the sky, and the smell of good soil. There’s something about how spring makes the soil smell.
Anyway, as we imagine returning to our favorite place, our mind’s eye provides a pretty good image of that place. About now, in early February, is when it really cranks up. We imagine being at the field, putting up great flight after great flight.
Our mind even remembers the stuff we were trying to do last season with less than great success. I can go through certain maneuvers in my head over and over, often making the same mistakes! And then stop, think it through, and use the correct rudder. Over and over—it works. The mind’s eye does work. Use it and enjoy where it takes you.
Maybe your mind’s eye takes you to some nonflying activities that you could provide for your club and community. As summer approaches, always know that your AMA Education department provides many resources that are at your disposal.
- AMA’s Flight School is a robust educational online resource that includes interactive games, videos, tool kits, and instructions for all skill levels and ages of model aircraft enthusiasts. Flight School now includes sUAS introductory and safety information, Know Before You Fly, as well as an online sUAS Ground School course by Fly Robotics (www.amaflightschool.org).
- Camp AMA. The AMA hosts more than 40 teenagers at a weeklong summer camp to enjoy flying with the nation’s top RC pilots. From beginners to advanced fliers, campers practice their techniques, watch flight demonstrations, develop new flight skills, and learn best practices to adhere to AMA’s Safety Code (www.amaflightschool.org/campama).
- UAS4STEM. New in 2015, UAS4Stem is a STEM-based program for students in grades 6-12. The program is designed to encourage students to learn about the sUAS (drone) phenomenon through teamwork, competition, and success through STEM. Online ground courses will be provided to students at no additional cost. After successful completion of courses, students will receive their build kits. Program registration includes AMA membership and benefits (uas4stem.org).
- Model Aviation Student Club (MASC). MASC is a club chartering program for school aeromodeling clubs. It gives schools the opportunity to teach aeromodeling curriculum in their school. Some of the membership benefits for MASC include free AMA membership for the faculty sponsor and students, full AMA insurance benefits, scholarship opportunities, and access to the AMA’s educational resources (www.amaflightschool.org/programs/MASC).
- University Model Aviation Student Club (UMASC). Redesigned in 2017, UMASC is a club charter program for university students with an interest in model aviation to form a club within their college or university. The faculty sponsor or advisor will receive a free AMA membership and monthly copy of Model Aviation magazine. Students will receive AMA membership at a discounted rate, and a monthly digital copy of Model Aviation magazine. Students will also be eligible for AMA’s scholarship opportunities (www.amaflightschool.org/programs/umasc).
- Learn sUAS. This is a new website from the AMA Education Department that assists sUAS hobbyists with learning how to fly and safely operate their aircraft. Here you will find free educational courses and up-to-date information (suas.modelaircraft.org).
- AMA Day Camp. This is a resource for our education outreach volunteers, as well as any model aviation educator who is seeking guidance. Here you will find ideas, activities, and suggestions on how to deliver and promote our education outreach program at home, in the classroom, or out on the flying field (www.amaflightschool.org/programs/ama-day-camp).
I generally try to keep this a light read and not dig too deeply into the weeds regarding any topic. However, I want to close this month with some text taken from a white paper written a few years ago by our Education Outreach director, Dr. Gordon Schimmel, Ed.D.
As some, but not nearly enough of you, are aware, our departmental motto is “Education Through Aviation.” Although I’m not sure where that came from, it certainly fits our mission. The text that Gordon wrote really ties all of the resources mention here earlier—our staff, our volunteers, the education committee, and anyone else who has recognized and/or experienced the teaching value of a model airplane—together.
“Throughout aviation history and up to the present day, models have been and continue to be used as proof-of-concept vehicles in full-scale aircraft design. Modeling is essential to math, science, and engineering—in fact, to all creative thinking. The model is a metaphor—a way of understanding cause and effect, a context, an outcome. A theoretical construct in math that opens a new understanding of the natural world, a biochemical representation that leads to new cures for disease, a three-dimensional representation of an aircraft to fly on Mars—all begin as models in the mind, an essential step in the creative process that provides scaffolds to understanding.”
Models in the mind. The mind’s eye. Imagine it, and then do it.
Fly and have fun!
