Education Through Aviation by Bill Pritchett, Education Director
“Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.” —Sidney Hook
Teachers are the pulse of our educational hearts. Teachers are the blood supply keeping education alive. Imagine loading learners into a room and simply closing the door. Would/could you expect results? I suppose so, but none that would be positive.
And then what would you do about today’s need to be politically correct? The students in a room by themselves are, after all, the center of the universe aren’t they?
Allow me to digress for just a moment. Noted columnist John Rosemond recently asked a married couple with three kids, none of whom are yet teens, “Who are the most important people in your family?” Like all good moms and dads of this new millennium, they shouted in unison, “Our kids!”
Rosemond went on to ask, “Why? What is it about our kids that give them that status?” The parents were left fumbling, so John answered for them: “There is no reasonable thing that gives your children that status.”
Bam! He goes on to explain that many, if not all, of the typical behavioral and learning concerns of kids today is a result of treating them as if everything exists because of the kids. The marriage, the family, everything centers on their children.
If you look back to your own childhood, you will recall that in most families, our parents were the most important people in the house. Therefore, we respected them and other adults as well. We looked up to adults in general.
Our parents’ marriages were more important than the relationship they had with us. We didn’t sleep in their beds or interrupt their conversations. We ate meals at home, together, and dinner conversation was an absolute. Dinner conversation was mom and dad talking mostly to each other—not ignoring us, but clearly catching up on the day themselves and serving as mature adults. When questioned, our best answer was always “Yes sir,” and “Yes ma’am.”
You see, an army needs a general, a corporation needs that CEO, a family needs parents, and a classroom needs a teacher. See what I did there? I didn’t really aberrate, or deviate, from the importance of a teacher.
Sidney Hook is correct in saying the teacher is the heart of the educational system—not the students. Parents and adults are the heart of a family. Kids need to be prepared for responsible citizenship, not straight As, three-letter jackets, a spot on the US Olympic Team, enrollment in the university, and becoming a prominent heart surgeon.
Kids need to become adults who contribute to community and culture. All the rest is good stuff, but not of much real value if contributions to society, especially in the form of respecting adults, and passing that value along, do not materialize. That teacher? He or she doesn’t stand a chance in a room full of kids who are raised to feel entitled and lacking respect for adults.
We’ve just returned from AMA Expo West and it was a great show this year. Leaving Muncie, the indicated temperature on my dashboard was -15°. A few hours later in Ontario, California, my rental vehicle showed 81°. I have never experienced a 96° swing in one day. Ever. It was nice, save the feeling in the back of one’s mind that the swing would eventually go the other way.
In the meantime, Expo was a success and we’re all extremely pleased and excited to be returning to California at new date and location at the LA County Fairgrounds in November. This venue will allow outdoor flying, cars, and boats—everything we love outside!
I’m sure that many of our manufacturers will take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate their latest gear. The date and location change are a great move for us and I can’t wait to watch it develop!
Don’t forget our Expo East, February 23-25, 2018, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. This will be our second year hosting Expo East. The reception last year was positive. I look forward to going back for 2018!
Earlier I mentioned our lovely weather, and although we aren’t outside flying anytime soon, there’s plenty to be done. I’ve always been thankful to not live where flying is possible year-round. I’m not sure what I would have been able to accomplish in that climate.
Anyway, it’s the perfect time to take a look at everything you plan to fly when the weather breaks. Most people probably do a standard look-over and check the basics. My son, Greyson, and I have found during the last few years that the overview approach is insufficient. We will put up hundreds of flights on many airframes and, although electric power is friendlier to servos and airframe than gas or glow, don’t be fooled. There is still plenty of vibration, especially harmonic vibration.
Look carefully at each servo and its connection, and take the time to balance each and every propeller you plan to fly. Look the landing gear over. We change out wheels/tires each season.
Place a bright light inside of the fuselage and make sure the original construction is still sound. Every year we find at least one crossbrace that looks as though it is attached but isn’t. Date all of your batteries, especially those used on the receiver. If you’ve used them for two seasons, dispose of them.
Carefully inspect each servo lead for wear as a result of rubbing against something not obvious when the airplane is sitting still. Take a tip from the helicopter fliers—secure servo leads into the receiver with a small bead of silicone.
Clean your airplane! I know, a novel thought for electrics, but those dang bugs are really tough to get off, especially when they’ve been on the airplane for six months!
Support equipment is just that. That becomes an issue when something fails. Power supplies, chargers, charge leads, and balance leads—all of it! Fix stuff. Get out in front of maintenance. Why? So you can . . .
Fly and have fun!
