District I

District I

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

As the school year came to an end, another AMA District I club did great work in introducing local students to aviation, aeromodeling, and flying. The following report was submitted by Ronald Faanes Ph.D.

Several members of the Fairfield League of Yankee Radio Controllers (FLYRC), in Southbury, Connecticut, and I developed a Principles of Flight Program. As a team, we worked and coordinated with the AMA, FAA, Estes Rockets, and the Town of Roxbury and its Booth Free School in Connecticut.

On Monday, May 16, we introduced the program to the fifth-grade class. The students listened intently to an hour-long slideshow, with hands-on demonstrations. They had many questions.

The lecture topics included the history of flight, what is required for fixed- and rotary-wing flight, and how jet and rocket engines work. The morning culminated in six groups of three students building their own Estes rockets.

During the second segment of the day, the class was divided into two groups. One went out to the playground behind the school to launch their model rockets. The remaining students went into the gym and got a chance to fly indoor miniature helicopters with a buddy-box controller that was aided by an AMA Introductory Pilot instructor.

Every team of students had at least two rocket launches. Some misfired, but eventually all took flight. Unfortunately, the single rocket with a video camera was knocked off course by a gust of wind as its chute deployed, which took it beyond the landing zone into a bog.

All of the students received an AMA ALPHA rubber-powered glider to take home and put together.

Overall, the day was a huge success and can be summarized best by one student’s comment: “Usually I don’t like Mondays, but this was the best Monday ever!”

Thanks Ron and FLYRC members for developing, conducting, and reporting on your excellent Principles of Flight Program.

Two FLYRC adults conducting a buddy-box student flight — AMA FLYRC club adults (far right, L-R) Ron Faanes and Bill Josiger conducted lectures and buddy-box student flights. View FLYRC’s 22 lecture slides of How and Why Things Fly at https://amadistrict-i.org/flyrc-slides.

Adults presenting a flight lecture to students — AMA FLYRC club adults (far right, L-R) Ron Faanes and Bill Josiger conducted lectures and buddy-box student flights. View FLYRC’s 22 lecture slides of How and Why Things Fly at https://amadistrict-i.org/flyrc-slides.

FLYRC adults posing with Booth Free School students — (L-R) FLYRC adults in the picture are Grant, Bill, Ron, Gary Klein, and Mike Samsen, posing with the Booth Free School in Connecticut. View the FLYRC video Principles of Flight at https://amadistrict-i.org/flyrc-video.

Adult helping a student launch a model rocket — (L-R) FLYRC adults in the picture are Grant, Bill, Ron, Gary Klein, and Mike Samsen, posing with the Booth Free School in Connecticut. View the FLYRC video Principles of Flight at https://amadistrict-i.org/flyrc-video.