KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY DRONE KITS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE OFF!
By Kyle Jaracz, AMA’s Education Director
THE ACADEMY of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is developing 2,500 student drone kits and supporting educational materials on behalf of the Know Before You Fly [KBYF] program, for distribution across the nation. These drone kits will help teach 9th- through 12th-grade students about science, aerodynamics, engineering principles, aviation principles, drones, and safe flying practices. Additionally, this effort will encourage students to pursue careers in aviation-related fields, in support of the FAA’s Aviation and Space Education (AVSED) goals.
Each kit contains all necessary components and instructions to assemble a small drone, including goggles for optional first-person view flying. Educators who receive the kits will have online access to a variety of supporting materials including an instructional build video, live professional development webinars, and a custom unit of study with a variety of lessons and activities for use with students.
“We’re proud to offer our expertise in all things model aviation as it related to this KBYF project. The AMA has supported educational outreach since 1936, and this project falls completely within our wheelhouse. We love getting people excited about aviation, and the opportunities it provides as a STEM teaching tool and model aviation in general as a wholesome hobby, competitive outlet, and a rewarding career path,” said Kyle Jaracz, Education Director for the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
Distribution of kits is being determined by communication with the nation’s 25 largest school districts and other national organizations that support youth education. Delivery of student drone kits will begin in late March and continue until all available kits have been shipped, no later than September 2023. Kits are made available at no cost to recipients with the support of federal funding.
If you would like to receive more information about these kits, please send an email to KBYF_DroneKit@modelaircraft.org.
ABOUT KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY
KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY (KBYF) is a cooperative educational campaign that provides drone/unmanned aircraft system (UAS) aircraft with information and guidance needed to fly drones safely and responsibly. In December 2014, the AMA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) founded Know Before You Fly in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration. The Consumer Technology Association was added as a partner to the cooperative program in 2020.
BRYANT “CAP” THOMPSON (1929-2023)
BRYANT “CAP” THOMPSON, of Norwood, Massachusetts, passed away at the age of 93 on April 27, 2023. He is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Bryant lived an accomplished life, earning more than 130 trophies and plaques from model meets. His interest in aeromodeling began at a young age. He started building Megow stick-and-tissue scale models in 1938 and used this interest to propel his careers in both model and full-scale aviation.
Enlisting in 1947, Bryant became an aircraft and engine mechanic in the U.S. Air Force. He then became a crew chief on T-33s and F-94s. Later, Bryant was commissioned and became a missile maintenance officer, working on the Snark, Atlas, and Minute Man. He retired as a Minute Man ballistic missile instructor at Chanute Air Force Base (AFB).
Starting in 1948, Bryant began competing in the Nats. He went on to compete in at least 14 more, in which he flew the first four-engine (B-17 G Scale) and six-engine (B-36) Control Line models. Throughout his Nats career, Bryant was runner-up for high-points champion in 1963, helped judge and coordinate several Nats as a contest director starting in 1955, and was a member of the U.S. Air Force model team (of which he was the worldwide champion four times, in 1963, ’64, ’65, and ’67!).
Model rocketry became an interest to him. He became a member and team manager of the 1970 FAI model rocket team, where he competed in Vrsacin the former Yugoslavia. Bryant then went on to set a total of eight national records and one world record in model rocketry.
Bryant was appointed District VI vice president in 1985, for which he earned the AMA Meritorious Service award. He was inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002, and had several airplanes and boats, among various modeling articles, published in magazines such as Air Trails magazine, American Modeler magazine, and Remote Control Boat magazine. Some of his published airplanes include the Chow Hound, Miss Max, and The Ringer. His published boats include the Tara Dawn, Hercules, and Ocean Challenger.
Always wanting to introduce others to the hobby of model aviation, Bryant helped organize clubs at Tyndall AFB, Moody AFB, Chitose AFB Japan, Amarillo AFB, and Chanute AFB. In 1959, he produced a kit for a glider called The Ruse and sold it locally in Texas. Eventually, Bryant started his own hobby shop, Slot and Wing Hobbies, in 1965. His shop was successful and grew into two stores by the time of his retirement in 1985.
Bryant’s full autobiography, which he wrote in 2002, can be found at in the AMA History Project at www.modelaircraft.org/sites/default/files/files/ThompsonBryant.pdf.
Model Builder Plans
AMA PLANS SERVICE now houses all plans formerly sold through Model Builder magazine, Bill Northrup’s Plan Service, and the Scratch Builder’s Almanac. There are more than 18,000 plans in the collection.
The Electric Mustang, from Model Builder plans, is a 1995 electric-powered aircraft with a 48-inch wingspan designed and built by Scott Hartman. The airplane has a wing loading of 16 to 17 ounces per sq. ft., weighs 47 to 53 ounces, and has a 418 sq. in. wing area.
You can order plans for the Electric Mustang, plans number 6951, for $19 by visiting https://plans.modelaircraft.org/ or calling AMA Plans Service at (800) 435-9262, extension 507.
History Preserved
100-PLUS YEARS OF AEROMODELING IN RANDOM ITEMS
By Jackie Shalberg, National Model Aviation Museum archivist and historian
Part 4: 2000s-2020s
Well, here we are, finally making it to the end of this series. The artifacts that I’ve discussed in this series have been from the museum’s collections—items that might not appear regularly in the “History Preserved” column, but that are interesting nonetheless!
This month, I present Part 4, with items from the current millennium—one each from the 2000s, 2010s, and, our current decade, the 2020s. (See the January 2023 issue of Model Aviation for the 1910s-1940s, the March 2023 issue for the 1950s-1970s, and the May 2023 issue for the 1980s and 1990s.)
2000s
The museum has a charming patch that I’ve wanted to share in this article series for a while. Actually, we have five similar patches, but I’m only presenting an image of one of them (see the rest in the National Model Aviation Museum’s Digital Collections!). The five patches are from past Mint Julep Scale Meets, representing the years 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
What a smart design choice for patches to look like full mint julep cups; they are thematic, and visually, you can quickly tell they’re from the Mint Julep Scale Meet, even among a multitude of other patches (and, oh my, does the museum have a lot of patches!). The 2002 patch shown, donated by Jerry Epps, represents the 30th annual meet, with “30th” cleverly stitched on the cup’s ice.
The Mint Julep Scale Meet hit its 50th anniversary last year. For much of its history, its location was Rough River Dam State Resort Park in Kentucky, but in Stan Alexander’s October 2022 Model Aviation article, he mentioned that the Kentucky park had been under renovation for a few years. There was a venue change to Bill Beach Airfield in Rosewood, Indiana. Despite this, the show went on!
Following are a few of the many Model Aviation articles and columns that feature the Mint Julep Scale Meet, including Stan’s 2022 article. Those mentioned can be read online in the Model Aviation Digital library or on Model Aviation’s website at www.ModelAviation.com. All of the issues can be read in-person at the museum’s library.
- September 1979: “Radio Control Scale” column by Bob and Dolly Wischer
- June 2003: “Mint Julep Scale Meet” by Stan Alexander
- September 2016: “44th Annual Mint Julep” by Stan Alexander
- October 2022: “50th Annual Mint Julep Scale Contest” by Stan Alexander
See the digital edition of Model Aviation for quick and easy access to the above articles!
2010s
As we speed through the millennium, we gather more born-digital items (essentially, items that were originally created electronically). The 2018 AMA Safety Handbook is one of the born-digital items that we have in the museum archives from the 2010s, and we’ve made it available through the Museum’s Digital Collections.
Safety is important, and keeping up-to-date on protocols is a necessity! Have you read the most recent version of the handbook? Catch up with AMA’s latest version, dated March 2023, titled AMA Member Safety Program Handbook. It’s available on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/sites/default/files/documents/100.pdf. (A copy of the 2023 version has been added to the museum archives.)
2020s
We’re only a few years into the 2020s, but we’re already collecting from the current decade for future research needs. For example, on July 31, 2021, the AMA Foundation held a donor appreciation luncheon, and two of the programs were kept for the archives to help document this event.
Donors are vital to this institution; we appreciate all of our past and current donors for their support! There are many ways to donate to the museum, including through object donations, financial giving, and/or by becoming a Museum Patron. The museum’s donation guide can be found on our website, as well as a donation frequently asked questions page covering some of our most frequent donation questions.
If you’d like to donate to the museum, call or write to us. We can be reached by phone at (765) 287-1256, ext. 500 or 511, or by email at museum@modelaircraft.org. Monetary donation and patron program questions will be forwarded to the AMA Foundation.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the four-part journey through the decades with random collection items. If you haven’t yet had a chance, check out these items and more in the museum’s Digital Collections at https://modelaircraft.pastperfectonline.com.
