Thistledown Flyers Radio Control Club : Corky's Corner

Did anybody catch the guy who stole 2006? Wow that year sure went by quickly! But it was a fun, productive year for IMAA. The Joe Nall, the Summer Rally of Giants in California, Warbirds Over Delaware, and the Thistledown Flyers meets, and all of the IMAA Sanctioned Events, were well attended, fun and safe get togethers for Big Bird flight.

Our new Safety Director, Mike Brown, is doing a great job, and is making his presence really known. He has re-designed the Safety form that everyone fills out at an IMAA Sanctioned Event, making it easier to complete, and it now accommodates up to three planes per sheet. Safety is our number one priority, and with every member giving serious attention to their airplane maintenance, and their flying habits, we will continue to have a great safety record that we can be proud of.

The cover of this issue is very special to me. There are eleven “young guns” pictured. These guys are the future of IMAA. The IMAA Board has taken the initiative to make our organization as “youth friendly” as possible. The membership dues for kids 17 and under is only $10 (or $10 more for the entire family, at one mailing address). There are plans in the works for a special Youth section in HighFlight, and a special Youth section on the IMAA website.

HighFlight's Winter 2006 issue features some of the "Young Guns" who are the future of our hobby. Among those included on the cover are our own Matt "Prime Time" Moro (upper right) and Andrew "Bubba" Heitman (center). Click here for more about HighFlight's Winter 2006 issue.

But there is only so much that can be done at a National organization level to foster more young pilots. The really effective things to bring young people into our hobby has to be done at the local level, at the Chapter level, by YOU, the experienced modelers. If you have enjoyed this hobby at all, then think about ways that you can give back... and ways to get more young people flying. Yes, flying Big Birds can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are lots of IMAA legal aircraft that are economical. Climb up in your own attic, and see if there aren’t some planes up there that could be activated... maybe with a buddy box... to give some new young flyers (and perhaps their Dad’s as well) a chance to experience R/C flight.

Think about a Chapter project... to build some trainers, have a regularly scheduled “Learn to Fly Day”. How about building some of those Phony Fokker cardboard aircraft (Designed by District XII Director Brian Wattie). The complete construction article, plans, and even an article on converting a Weed Whacker engine to aircraft usage... is in the IMAA Giant Scale Handbook. The entire plane and engine package can be put together for under $200. The only problem with them is that they are hard to get away from the experienced flyers.... because they are a heck of a lot of fun!

One of the most successful events for young flyers is the Matt Chapman Youth Masters program, held by the Confederate Air Farce in South Carolina. Kids get to fly "serious" big birds, and can participate regardless of their flying skills. This picture shows the winners of the Basic Class, from left to right, Philip Thornton, AJ Vines, and Jim Bumbaugh. It wouldn't be hard to do something like this at your Chapter as well.

There is no doubt about it.... society has changed. Kids have changed. Us Baby Boomers (and older) were very much “Hands-On” when we were kids. We disassembled everything in sight (much to the distress of our parents.) Some, more sophisticated, kids even managed to put a few things back together. But building models taught us about adhesives, painting, soldering, structural design, mechanics, and a whole lot more. We never really thought of it as learning... it was just problem solving. Flying models taught us about aerodynamics, energy management, and all of the elements of flight that are just as true for a full size Boeing 777 as they are for an 80 inch model.

And the possibilities to promote this learning experience are endless. See what you can do to develop a cooperative relationship with a charitable organization, or a youth group like the Boy Scouts, YMCA, etc. Put on a “Learn to Fly” session, and charge a small fee for time on a buddy box. Donate the proceeds to the sponsoring organization. Promote the event to the local newspapers and TV stations. Get sponsorship from the local businesses, banks, etc. Have T-shirts printed, with the logos of the sponsoring businesses, etc. Those shirts will continue to be walking billboards, to promote your event, and make it more well known for future years. All it takes is imagination, and a little bit of effort. In a few years time, we could have HUNDREDS of Young Guns on the cover of HighFlight!