Archive for April, 2008
I was asked by my mother's church to volunteer a course in Model Aviation for a nearby elementary school of 4th graders. These are hand-picked children of low-income and often single-parent homes.
Today was our second class and we got to "play" with RealFlight Simulator and building a Multiplex Easy Star RTF. Granted, their attention span is limited to 5 minutes but these young boys were very excited and eager to fly "something". I told each of them if they could fly in the simulator program and keep a plane in the air for 15 seconds or more, I'd allow them to pick any other plane in the computer and crash it. For some reason, this REALLY inspired them. Each of them completed the mission and then proceeded to see who could crash a jet the worst possible way. I must admit, it was funny.
Next Saturday is the final day of the course. We finish the Easy Star and build a Slow Stick. Then, weather permitting, we'll spend the rest of the day outside flying everything into the ground.
What is really nice is that the church donated $200 to the class and the student with the best grade at the end of the year gets the Easy Star. The second best grade gets the Slow Stick. Other students will get gift cards to the local hobby shop. What a wonderful way to motivate these young minds.
I should also mention that a local RC pilot DONATED his old Futaba 6EXA transmitter and some goodies for the cause!! Awesome!
So, all of you pilots out there....check with your local schools to see if you might be able to host an event like this. Many churches are looking for ways to help out the young children out there. Please let me know any of you get a chance to do something like this. Feel free to reply to this thread.
A few photos from today. I'll post the group photo next week. Don't you love the look on that boy's face holding the P-38??
-Lee
Today was our second class and we got to "play" with RealFlight Simulator and building a Multiplex Easy Star RTF. Granted, their attention span is limited to 5 minutes but these young boys were very excited and eager to fly "something". I told each of them if they could fly in the simulator program and keep a plane in the air for 15 seconds or more, I'd allow them to pick any other plane in the computer and crash it. For some reason, this REALLY inspired them. Each of them completed the mission and then proceeded to see who could crash a jet the worst possible way. I must admit, it was funny.
Next Saturday is the final day of the course. We finish the Easy Star and build a Slow Stick. Then, weather permitting, we'll spend the rest of the day outside flying everything into the ground.
What is really nice is that the church donated $200 to the class and the student with the best grade at the end of the year gets the Easy Star. The second best grade gets the Slow Stick. Other students will get gift cards to the local hobby shop. What a wonderful way to motivate these young minds.
I should also mention that a local RC pilot DONATED his old Futaba 6EXA transmitter and some goodies for the cause!! Awesome!
So, all of you pilots out there....check with your local schools to see if you might be able to host an event like this. Many churches are looking for ways to help out the young children out there. Please let me know any of you get a chance to do something like this. Feel free to reply to this thread.
A few photos from today. I'll post the group photo next week. Don't you love the look on that boy's face holding the P-38??
-Lee
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