MAAA Wingspan

25 FEBRUARY WING SPAN MAAALogo. With an understanding of the STEM goals, we can work and incorporate aeromodelling into the learning program. Schools have a degree of latitude to introduce things they want to introduce and put in optional subjects they might not otherwise have as part of the formal curriculum. How do we try and sustain budding pilots’ enthusiasm once the program commences? Teaching young aeromodellers has a couple of important ingredients. The first is to talk to them in a way that is a shared conversation and not to talk down to them. Then to create, build andmaintain ownership in what they are doing and to have fun! If you encourage them tomaintain ownership of everything throughout the entire process, then the chances of them retaining interest and signing up to the sport aremuch higher. What’s the easiest aircraft to learn to fly? Drones practically fly themselves so they’re the easiest aircraft to get people excited about flying - they are also readily available. However, they’re quite challenging froma theoretical point-of-view. It’s pretty high-level math and electronics. It’s a simpler thing to teach a fixed wing or regular aircraft, including gliders, as the principles aremore straightforward to start with. Helicopters or turbine-powered aircraft requiremore advanced knowledge and skills. It all comes down to how quickly you can teach the principles of flight and that depends on the instructor and their expertise in communicating and supporting the student to learn. What are the pros and cons of training on a simulator? While simulators are a great learning tool, like all learning tools they have to be used in conjunction with first-hand experience of the real thing. Recently, I had twenty students fromQueensland University of Technology who were all quite proficient on the simulator and wanted to come out to the flying field and have a go at the real thing. When they did, the general consensus was that it was very different from the simulation. For example, you don’t have many repercussions on a simulator when you crash. What’s the ultimate outcome for budding pilots who have completed an aeromodelling school program? If we have done our job well and engaged their curiosity, then we have opened doors to clubs that will help them further develop their skills and where they will want to perfect their abilities, try different types of aircraft and learn the technical aspects along the way. At some point other interests may surface, as it did for some of us, but in the back of their minds will be this place where they felt how amazing it was to fly a model, howmuch fun they had and how clever they felt when they flew, performed aerobatics and landed safely. When life then provides a need for such an outlet or an opportunity, they will come back and be glad that they did. Some of us never give it up along the way, others have certainly had to go and come back. It does come down to priorities in life. Some will progress into themany fields of aviation. Again, it’s about creating, building andmaintaining ownership. If we do that we have a chance of keeping them. The important part is how we can positively introduce people to aeromodelling andmaintain their interest of flying well into the future.