Getting Kids into RC

Flight is something kids can get excited about.

Written by Jim Graham Born To Fly Product Review As seen in the January 2019 issue of Model Aviation.

the edwin warner model 05 aviators — The author’s club, the Edwin Warner Model 05 Aviators, has days set aside for young people to come out to the field. The club members explain and share the hobby with them.

the litespeed airshow team explains how the surfaces — The Litespeed Airshow team explains how the surfaces on an RC airplane relate to how it flies.

the litespeed airshow team spreads — The Litespeed Airshow team spreads the word about RC throughout Oklahoma.

I’M ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING anything that helps propel our hobby into the future. I have been working with other RC journalists who also continue to be aware of current RC topics in order to help spread the word on how to support our great hobby. After my September 2018 column about being an ambassador to the hobby came out, I received many messages of support.

This January, I want to shine a light on a company that is sharing our hobby with kids who are the future of RC.

The dreams of children have changed the world, and there is no better way than to tell a story—the story of how the Wright brothers started out as children thinking about flight. Their dreams and talent led them to successfully design and fly the first powered airplane.

The Litespeed Airshow demonstration team uses model airplanes during air show-style performances inside school gymnasiums at kindergarten through sixth-grade assemblies. The team’s goal is to make flight fun.

The program is entertaining and educational. Each stunt and trick is designed to excite the kids about flight. The team flies airplanes out of boxes with confetti and hauls up gates with drones. They teach youngsters about the science of aviation and how an airplane works, then demonstrate in detail how airplane surfaces affect flight.

The Litespeed team also brings the history of flight to life through the compelling story of the Wright brothers’ childhood dream of building a flying machine. They use this story to inspire vision, perseverance, and imagination in the kids.

The STEM experience is reinforced with valuable character lessons, encouraging children to work hard and to say no to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and profanity. Additionally, the children are taught to faithfully honor their parents, neighbors, teachers, and educators. The team uses the excitement of RC to instill some solid values by which to live.

One of the exciting portions of the show is a jet race. The speed and sound of the jets really excite the kids. The teachers are on the edges of their seats, and the kids are jumping up and down screaming. It is truly a great way to not only share how airplanes work, but to spread the enthusiasm for flight to the younger generation—the future of our hobby.

The aspects of the show are about never giving up, making mistakes, and making corrections. All of that reinforces what the Wright brothers had to face when trying to invent the powered airplane. They crashed more than 200 times but never gave up. This is the message shared with kids throughout the country.

The children respond to the airplanes, the action, and the message. We know how hard it is to get the attention of kids today. Programs such as this aren’t only about flight and RC airplanes. They are also about igniting their curiosity about flight and design, and creating our future generation of pilots, engineers, astronauts, and more!

You can share the hobby simply by talking to kids at your flying field.

Litespeed is based in Oklahoma and the team travels throughout the state spreading the word about flight and model aviation, but there are many more kids out there to reach. I urge you, as ambassadors of our hobby, to do the same in your own way in your neck of the woods.

My local club was kind enough to help me not only learn to fly RC but to also successfully build my first RC airplane. The Edwin Warner Model Aviators club in Nashville, Tennessee, has hosted school events at the flying field. They invite children to the club field and the club pilots bring various aircraft to wow the youngsters. They have trainers that allow the kids to get on the sticks and find out how exciting flying an RC airplane really is.

These are great examples of ways to not only share the hobby, but to get young people interested in model aviation. As we know, flying RC can result in not only having a rewarding hobby, but also setting young people on a path that could result in careers in flight, design, engineering, and more! Use your club and your RC skillset to help change the lives of young people for the better.

I want to give a big thanks to AMA members who are already spreading the word about model aviation to youngsters. If you currently have activities that promote our hobby, I would love to hear about what you are doing. If I get enough feedback, I could highlight them in a future article.

By Jim Graham | [email protected]

Sources:

Litespeed Airshow

(918) 269-3594

www.litespeedairshow.com

Litespeed Airshow Presentation

www.vimeo.com/266947751/c9cbaf0d17

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2 comments

Submitted by Sadry Tavana (not verified) on March 14, 2019 - 12:54pm

Show in MA

I live in Belmont MA and an avid RCer. I think what you are doing is great. Do you do shows in different states like MA. If yes, I would like to recommend this to our school system to consider. Thanks!

Submitted by Tom Jones (not verified) on July 19, 2021 - 10:47pm

Building, flying RC planes- beginners.

My 10 year old grandson has expressed an interest for several years in flying model planes. We have folded and flown dozens of paper airplanes, he enjoys flying a small drone and his interest has grown into building and flying RC planes. Hoping you might advise me about instructional classes for young children in the science and art of RC planes. Thank you.