One of the 55 clubs that received a Club Training Day Starter Kit from the AMA Foundation is AMA District II's Corning Tri-Rivers R/C Modeleers. Club President Jordan Worley provided the following write-up about how his club utilized its kit during their annual fun fly:
"[On June 28], our club had our annual fun fly. We promote it heavily on social media and within the community through the local television news, as it's a great way to introduce the public to model aviation.
"We had several families show up that were previously unaffiliated with the model aviation community. They were there simply to spectate. Four of those families had youth who were able to take an introductory flight thanks to the AMA Foundation Club Training Day Starter Kit that we received. None of those families were expecting their children to have the opportunity to fly an RC airplane that day, but they did thanks to the AMA Foundation's commitment to growing the hobby through AMA Introductory Pilot Program clubs.
"Introductory Pilot Program Instructor Jordan Worley was on hand to explain the basics, answer questions, and assist them all with their first flights. After their flights, Jordan spoke about the AMA, what they do for the hobby, and the benefits of an AMA membership. He also spoke about trainer aircraft, Li-Po batteries (and battery safety), and the use of Horizon Hobby's RealFlight simulator to be able to practice at home.
"Because of their experiences at our fun fly, two of those families committed to joining the AMA and our club to continue their children's interest in the hobby. Attached are photos of Kaelan and Kian after their first successful flights. They are the newest members of the Corning Tri-Rivers R/C Modeleers."
The AMA Foundation was thrilled to receive this write-up from Jordan! The Corning Tri-Rivers R/C Modeleers' use of the Club Training Day Starter Kit is exactly what we at the AMA Foundation envisioned. We couldn't be happier to hear that club members were able to introduce newcomers to the hobby, with the added bonus of recruiting new members for both AMA and the Corning Tri-Rivers R/C Modeleers!
We're eager to hear how other AMA Introductory Pilot Program clubs have utilized their Club Training Day Starter Kits. If your club received a kit, let Chief Communications Officer Clarissa Poston know how your training efforts have been impacted by emailing clarissap@modelaircraft.org.
