Summer Encampment Introduces MARC RC Flight Academy Cadets To Flight

If there was ever a match made in heaven for youths who are interested in aviation, it’s the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) joining up with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet program.

In a Civil Air Patrol program called the Model Aircraft and Remote Control Flight Academy (MARC), Aspiring R/C pilots receive formal AMA ground instruction and will fly with an AMA flight instructor/pilot.

Through the use of buddy-boxes and hobby industry recognized basic and intermediate level model aircraft, the Cadets learn from the best instructors. Many cadets not only solo, they move on to complete higher levels of competency at this academy.

As reported on the AMA Education blog, 70 MARC RC Flight Academy cadets participated in this year’s summer encampments at the March Air Force Base in California and in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Each cadet was able to solo a Sensei RC trainer airplane.

Participant, Randy Carlson reports, “We flew them here in California in 104 -109 degree F weather and they worked out just fine. Like we suspected last year, you have to limit the flight times to 6-7 minutes and every so often take the plane out of the line up to rest and cool down. No components overheated, think about that!

“One day we were flying in 115 degree hot & dry heat and the Sensei kept on going as if nothing was any different than 72 – 80 degrees in Wisconsin. We had 45-cadets flying, all soloed, half at Fond du Lac where they had one of the biggest of RC flying fields to learn on, and 25-cadets learned at the Redlands, CA AMA field which is very small and surrounded on two sides by tall eucalyptus trees.

“Only one plane was snagged and we got it back days later with a small hole in the wing, easily repairable. One cadet at Oshkosh was there for his 5th summer, and immediately left afterwards for the naval academy at Annapolis to begin training to be a naval officer, and he has been selected for jet pilot training when he graduates. It all started with MARC in 2012 and in a small way is a tribute to all who have been a part in what we all have done, summer after summer.”

Some of our folks here at ANN have been flying model airplanes for more years than they would like to admit, and they can attest to the significant positive impact model aviation has on our Aero-Verse. We offer a sincere salute the AMA and the CAP.

(Images from AMA blog)

FMI: www.amaflightschool.org/   CAP youth program