Pilots Hand-Off Plane On Trip Across US And Back
Over 300 model airplane enthusiasts
have come together for Wings Across America 2008 (WAA-08) a mission
to fly a battery powered radio controlled airplane, called a Park
Flyer, across all contiguous United States.
Pilots will hand-deliver the plane from pilot-to-pilot, creating
a "chain" of pilots that will fly the Park Flyer from Virginia
across the US and back.
Launched during Memorial Day weekend, WAA-08 is the brainchild
of Frank Geisler, an avid model pilot, and coincides with the
Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA) new Park Pilot Program that
took off around the country earlier this year.
Model aviation has changed dramatically during the last several
years as the quiet battery and electric-motor technology have
opened new doors for model-flying enthusiasts. Every day, more Park
Flyer models enter the marketplace that are smaller in size and
capable of slower airspeeds more suited to confined areas.
"More model pilots are getting involved in the aviation sport
with Park Flyers," said Dave Mathewson, President of AMA. "It's
great to see the WAA project bring modelers together and instill
the love of modeling in all generations."
Bill Stevens, owner of Stevens AeroModels in Colorado Springs,
CO donated the Park Flyer plane called a SQuiRT (Simple Quiet
Robust Trainer.) Currently in New Jersey, the plane will continue
on to New York, make a quick stop at Northeast Electric Aircraft
Technology (NEAT) Fair, then on to Pennsylvania and beyond.
According to Geisler, the model aeronautic community, from child
prodigies, weekend pilots, avid aeromodelers, along with Air Force
and Army pilots both active and retired, has embraced the idea of
flying the plane across America.
"So many people are willing to help one another to make this
happen. The camaraderie is unbelievable," said Geisler. "It's
amazing how all of us from many different backgrounds throughout
the country have joined to together to make this adventure possible
to help promote the hobby and to show our younger generation that
there are more things to do with their time between the hours of
school and sleep than video games and television."
While there are already thousands of model aircraft pilots
piloting RC airplanes in our skies - AMA boasts more than 150,000
members - there is a shortage of designated flying sites,
especially in metro areas. Recognizing this new trend in
aeromodeling, AMA developed the Park Pilot Program to support
small-field aviators and planes like SQuiRT.
"I look forward to WAA-08 enticing more people to pick up a
model airplane and becoming model aviation enthusiasts," said
Mathewson.