By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
PAKENHAM and District Aircraft Radio Control Society (P&DARCS) hosted students from Pakenham Consolidated School for the first time on Wednesday 11 March as part of the school’s technology program.
“I’ve spoken with the students about flight, models, flying and building before at the school, but it was even better having them at the field and flying with our help,” P&DARCS safety officer, Alan Foley said.
Twenty students controlled the direction of a helicopter with the help of helicopter instructor, Paul Webber, while demonstration flights by the club’s gold wing members took to the sky for the student’s pleasure. Some students were lucky enough to experience taking off, flying and landing an aircraft in the clubhouse flight simulator.
Mr Foley said the club would love to see more young people get involved in flying.
“We don’t tend to see many youngsters around the club at all these days, the average age at the club is about 40… all our members are keen to assist new members,” Mr Foley said.
“There’s too many kids flying in parks… it can be dangerous, they can crash and then give up altogether,” Mr Foley said.
Twenty-five students also attended the theory of flight day and were introduced to multiple flying machines including multicopters (helicopters with multiple rotors), gyrocopters (unpowered rotors), ornithopters (aircraft that fly by flapping their wings) and gliders.
“It’s a great way to get kids out of the house,” Mr Foley said.
“We make it safe and teach them about planes and how to build and fly, you’ll never learn on your own going down to the park,” he said.
The P&DARCS would like schools interested in an introduction to aero modelling to contact them.
