Boy Scouts / Group Flying Tips

Our main goal is to spread the magic of flight to as many people as we can. For this reason we can never turn down an opportunity to teach the younger generations. 

Karl Welch leads Troop 126 of Bellville, Ohio. He brought his kids and a few other troops along so we could show the scouts what the hobby is all about. 

Trying to wrangle 70+ kids is no easy task. Instead of trying to command all of their attention to one subject at the same time, the most useful tool is to divide up into groups and have stations. 

We brought along the Epic FPV Ground Station (as well as a few FPV goggles) and let the scouts enjoy some flights in the cockpit. 

When you have a large group and want to showcase FPV, we can't stress enough the power of monitors. Goggles are amazing but limit the experience to one individual at a time. With monitors, you can let everyone enjoy the ride all at once.

The next station let the kids try flying first hand. The simulator let's the crash all day long, but the real magic comes from flying an actual plane. Buddy box systems have been around for a while, but the technology has finall caught up and we started to impliment a wireless buddy box. This might not seem like much of an upgrade, but the convenience and ease of passing the transmitter between people is well worth it. 

Lasly we had our good friend Heath talk to the kids about helicopters and gave an amazing flying demo. Thanks again Heath! You're an amazing pilot. 

We want more people to be able to have these group events. Helping the hobby grow is one of the best ways to invest in something you love. Here's are our...

8 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GROUP FLY

1. BRING EXTRA AIRCRAFT - Accidents happen. The last thing you want is your only demo plane to go down and be left with nothing to fly. Along with your crash kit, bring a few extra wings or multirotors just for backup. 
2. ASSIGN SPOTTERS TO ALL STATIONS - If you are flying different aircraft at different stations have spotters make sure there are no loose children running around. 
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE - When explaning to a young one how to fly, they might not know what you mean when you say, "Watch your back-pressure". Use common terms and phrases instead.
4. WIRELESS BUDDY BOX - We had to bring it up twice because it's too awesome!
5. PLAN FOR YOUR SPACE - If you only have access to a small park, don't bring a monster 3D plane! This also means you should plan for weather. If you see it's going to be extra windy, bring planes that can deal with it.
6. MONITORS ARE BETTER FOR GROUPS - Like we mentioned above, monitors include all. This doesn't mean you should rule out goggles entirely! Bring both. 
7. CONTINUE THEIR INTEREST - If you see the group members are generally becoming interested, don't leave them hanging. Recommend the local hobby store you like to go to. Show them what they need to get started, or give a shout out to your favorite YouTube show ;)
8. LEARN WITH A FRIEND - This applies to anything you try to learn for the first time. Having a friend or mentor along makes the process one-thousand times easer. Someone is there to help you fix or mistakes, troubleshoot problems, and to enjoy the fun with you. Be that friend!