The Blue Devils Flying Club is a newly chartered AMA MASC from Eloy, Arizona. The club meets once a week with the Robson Ranch Radio Control Club. MASC mentor Catrina Rodriguez shared with us what a great resource this club has been for the kids: "Kevin Rattey and his friends from the Robson Ranch community have come together to build an RC Flight program at our Jr.High School. They donate their time almost every Friday for 4 hours to teach our kids about RC flight. We have two classes ranging from beginners to advanced with about 10 students per class. The students first learn the basics of flight so that they get the Science behind what they are doing. Then they learn about RC Planes and how they work. They have to know how to assemble and disassemble each plane as well as know all of the parts of the plane. Once they can master that they learn how to fly using a simulator and practice on the simulator until they become confident. Once they are ready they get to go outside and fly planes with the Robson Ranch Crew members who mentor them. This program has reached those students who normally wouldn't be apart of any club or athletic team and that is truly what makes this program special. It was just a vision from Kevin Rattey which ended up turning into something really great for our kids. The students have opened their eyes in careers that involve flight and our goal is to hopefully inspire them to one day pursue a career in flight. Overall, through this program they gain the confidence and guidance that they need to be successful as a student and a person. This program is truly a blessing and wouldn't be successful without the help of Kevin Rattey and the Robson Ranch Crew."
Blue Devils Flying Club
The relationship between the Blue Devils Flying Club and Robson Ranch is a great example of the impact clubs can have over a local school, boy/girl scout troop, etc. This outreach not only provides the opportunity for the club to make a positive impact in the community, but could also be leveraged into new possibilities such as flying-site assistance and/or possible growth in club membership. The AMA Education Department offers several programs to assist in club outreach. Information for these programs can be found at www.amaflightschool.org.