Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Tap Dancing

Tap Dancing

Maybe it’s just me but I hate to screw-up with a bunch of people watching. For example I hate to crash an airplane model with a host of people standing around chortling. I know I can fly one of these RC Airplanes and I have demonstrated figure eights for the flight instructor. What bothers me is the landing and while I have done that hundreds of times on my lap-top flight simulator it is different out on the field on a windy day getting blown all over the place. Thus, if I’m going to crash-land I would rather do it when there is nobody around. It’s not that anyone has a malicious sense of humor but everybody laughs when it happens, albeit nervously, and not intending to be particularly obnoxious. It’s the same sort of gallows-humor I saw in Vietnam but on a more civilized level.

What I am finding out in this club is that the members are so focused on flying that they have little energy left to maintain the psychological filters that people develop in the workplace. They are who they are and it is pretty easy to see their true nature. Some are a little quirky and others have a genuine streak of kindness that extends beyond themselves. In most life situations it takes a while to figure people out but this is not the case on the flying field.

In addition there are some who have the financial resources to have the best equipment and others who struggle along to keep a model in the air. In some ways this is similar to the car club I also belong to with the difference being that wrecking the vehicle is not a common occurrence at a car show.

Then there is the Old Guard and the Young Turks. Another dimension is the gas motor vs. the electric motor crowd. This is sort of like the Chevy vs. the Ford fans. Anyway there are enough dynamics going on to keep things interesting even if you don’t fly on a given day.

For example our current President announced informally several weeks ago, stepping down and not running in the next election. One of the new younger members announced his intention to run for the office. He gave an impromptu little speech stating the direction he thought the club should be heading. It was weighted towards the gas engine contingent of the club. What ensued was a spirited discussion since our club is evenly divided between the two camps.

Yesterday we visited another club's “Fly In” and since they support our activities we support theirs. Standing around talking, our current President turned to me and said…

“I’ve decided to run for reelection. I don’t like the direction that Joe (pseudonym) is proposing to take the club. You will vote for me, won’t you…?”

So here is yet another example of people in the club speaking their minds--- direct and to the point and not trying to sugar coat their feelings in a lot of tap-dancing and euphemisms. Don’t you love it?