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Being forced to sell its plane has not stopped Muncie Aviation from flying.
Although flying lessons have become less frequent recently because the company had to sell its flight training plane in March, and despite the downspin in the economy, the company is not ceasing to train pilots.
Todd Shoup, a pilot and Muncie Aviation flight instructor, continues to give lessons to those who have purchased their own planes.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Shoup said. “I [get] to watch the joy in another pilot’s face, the ‘aha’ moment when it all clicks and they suddenly understand what they need to do and when they need to do it.”
Flying lessons, however, aren’t sustaining Muncie Aviation, but the company is continuing to stay in business in other ways.
For now, and probably until the economy becomes more stable, Shoup said Muncie Aviation is making money by selling aircraft overseas, “a lucrative business,” and training existing pilots transitioning between aircrafts or certificates.
November is Aviation History Month, and aviation has been around in Muncie since the late 1920s, when the aviation committee was formed, according to special collections in Bracken Library.
The Muncie Airport, Johnson Field, was named after Abbott Livingstone Johnson, a local man who was appointed chairman on the first committee.
Johnson received his high school diploma from Muncie Central High School then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to work on a degree in engineering administration. He finished up his degree at Harvard before returning to Muncie in 1926.
Johnson had an interest in aviation that continued to grow after the aviation committee was formed. He became greatly responsible for the development of the Muncie Airport. Johnson also served as president of the Muncie Airport Inc. and the Delaware County Board of Aviation Commissioners.
From the Muncie airport emerged Muncie Aviation, a company that sells airplanes as well as manages support services for them.
Muncie Aviation opened its hangar doors for the first time in the midst of the Great Depression. The company began as a dealer for Waco Aircraft Manufacturing Company on March 7, 1932. Soon after Muncie Aviation added lines for Beechcraft, now Beech Aircraft Corporation, and Aeronca Manufacturing Company. In 1936, Muncie Aviation took ownership of its first Piper J-2 Cub and is still a Piper dealer today, 73 years later.
At first not many aviators were noticed, but three pilots put themselves and Muncie on the map in 1939 when their “flight to nowhere” gained national attention. The pilots took off from Muncie and then landed in Muncie 23 days later without stopping. Not only did the flight not take the pilots to an alternate destination but it also didn’t have any particular pattern to it. The flight was accomplished with ground-to-aerial refueling.
Sources: Ball State library special
collections; Muncie Aviation Web site
Classifications of Modern Flight
There are two classifications of modern flight: lighter than air and heavier than air. Lighter than air encompasses aircrafts filled with a relatively low-density gas such as helium, hydrogen or hot air, which is less dense than the surrounding air.
Heavier than air aircrafts are what is most commonly thought of today when thinking of aviation. These aircrafts must find some way to push air or gas downward to push the aircraft upward. Model airplanes are generally modeled after heavier than air aircrafts.
What's Going on Now?
Right now, the AMA is communicating to hobbyists about potential changes in airspace rulemaking. Members are also gearing up for the Jan. 8-10 AMA Expo in Ontario, Calif., Brooks said.
Brooks also said that the AMA sometimes teams up with other organizations for events.
“We do participate with and occasionally join forces with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (440,000 members) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (180,000 members) in advocacy efforts and joint programming,” Brooks said.
Park Pilot Program
The AMA holds several competitions and sponsors programs for model aeronautics enthusiasts to enjoy.
One of the organization’s most prominent programs is the Park Pilot program. According to the AMA, a park flyer is a model weighing less than two pounds that is incapable of reaching speeds of faster than 60 mph. It must use electric power for propulsion and be remotely controlled or flown on a control line.
The Park Pilot program has its own magazine titled Park Pilot that includes a beginner’s section, tips for flying and flying model reviews. Park Pilot program members receive the magazine, insurance and access to the events that are tailored to the type of aircraft they enjoy.
Additional Information
Muncie also celebrates alternate forms of aviation through the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
The AMA is an organization open to anyone who is interested in model aeronautics. Members fly model airplanes of all sorts and sizes from turbine-powered jets to helicopters to quiet soaring sailplanes.
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