“My flying is the rewarding edge of a much larger hobby. Gathering the knowledge to design, plan, build, and configure aircraft, primarily fpv drones, has led to numerous skills and social connections. I have become involved with my local rc aviation club where I became connected to a tradition of patience, critical thinking, problem solving, and civic minded planning. I have also developed connections to three local schools and help with demonstrations and offer technical support for stem classes on numerous topics from electronics, and basic rf theory, to basic aerodynamics and the real world experience of the interplays between all of the above. My hobby has led me to begin learning video editing and how to better capture content. It has been a long and richly rewarding process on many fronts as a direct result of the hands on, adapt and overcome approach that is “amateur building”.”