I Am the AMA: Dillon Carpenter

Written by Jay Smith As seen in the May 2018 issue of Model Aviation.



Jay Smith: How did you get involved with model aviation? Dillon Carpenter: I had been interested in model aviation and aviation in general from a young age, but never had the means to really get into the hobby. I remember, when I was young, my dad and I went to a model airplane show at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and I remember seeing a model jet with a real turbine for the first time and thinking that it was so cool. We bought a wrecked model at the show and had the intention to refurbish it, but time never allowed. I recently began getting more into the hobby with toy multirotors at first then upgrading to hobby-grade FPV quadcopters when I started working at the AMA. A coworker introduced me to a YouTube show about multirotors. JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career? DC: Seeing as model aviation is my career, I would say it has impacted my life and career pretty profoundly. I work around model aircraft every day and get to make model aircraft-related content on a regular basis. I also fly in my free time, so it’s fair to say that model aviation is prevalent in both. I’ve met many interesting people who are passionate about the hobby and the passion is absolutely contagious. JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in? DC: I currently fly FPV multirotors and dabble in both racing and freestyle flying. I have about eight multirotors, including a Tiny Whoop micro quadcopter, and I recently acquired an FPV delta wing as my first fixed-wing model. JS: What other hobbies do you have? DC: When I’m not at work or flying, I’m probably working on a film-related project. I’ve been a freelance and hobby filmmaker since I went to college for telecommunications with a focus in audio-visual production. I’ve worked on the set of a feature film and several short films, music videos, educational videos, and commercials. The most recent project I worked on has been accepted in five film festivals across the US. I also volunteer at Ball State University, my alma mater, to assist students with their videos for their school projects and theses. JS: Who or what has influenced you the most? DC: My family and close friends have been a big influence in getting me to where I am today. My family and friends have all been supportive and helpful with my various endeavors, and I appreciate them for supporting me and giving me motivation when I need to make important life decisions. JS: Why is digital media important to a print publication? DC: People have been branching out in the way they view media over the last decade. With the number of channels and devices that allow us to consume media, people are starting to find their preferred method of following the media they enjoy. For some, it’s a magazine; for others, it’s YouTube. There are those who only use their smartphones or tablets, and yet others prefer a mix of those and other channels. To be able to reach the greatest audience, you have to have content where they are consuming it and if you’re not in all of the spaces your audience is in, you’re missing people. Print has its strengths and limitations, as does any form of digital media. By utilizing a mix of those methods, you’re not only speaking to a broader audience, you’re also speaking their language and you’re better able to tell the entire story with different perspectives in each medium.