FlyerInOKC

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Love it!

GallopingGhostler

This song, a spoof on the old west is as applicable today as it was when Spike Jones and his orchestra performed it some time back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMiLNlFol2U I still get a kick out of it when I listen to it, he had such a unique sense of good humor.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Flibber McGee & Molly, My dad got hold of a bunch of old 78s and we used to listen to them. That was when a turntable had 78-45 and 33 rpm selections and the 78s are about 3/16 thick. We also had Amos & Andy. Back then Amos & Andy was still on TV. It wasn't racist or belittling yet, it was still just humor.
At 13 I was in Jr. High School and in radio shop we built our own crystal radios. Back then you could buy what you needed to build most anything electric at Radio Shack. I went on line last year and looked up Crystal Radios and you can still buy either the parts or the kit. We wound our own coils then lacquered the wire to hold it on the flat stick then sanded the top so we had bare wire to dial it in. Had an ear bud for the speaker and ran the antenna out the window and grounded it to a water pipe.
I forgot about it but I want to buy a couple kits for my youngest grand kids before the stick there noses into a smart phone.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

George, wasn't Spike some fancy dresser or what?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Well Jim, last summer I drove all the way over to the lake to fly my float plane and had forgot to charge my glow stick. I was the only one there with a glow powered engine and I wasn't going to go home without flying. I borrowed a 1.5 volt D-cell and made up an old time set of gator clips and held the wires to the + & - side of the battery and fired up my engine the old fashion way. No one had ever seen that done but 1.5 volts is 1.5 volts and you don't need a #6 dry cell to do it. I must have gone through a truck load of dry cells when I was a kid. The cat in the ring was my favorite logo.

Greybeard1

Coal for heat and hickory for kindling, I'm in.

Rich.

Greybeard1

Just thinking, there was a lot more time when I had to wait and scrounge used to get engines. But not now, I have four new engines in the box now, two of which I don't have anything to put them in. But one call to Mecoa for K&B parts, within a week another 4012 will become a 4011, giving me another NIB K&B .40. Seems like most of the RCM .40 size planes used that one on the plans. But, I get them cheap, less than half of the list price, then about $22 to convert from marine to aero, and I'll have another new engine. I can remember when Fox used to have parts in stock, another thing of the past now.

Spike Jones, I've spent hours on youtube looking at the old videos. The thing that strikes me is to make things sound like they do requires terrific musical skill. He was the master of musical mayhem.

Rich.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

That he was Rich!

GallopingGhostler

He was. I don't have any links to photos, but it's quite apparent in his live performance videos. I read a little of his past, seems he had shell shock (PTSD) from the fighting and being wounded in WW2. Some close to him thought he was scary, and it was difficult to tell whether he was kidding or serious, especially when armed and he spoke of killing someone.

Flypaper 2

Whenever I hear Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, I remember watching Gene Autry singing it on black and white TV back in the day.

Gord.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

It was 30 years ago, this x-mas that I built my first R/C airplane. I could not have been more excited. It was a gift from my father, and it was one of the best things he could have ever done for me. I have not been out of the hobby since.
I remember just being fascinated with the magic of R/C. How you could get the servos to move. I was also very excited to run my first R/C engine. I had been flying C/L for a year or so, but how did you get that throttle to work! Wow, did I have a lot to learn!

One of the great aspects of this thread, is it reminds us of how we felt then. How excited we were. How magical the time was. How lovely it was to be innocent. To just enjoy what we were doing regardless of how simple it may have been compared to what we do now.

I just purchased an original Carl Goldberg Sky Tiger from the bay. This was my second airplane. This is my gift to myself to celebrate this 30th anniversary, and to keep things in perspective for myself. While I love where I am in the hobby now, nothing will ever be like it was in the beginning. Thanks so much to my father.

BigD_S2K

Hi folks, (71) in the 50s I built a bunch of Comet kits, was partial to WWII fighters. Remember throwing some of them off the barn, must of been a couple of them i didn't like as I lite them on fire as they where launch. Silly kid. Mid 80 I got back into modeling by that time proportional radio were the thing. Now retired and finding the hobby is being mean to me, Seems can't keep a plane longer that eight to ten flight. Just did in a Drastik ARF with DLE 30 & Spektrum radio. Great flying plane. I was doing square loops and at the top going inverted the radio system broke link and it was in a spin and not responding to controls. What are the odds of being in the exact position when the failure occurred that would lead to the worst condition. If the plane was up right, the throttle would go to idle and maybe not as damage as a straight in nose down spin. There is always a reason, but for the moment the fun is gone. Anyhow a good forum, brings back some real good memories.

ARUP

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biam

Spike Jones and his band was some funny stuff! Makes me feel like I missed out. I did have a black cat that we named ever ready after the cat on the battery mentioned in a previous post. Can not wait to see whats new on this thread every night, lot of good memorys!

rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

For me it is not the night reading, Its the am as I am an early rider, and the chuckles I get gets me started to a great day, and the memories as mentioned above are price less, I don't think any one but a modeler could or would understand this thread \, you think you have heard it all and then it swist and just keeps going.

cheers bob T
AMA13377

cheers bob T

Greybeard1

I've been looking for what I though were two videos of Spike Jones, come to find out both of the sequences I wanted are in the same video, The introduction and the ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7O9g2sphw

Superb Jones at his best.

Rich.

donnyman

Here it is 5:30 in the morning Been reading this thread and the one thing that sticks in my mind is how blessed we are to have had someone who took time with us. Not stick us in front of the tv or now cell phone ETC. to go through life pushing buttons and staring at a screen.

My dad took me out to the airport (La Guardia in New York) when one could walk out to the runway and smell the smoke from the tires of landing planes, I was very young, the spitfire he made and gave me, the f4f wildcat, the free flight with a spitzy 045 that I still have, the Berkley p-40 stunt kit and a Mccoy 35 red head. We were definately not rich or middle income and lived in a housing project. I as one of six kids!....... At 73 years young,..I miss my DAD! I never heard my mother complain, she obviously backed my dad in what he did.

I pray I did half as well as my Parents with my offspring. I greive for the children of today that never really knew there dad. Single parent families is not doing this world any good...................that's enough gloom for today!

One more thing please--------- Why does a six year old need a 5-600 dollar ipad

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I know what you mean Donnyman!

donnyman

Next month a swap meet will be held in Georgetown TX. Swap meets is the place to go for goodies, I see most of you old timers like me rummaging around. I wish we had more meets my balsa stock pile needs a refill.

Most of the things I look for is acessories, and 1/4 scale retracts I need a set for the nosen 310, got the engines O.S. 160 f/s should look good in the nacelles, I wont touch a build like this until I have the expensive stuff, ENG'S, @ retracts so the 310 is gathering dust. But I got others waiting on my slow building self.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I'm the same way Donny, if you have all the heavy spending done it makes it easier to get things done.

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Answer He Doesn't ... Now if U R talking a 5 or 600 Dollar RC Plane that's different.
Yesterday I was in Franks Hobby House 32nd St and Cactus in Phoenix. One of the last OLD time Hobby Shops.
You know with the shelves of boxes full of old RC radios engines and just STUFF. There were even 2 old gentleman
Sitting in the back talking RC of course. Long story short (I Hope) an youngster (May be 30 something has an old 72 Mhz radio and receiver and wants to get an airplane for his son for Christmas. Well after much discussion and deliberation he settled on the Apprentice RTF with spectrum radio and auto pilot. At the check out he was given 2 applications for R/C club's and advised his son could get his his AMA free of charge on line. I spoke with this gentleman (Youngster) at the check out and the main reason he was buying the RC Plane was to get his 13 year old away from the DAMN Computer and out side in the sunshine.
So there U have it ... Some Fathers do care what their Children do. I mentioned that his son could teach him to fly before long. he just said Maybe.

AMA 74894

My Feedback: (1)

NICE WORK Grey Beard!!!

I completely agree with the sentiments here...
here are a couple more of my most prized photos... but these are LESS than 10 years old
there is NOTHING in the world (for me anyway) that brings as much joy as seeing a kid playing with a flying model airplane.
(EVEN AN ELECTRIC FOAMY! ) and yes, I have since gotten the Boy some earplugs



the 'kid' and me


Mikey, the long lost C-310 and of course the kid



FIRST SOLO


(Ok, this one is 15 years old... )L-R My Nephew Chris, My Brother Pat (RIP) My Dad (RIP) Me Mikey (Minnflyer RIP) and Mike's Son Jake.

Some gone but NOT forgotten and yes, the remaining members ALL can BUILD

Flypaper 2

All is not lost. Here are some of the up and comers flying at our indoor doo

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

One of my most surprising moments was when my Daughter 7 years junior to her brother was watching an old VHS tape I had made of her brother at about the age of 9. He was flying a control line model. Well when I zoomed in on David my daughter Trish stopped the tape rewound it a bit 3 time at least. Then she paused it and said "Dad that's David isn't it." Before I could say yes it is Trish exclaimed
"David was never that Little" . At that moment I realized how we all have a different perspective on life. Then I went and lost that tape.

Propworn

My Feedback: (3)

Its not the kids guys its the parents. None of them have time to invest in their young. Its easier to get them into a sport and have someone else do all the work you just have to drive them there and watch. With modeling at some point the parent must get involved helping to build/repair and set up the model. Then they have to drive to the field wait while the youngster goes through the lessons then drive home. Later once they have their wings the parent has to pony up with a lift every time the kid wants to fly. In my experience the success stories always involve the parent and child doing this together. If the parent has no interest it usually doesn't work out no mater how enthusiastic the child is. Even had one mother try and drop her kid off with a cell phone and call her when he was ready to go. She was most upset when told we were not a babysitting service.

Years ago as a scout/cub leader around this time of year we had mothers who would drop their kids off for a meeting then think nothing of showing up an hour late to pick them up. After all they were Christmas shopping and didn't think we would mind them being a bit late. One in particular though it pretty rude we had the audacity to object to her habit of showing up late to pick her kid up and complained to district about it.

I used to fly in the park next to my house with the smallest park flyers on the calmest days. I had a hand full of the Air Hogs and when a few kids gathered around I would let them have fun with the Air Hogs and keep my rc stuff on the ground. Without fail parents would wander by and ask the typical questions about the rc stuff. How much, how hard, could my child do this. I would ask them to monitor the kids and put on a flight demo or two then would try and answer their questions. Except for the odd one every time I explained the time and effort one might expect expend with the child to be successful the refrain was always the same. I have x amount of other children I can't spend that much time on just one.

Dennis