MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I was in my shop yesterday morning when the phone rang.

The guy said he found my name on the internet and was wondering if I was still active in RC. It turns out he and his son built a Sig LT40 over the winter, and they were looking for someone to help them maiden it.

So we chat for a little while, and finally I say "So where are you?" He says, "I'm in Willmar, just behind the Holiday Inn"

I said, "So am I!"

It turns out this guy lives right around the corner from me!

So I invited him over for a while, we chewed the fat for a bit, and today we're going to maiden his trainer

It also turns out that he's Italian! (There's not too many of us in this neck of the woods - Mostly Norwiegians don'cha know)

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Mike,
Now that is a cool thing to happen!!

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

Hmmm.....to Italians trying to operate a mechanical object that will be travelling at high speeds? Sounds like trouble to me. Oh wait, I'm Italian........never mind.

BaronSchwab

Ya 'sure u bet'cha.............. Velcome to da' nort'.

CP140

That's what so great about this hobby... you keep making new friends. In 2000 the Canadian Nationals were held about 15 minutes from my home. I read an article in the local community paper about it, strapped my kids into their car seats and off we went. While there, I bought a raffle ticket on a trainer/radio etc....I didn't win, but as I was handing in my ticket the guy behind the table looked at the address and said, "Hey, you live just a few blocks from me... if you win it, I'll teach you to fly it!" and handed me an info sheet on the club he belonged to.

Well, he did help teach me to fly(and build), is leading me astray by encouraging me to try my hand at pattern ....and his daughter babysits my kids upon occasion!

New friends because of a shared interest in airplanes... what more could you ask for?

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Yea, sounds like how I met Tim. I had made a wrong turn in trying to get to the bank and saw a model plane flying. I showed up at the field, looking at all the planes. He asked me, "Where's your plane?" Told him I didn't fly. He pointed behind him and told me to go over there talked to Barb and she will get me one. Well the next week I came out with my plane. He looked it over, said he flew Mode 1 (didn't know what that ment) call over another member, looked him in the eye and say, "You said you wanted to be an instructor, teach this guy to fly"

That was it and I am hooked. Tim and I still stay in contact even though I don't get to Indy very much!

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

The roster of my closest friends lists model builders. Unfortunately I've outlived most of them, (or is that unfortunate?)
I still have many good friends and they are mostly model aircraft types. It's been said that you can count real friends on one hand. The rest are acquaintances. I'm luckier than that, and all due to modeling.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

That's great Mike. The hobby certainly is good for finding and making friends.
Dennis-

Cyclic Hardover

My Feedback: (3)

I had already been in the Army about 7 years back in 1981 and had been around a bit. I was in Alabama going through some course work when this nice looking "enlisted woman" came up and started talkng to me. With me being an officer, it was mostly yes sir and no sir. Little did I know she was messing with my head a bit since I was oblivious to it all at the moment.

Turns out she was one of my little sister's skinny buddies who was over the house all the time before i left home. She is 7 years younger than I. She grew up well!

Pilotsmoe

well, northern Italians mostly speak german...

Minn, the way you wrote this, you make it sound like he was stalking you...

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

:

they are called Sued Tirolers, a fine breed of people,
and Baron Schwab:
wilcommen im auch im Sueden...............................

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Well, we got out to the field with his LT40, and after correcting a few rookie mistakes we got the engine running (OS 40LA) Once it had run for a few minutes, I set it on our spacious grass runway and told him to taxi it around for a while while the engine was breaking in (No wing).

You should have seen him - he had a grin from ear to ear.

When the tank was empty, we refilled it, rubber banded the wing on, and set up the buddy box.

There was a fairly good wind blowing diagonally NW from the and as soon as the plane lifted, it went into a left turn, I was holding full right aileron and it was still turning left.

I made 2 circuits of the field (Holding a lot of right aileron) and landed.

Turns out he had a bit of a warp in the wing. I told him what to do to correct it, and we'll get back out as soon as weather permits. So he spent the rest of the day chatting with the few others fliers that were there and he hit it off well with everyone.

Unfortunately, his son had set up a study session with a friend in the twin cities, so he couldn't be there, but several times Bob said "Boy is my son going to be jealous!"

Looks like we've got another one hooked!

hookedonrc

There's some great stories here. I got into RC quite by accident. I had always wanted to fly RC planes and had even built a few CL one's many many years ago. I had been in hobby shops just looking, but never really taking the plunge. Several years ago several of my neighbors/friends got together a fantasy football league. One night in the off season, we were playing poker and just bs'ing about what we were doing over the weekend. One of the guys said he was going to get his planes ready for flying season. I had never been over to his house, so I never knew that he was into RC. Well, he introduced me to the hobby 4 years ago, and now I fly more than he does....

scottrc

It's guys like him that make this hobby a lot of fun.