vicman

My Feedback: (10)

heya Chuck! glad to see you back with the propeller heads. I miss you since you made mod and all. Sold the Harley eh? Dang thats tough![sm=71_71.gif]

Thanks for the photo advice Raymond. I forget what kits I have already.

Toad, It has only been in the last 5 yrs or so that I felt comfortable calling myself a toolmaker. Actually it was only after my dad (who recently retired as a "machinist") worked with me as a boring mill operator and watched me work gave me that honorable title. It has also been given to me by many of my other peers since I changed jobs two years ago.

eroc144

My Feedback: (1)

44 years old.
Married 12 years
2 kids - 11 year old daughter, 9 year old son (neither of them like to fly that much)
Software geek for large Fortune 500 company. Worked at Enron and got out before it blew up
Played guitar and sang in a band for 6 years (paid for my degree at Penn State), Played trumpet from 4th - 8th grade
Got the itch to fly watching "Baa baa Black Sheep" in the mid 70's, and dreamed of being a fighter pilot
Built and flew my first RC plane when I was 17, then stopped RC flying altogether at 19. Got back into RC in 2004 for keeps.
Ice hockey player since high school - still play in a few men's leagues.
Hardcore fly fisherman for wild trout since I was 8 and tie my own flies.
Followed the Grateful Dead around for a bunch of years and saw around 120 shows in the mid-80's

EG

Toad

I hear ya Vicman, Makes me feel old when they say that at work. []
(I'm struggling with this getting old thing, hate admitting it.)

burtcs

I'm 58 years old
Three time certified welder and journeyman machinist.
Got a BS degree in '94 at Oregon State

Built my first airplane in '58 (didn't know you could bow the sides...who knew). 2nd was a FUBAR36 around '63. Dabbled with control line (not very good) and got my first radio (ACE Commander) in '72

Dabbled with a guitar but mostly play CD's VCR's and am a virtuoso with FM radio. Ok, there was the Marine Band phase...

I've got a '23 Ford Turing tucked away in the machine shed. I am one of THOSE guy's with a motorcycle (several) . I currently own a Honda 550 nighthawk, ST90 and one really scruffy Honda mini-trail with training wheels. Toy with the mandatory Briggs and Strattons and outboard's.

I survived several stokes last year which really slowed me down among other things. You can actually have more than one of those things - ick.... The result is I stay off the big Honda and the road. I can no longer work. And I can't spell well, never could.

I will admit to owning several .61's (four or five) but I seem to prefer small stuff. When not risking life and limb with R/C, I fly free flight. Mostly 1/2A gas and Old Timer but I am working (slowly on a class A gas).

regards - Steve B.

Oh yea, I have never used a teflon reed valve, though I admit own a pack from Davis Diesel.

DeviousDave

I'm about 15 miles from South Lyon as the crow flies.

Forgot to mention in my thread that I ride mountain bikes on occasion(have a Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc) and frustrate myself playing a right handed guitar as a lefty. Frequently.

rv7driver

My Feedback: (105)

58 years old, Airline Captain, recevied Private pilot ticket @ 16 ( had to wait 2 months for check ride was 15).
Married, 2 kids both gone and married YA! ride my Harley, and I'm building my on Airplane, RV7 homebuilt
been flying R/C 35 years love all, 1/2 to gaint scale. also like to hunt and shoot.

will retire in 2 years, I can't wait!!!!!!

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

I will look you up next time I go visit my parents. They live on Silver Lake.

Raymond LeFlyr

My Feedback: (2)

Psst, Devious. Call me collect if "a certain person" shows up at your door and displays - er, un-ordinary behaviour - like insisting on having a race or having needing to go fast. In the meantime you may want to stock up on strong sedatives and five-point restraints. Just a friendly bit of information from "a friend in NC". Don't mention this to that "certain person" - not that he's violent (all the time) but youse never know and its best to be prepared.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

I dare say his wimmin are safer than his bikes[sm=tongue_smile.gif]

hogflyer

45 years old.
Happily single.
2 boys, on 18, one 7 (best oops I ever made, and he’s crazy about model airplanes – too bad he lives with his mom 450 miles away).
Manufacturing Engineer (process planner) – now everybody can really start to worry when they fly commercially - I write the assembly instructions for the composite panels on the 737 nacelles and thrust reversers.
Play piano, trumpet, all lower brass. Self taught on lower brass and can read/play them all either base or treble clef.
Grew up in aviation – my father flew twin-isles for a major air carrier.
Private pilot – had to sell my Sky Lane when I got laid off. Now it’s too expensive to have one just for fun. 20 flights away from my commercial glider.
A&P mechanic from that certain central east coast Florida school. BS from Parks College.
Enjoy ridding motorcycles (still have several from my high-school era) and shooting.
I’ve been into model aircraft since I saw my first one fly in March 1971 (an old red/white/blue Cutlass pattern plane).
I also have a rare (1 of 1386) Dodge Mirada CMX (last of my many Mopars) and Z-28 project cars.

johnvb-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

55 yrs old
Still married since 1977, two daughters in their 20's showing no signs of leaving home (but we're working on it :-))
Computer geek since the days of steam and stubbly whiskers in 1969, nowadays DB2 admin/consultant contracted to ubiquitous three letter acronym company. Looking forward to retiring
Played guitar since 64, semi-pro since 67 or so, bass mostly nowadays in working bands. Guitars accumulate like model aircraft and model engines
Rode motorcycles since 14 yrs old, sold the last one (Guzzi Mille GT) in 2005 after breaking knee and spending a scarey week in orthopaedics ward. Getting the itch again tho'...
Fly old-timers and *slow* aircraft, designed a few lately
Never got into shooting.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

47 yrs old (Sometimes feel a lot older),
Son of an Aerosoace engineer (Retired from Grumman),
Four kids ranging from 5 to 16 yrs old (I'll probably be dead before any of them move out),
Concrete construction journeyman (Getting too old for this),
Retired professional musician, Sax, Keyboards and Guitar, (Got too old for that),
Inactive Private Pilot ( Got way too expensive with 4 kids),
Started flying 1/2a control line when I was a kid ( Got into RC after full scale),
Had a motorcycle briefly when I was 18 ( came too close to getting killed a few times),
Avid tinkerer, inventor and dreamer ( Turned a lot of wrenches in my day),
Ate up a few Mustangs with my 'Vette ( '71 with worked 350 LT1)
Not into shooting, but have slaughtered a lot of fish ( Saltwater of course)

groundsman

54
Grounds supervisor at a state museum for 27 years
Married, 2 daughters 31 & 34
5 Grandchildren 2 boys 3 girls ages 2 - 19
Had a Honda 90 in H.S.
Played trumpet, guitar and bass
Inactive private pilot $$$$
Auto mechanic
flew 1/2 A control line at 13 Started RC 1975
I fly 1/2 A - 50 cc gas
Working on a 67 Mustang coupe restoration project

mtntopgeo

My Feedback: (12)

Well, with the exception of BRC51's "older than dirt "entry, guess that ,so far, my 68+ age makes me the ancient one. Grade school, it was control line. Atwood wasp, OK Cub, & K&B .32 powered. Took piano lessons for a couple of years, but the instructor said that it'd take 2 or 3 lifetimes to teach me the basics. ... High school, it was Duck Hunting in the winter, & the Drag Strip in the summer. ...... In '62, after the service, Had a S.D. 421 aluminum front-end Poncho. ........'67 to '80 it was Sprint Cars, had 3 of them. Somewhere in there it was also hot street bikes. Three incidents in 3 years made me decide to give up the bikes. One of those left me with a leg that is a bit shorter than the other. During the Sprint car days, had a pretty nice Automotive engine machine shop. I was worse than the proverbial "drunk in a liquor store". Pretty hard to worry about customers, when I had so many toys to play with. Was into guns pretty deep. Torn retina now keeps me away from the heavy stuff, but got a load of wheel (hand) guns, & customed barreled Varminters to play with. Just got into this RC thing a few years ago. Much too old, with eyes going bad, & reflexes long-gone, to be starting a hobby like this. Probably never reach more than beginner/novice skill level, but I'm havong fun trying to prove that theory wrong. ............George K.

DeviousDave

That ain't sayin' much!

mgnostic

44 year old Oklahoma farm boy.
Program Director for a multiple disabilities unit at a forensic state hospital. Masters degree in psychology.
I've been into airplanes since I could say the word and flying RC for 21 years
Married 17 years with a blended family (hers, ours and somebody else's) for a total of three kids an one grandkid.
Target shooting with calibers from .22 to .47-70. Occasional fishing out at the farm.
British sports cars 59 AH Bugeyed Sprite, 79 MGB. Had a Honda 90 as a teenager.
Played trombone in high school band. I have a southbend lathe that I barely know how to use but I have converted a couple of homelites.
I like half-A because I can toss every thing in the front seat of the MGB and fly in a local pasture when I don't want to load everything up in the pickup for an hour drive to the nearest RC field.

I'm definitely noting some trends here.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

12 years old, but have license and can buy beer..either Hfenn stole that from me or great minds think alike...my body on the other hand ,just turned 49
production supervisor, textiles
tinkered with the banjo for 25 years now
happily bouncing from one relationship to the next
no kids...dogs,
4 motorcycles, use my scooter almost daily 65/mpg (Honda reflex)
one cheap black powder pistol, you might be able to hit the broad side of a barn with.
probably 40 rc planes is some state of repair/unassembled
southbend lathe older than me..I know how to turn it on
my 1/2a stuff fits in my Miata..been through several brittish cars myself
enjoy beer too much.....Rog
occasionally brew my own

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Rog, The next time we get togeather bring the Banjo and some homebrew. I would really like a sample of both.

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

I am 37 (just had my birthday) and newly married. No kids yet but probably in a year.... wife wants too many, I would be happy with two

I am a woodworker by trade, but I did astronomy/physics/math in university for three years before I went to college for my trade. I do a lot of metalwork for a hobby as well as a bit of welding.

I love playing guitar and have also bee building guitars for 20+ years. I play lead guitar and sing in a classic rock cover/bar band with a few guys I went to school with.

I also ride bikes (bicycles that is) both road and mountain bike. Ski and snowboard in the winter. I have a bunch of other hobbies but music and modeling are my main two I have been involved with since childhood.

I love building stuff and have tried at one point in time to build pretty much anything I could and I even golf with clubs I built from scratch (I made all my woods from blocks of wood, literally) and canoe in my own home made cedar strip, snowshoe on my home made shoes, etc etc. I think I would like to be an inventor if I had a second chance...

ANyhow, thats it in a nutshell!

AJC

hfenn

Hey, count me in. I'll bring a guitar and some store bought and we'll have fun no matter how bad it sounds!

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

46yrs. old, never married, no kids. I tried. I was engaged to a woman about 7yrs. ago, but it didn't work.
I've built models since I was five or six. I've always loved airplanes. I couldn't afford r/c as a teen, so I got a dirt bike instead.
Graduated from high school in '80 with a 1.9gpa (probably the lowest in my class). The girl I dated my senior year is now a famous Broadway and film star - honestly.
I went to art school at VCU. Dropped out after one year and started a band. Didn't get famous so I went back to school.
Got a BA in set and light design from Temple and worked in the theatre business in Philly and NY. I couldn't drink and work 80hrs a week so I quit that lifestyle and trained as a cabinet maker and made custom furniture in Philly for a few years. I miss that.
Moved to Asheville, NC and started flying r/c which was a life-long dream of mine. Regrouped and in '94 entered grad school at UNC-Chapel Hill for a Masters and Ph.D. in art history (art is another life-long love).
Worked as a web developer while writing my diss. where I grew to hate IT (but I still like designing on the computer).
I've played the guitar (Teles, Strats) since I was 16, but I've hardly picked one up over the last two years. I've been too busing building airplanes.
Interesting fact: I've never tasted meatloaf, ever, in my entire life.

David

hfenn

Dave, it's amazing you're so well rounded without meatloaf.

Yuu

Grandma always use to put 1/3 ground pork in her meatloaf....that's been 40 years ago...

DICKEYBIRD

Great thread you started Dave!

Me? I'm less than 2 mos. away from 6...6...6...just can't say it; I'm 59 years old going on 12. Born & raised right here in the southwest corner of Tennessee. Currently living in Collierville, a few miles east of Memphis. 3 unique & wonderful daughters (hers, mine & ours) 35, 23 & 17 and 1 delightful grandson, young Mr. Cade, at 15 mos. Can't wait 'til he's old enough to do some neat stuff with grandpaw.

Looks like many of us have ambled down similar paths in arriving here in half-A land, despite the disparity in age groups. Definitely some common interests:

1) Model aircraft - Started in '58 with a Scientific hollow-log U/C kit and an OK Cub .049B. In & out of the hobby since then with side-trips into FF, U/C sport/stunt, R/C beginning in 1980 including .40-.60 powered sport/pattern, .28-.40 pylon racing, Giant Scale aerobatics, fun-fly competition, scale, float-flying, indoor mini-sticks and exclusively Cox powered R/C & U/C since 1995. I have designed & scratch-built all the Cox powered stuff and many of the larger ones as well. I REALLY enjoy that adrenaline surge when the throttle is pushed to the stop and a new design breaks free of the ground for the 1st time. The designing thing got me into:

2) Computers - I guess most everybody on the planet has some level of personal relationship with computers. My 1st (and the only brand new) one was a Commodore Amiga 2000 purchased for video production. Best ol' buddy Brian & I did our club's annual banquet video with it. Got into CAD in '97 to make more accurate plans and then used those skills to get into home-spun CNC router cutting of balsa & plywood parts for the planes. The CAD drafting, word processing & then digital photography allowed me to have 8 articles published in Flying Models Magazine. Definitely a love-hate thing.

3) Cars - 1st car was a '56 Chevy convertible. I paid $10.00 for it. Somebody'd done a valve job and got the distributor in way out of whack so it backfired and caught fire. The owner slammed the hood and watched it burn 'til the metallic green hood turned mostly brown. The carb melted down into the manifold and the wiper motor was a puddle on top of the bellhousing. It originally had a 265 "Power Pack" with power steering, brakes and a 2 speed cast iron Powerglide. YUCK!!!! All that stuff came out and a .125" over '58 283 (301 in those days, now they call 'em 302's) with Hurst "Mystery Shifter" equipped 3 speed tranny went in. Loved that car...had my 1st, uhhh, relationship in that car. Wish I had it back now! (The car, definitely not the relationship.) Had a NICE '67 Camaro convertible with a 327 4 speed, Canary yellow with black interior. From that I got into:

4) British cars - Had several through the years including a '62 AH Sprite Mk II with many different drivetrains (yup, relationships in that one as well but it weren't easy) a '70 MGB, '73 Austin Marina (1st wife got that one in the divorce - hee, hee) hot-rodded '59 Morris Minor with the modified drivetrain from Spridget #1, Minilite mags, fat tires, etc. There was an Opel Manta in there somewhere as well. All the car stuff got me into my career in:

5) Auto service - Started in '67 for an independent import auto repair shop & worked on everything from Borgwards to Jags. Went from there to the local BMC dealer and worked on Austin Healeys, MG's, Triumphs, Alfas, Jags, Saabs, Maseratis. My forte was fixing the unfixable, including the customers so they moved me off the shop floor into taking care of customers and employees and that's what I've done to this day for the local Jag/Land Rover dealer. I guess you'd call that service management. Some days I'm not sure what you'd call it. During the career thing I took a side trip into:

6) Motorcycles - All were dirt bikes. It's bad enough dodging trees & ravines, no way I'm riding on the street, dueling with the idiots around here. I had a smattering of Honda (modified '73 Elsinore) Suzuki and Kawasaki machines. Did a little amateur motocross, enduro and a lot of trail-riding. I loved it and was in the best shape of my life. Spent a lot of time modifying (improving?) them. On weekend camping/trail-riding trips to various off-road sites, I took along my:

7) Guitars - Strictly an amateur, self taught picker but really enjoyed it. I say enjoy-ED it 'cuz a wrong move with the ol' hedge-clippers left a couple of my frettin' fingertips numb and tender. I still play a little but it's not the same. I started playing back in the early 60's and was fascinated by "finger-style" pickin' ala Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, etc. That got me away from the flat pick and into the thumb pick. Anybody else into that style? Never had any really good instruments until I inherited my Dad's '67 Martin D-28. What a sound! It's currently stringless, awaiting the funds to fix the bridge cracking/lifting syndrome. Quite a valuable axe and I hope I can get it properly repaired someday.

8) Metalworking - I've always made/repaired metal stuff, being in the auto trade, and have procured tools, both hand & power as funds allowed. A good friend sold me his 8x16 lathe in '04 and that led to an obsession with anything that has to do with precisely machining metal. I'm an amateur at it but thanks to some great internet forums, am learning and acquiring "stuff" as time and funds will allow. Right now, I'm accumulating the plans and tooling needed to make a few model engines. I'm wanting to build a Stirling, an "atmospheric" (flame-licker) and hopefully a butane powered, spark ignition engine.

9) Shooting - Yup, a little bit here & there. Mostly plinking/target shooting. Only guns left are the ubiquitous Rugers: a 10-22 and "bull-barrel" .22 semi-auto pistol. There's a WWII Japanese bolt-action rifle at mom's that my dad brought home from the war. I feel a need coming on (with the above-mentioned metal obsession) to go get it and restore it.

10) NASCAR? Best ol' buddy Brian and I had a wager going on every season 'til he passed away back in April. We'd pick drivers every weekend and keep score all year. Loser had to buy dinner for the winner & the wives. It completely changed the sport for me. I watched the practice, qualifying, looked at previous race stats, etc., etc. and made my picks analytically rather than who my favorites were. Great fun!

11) Fishing - Yep, that too! Loved to fish for Bass, Crappie, Catfish, flyfish for Bluegills, a little saltwater fishing for Bluefish & Redfish. Got into antique outboard boat/motor restoration for a while there.

12) Flying the full-scale stuff - Put in several hours in a 150 'til I realized the cold-sweat/nausea thing wasn't temporary and was a hereditary inner ear problem. Dangit, I dreamed about building a homebuilt and experiencing the adrenalin rush of making the test-flight in a plane I built myself. Alas, it ain't happening.

ps: I tend to be wordy too.

Toad

I am very pleased to read about al the modelers here. One thing I note that modelers have in common is that they all have acomplished quite a lot of diverse things in their lifetime, Very driven people as a whole. Your regular guy on the street, or co-worker of the same age seems to never have done as much with their time on this globe. It is strange, because I feel I am really a lazy slob most the time, untill I look back and I look at others. Modeling has done alot for me. (okay, Im still a lazy slob that only wants to play in his garage)