I'm not 50, just 44. But my dad started me on flying my first plane that someone posted in this forum. He bought me a C/L Swordsman with a Cox .049 with a built in gas tank on it that he has adopted. (By the way, I want it back) The first time I flew it I went around approx 7-8 times but being I was only about 7 yrs old he failed to tell me what to do when it went up and the lines got loose. So I just stood there and stared with my mouth open as it went up and smashed into the ground. I was crushed!!! It didn't stop me though, approx when I was about 12 yrs (1982) old I had been eyeballing a OLD Falcon 56 mk1 in my dads garage for years and years. I asked him if I could have it, and he told me if I finished it I could have it. Guess what, I finished it... So he bought me a Gold Box Futaba 4 channel and a OS Max .30 for it (which I still have both mounted in another plane) I flew that airplane for quite a while until the wings snapped in half. It injected my dad back into the hobby and soon after he pulled out his Morane Saulnier 3-channel scratch built that flew like a champ!!! I think he built that before I was born, right pop?
Today, kids are too concerned with the internet and video games to care about model airplanes. Instant gratification is the wave of the future, and that is TRULY sad. There is something to be said about building a plane from plans/scratch and rigging it to fly. (Even though I complained about sanding) The feeling of accomplishment is unparalled. Not to mention, peoples ideas and creations of color schemes and engines as well as radios that they used in their planes made it fun and sparked ideas of things you could do to your own planes. Kids today do not know what that is like, and heck I doubt they would care. ARF is a curse word to me. Newer is NOT always better!!!
I think modelling is a great hobby!! I'm glad that I was introduced to the hobby, and I plan to continue flying in the future. But right now I have a few other things keeping my mind busy. For you guys 50 and over, keep on building and flying it is truly a lost art. Who would have thought that u would have to scrounge to buy a kit, or u would have to go online to find a engine. I miss the smell of the Hobbyshop and the comradery. There is something to be said about a group of people hanging out in a hobbyshop talking model airplane stuff. For that matter R/C anything talk is cool.
Since I am here though, I would like to thank my dad for my lifetime of memories flying airplanes with him. I wouldn't change a thing and I will never forget..
God Bless you all
Love you Dad!!! (Donnyman)
