Sky_dancer, I too have a very bad back. I must take a large amount of morphine and codine each day just to be able to sit or stand and I have found that when I am out flying I forget to take my medicine more times that not. I have a saying "fly the airplane first", make yourself ignore all the other distractions and I believe this has some benifit in forgetting the back pain, just a hunch. I have also noticed that the exercise seems to have improved my back and legs a lot! The control line flying forces me to stand and walk unlike RC where I sit on a stool for the most part.

Another benifit is the fact that you interact with a new/diferent crowd and it sure beats sitting in the bed watching the idot box HIHI.

I have found that the part that I have the most trouble with is building the aircraft because I have to sit down and be still and this is very painfull but I am working on a solution.

I hope all of the above encouragement is of benefit to you in your decession making process, and that you decide to join the rest of us "old dogs" hanging on to a pair of wires tied to many fond memories and get to enjoy getting real dizzy again.

Sorry about the spelling but I am from TEXAS

fly the airplane first

73 Lee K5MRC