worldmodelsmach1

My Feedback: (1)

I am 14 and I have been flying for about four years now, and I've finally moved up to my first gasser. I started my experience in this hobby when my friend over at tracy airport gave me his old Lanier slow comet. Of course since then I've been through about 3 planes and hopefully that will be the number for a while (meaning I won't crash any more.)

armody

My Feedback: (10)

Happy Belated Birthday Hossfly.,,

I started this thread to find out the experienced people, to reminisce and bring back the memories of life when this exciting hobby was started by any individual. So many interesting stories would come out I'd never know. I shared my child hood with little hand flying plane, but I wanted to get into the hobby through a news paper article way back in my country, in 1992 or 1993, even at that time he was way expensive, until now he is still business and still expensive as much of the standards of flying in Karachi, Pakistan. His rate discouraged me and I never looked back into that hobby. There was a burger shop which they are still best in town in my city, next to that a hobby shop I never noticed despite visited that burger place zillions of times. Anyway, in 2004 my habit of heavy surfing took me to a website of R/C helicopters, since then I got crazy and my wife who I met on the internet July 2004, was in a process of divorce with her ex and getting half money as per Texas law by selling the house and stuff. First plane she bought me was first Hangar 9's Mustang PTS. Now in June it's gonna be 2 1/2 in GREAT USA, I have just started flying due to the bad economic crunch. Hopefully we are praying we would be out of this as Dow Jones hit 11,000 since 1996 or 1998.

Best of luck to the eoncomy, Best of luck to y'all keep sharing your experiences, it's getting great

Mody

Duayne P

My Feedback: (15)

Hi all. Been flying since I was 6, 36 now. Been instructing since 10 and building sunce 8. My father told me if I couldnt build or repair then I dont fly. So 30yrs flying, 26 instructing and 28 building. My son has been flying since 10 and now 15. Been flying gassers since he was 11. [8D]

Duayne

SBOT

I'll be 61 in a couple of months. I have pretty much the same history as the other fellas my age. FF CL ect. I'm glad to see some of the younger folk in this thread. Interesting reading, good thread.

Oscar

willig10

I'm sure my story is like many others. I remember being 4 years old and loving planes. I am currently 44. I started out building and flying ROCKETS back in the early 70's which led me to Cl which led me to RC. However back in 1984 I was living in Dallas, Tx. We had a hobby shop on Jefferson avenue called Bernies Hobby House. Bernie was about 7 foot tall and walked with a prosthesis. As a kid I bought all of my rockets and CL stuff through him. One day he turned me on to RC by telling me about an airplane called the "DASUGLYSTICK".

I was 17 at the time and it took me 4 months to build that airplane. (Fox eagle3-60 with an upturned muffler). Anyway I met Bernie out atthe flying field on Highway 80 and he stood behind me and reached over me and placed his hands on top of mine, (mine wereon the controls)andtaught me how to fly RC. (Old school buddy box style).

Berniewas a great guy not arrogant at all and just loved being aroundus and the RC scene.

I stayed in the hobby pretty active from 1984until my military service tookme out of the loop back in 1992.Marriage and kids, work etc kept me out of it until last year (october). On a whim I decided to go to the local RC flying field and struck up some immediate friendships.

Now I am back in it full swing. Love this Hobby and never getting back out of it.

Glenn

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

I started flying control line at about 8-9 years old. Building kits like the Lil Satin, Jumpin Bean, and other Goldburg CL models. My shop teacher got me into RC at 11 years old. Flew and built R/C planes, including the Falcon 56, Bridi original Kaos 40, and other planes. Flew R/C until I was 18, when I took up full scale training and became a Professional Pilot becoming an ATP with B-727, HS-125, IA-Jets, Lears, various turbo props, CFII/MEI, Flt. Engineer B-727. Retired and lost my medical at 39. Got back into R/C planes at 40, now 50. I am flying mostly Composite-ARF planes, including the 2.6 Extra 33L, 44% Giles, both with DA engines, the Turbine Flash w/P-120 and getting an F-18 ready for Top Gun 2010 at the end of the month. I have built a lot of various planes too.

I think what you are trying to figure out if someone is older, are they loosing their talent, due to older age, or do they just not know what they are doing.....lol. As I grow older, I see older gentlemen loose their talents. What is amazing, is with the new caterac surgeries, I see some of these guys who looked like they couldn't fly, come back after surgery and have no problems. Anyway, hope this helps your curiousity.

Insanemoondoggie

In 1967 I picked up a Cox .049 plastic P40 CL airplane .Took all summer to save up for it . I thought it was the coolest thing around, with the Sharks mouth and decals all over it. The first and last flight lasted long enough to do a loop right into the ground. Plastic everywhere. That was it for me, grew up on a small farm and money was really tight.
I did become a aircraft mech and worked for one of the majors as a Crew Chief for 20 yrs and also was private pilot. In 2003 I was hurt pretty badly on the job an was forced into early retirement and also no longer could be signed of on the medical for a private pilots license .
Not being able to to do the work I love really was a hard blow to me. After surgery , had to learn to walk all over again . My wife had bought me a GP Cub .20 kit a few years before the accident. I set it up on the downstairs bar , which meant I would have to go up and down the stairs to work on it. Took 4 weeks to build , started out only being able to work a few minutes at a time , but by the end of the build, I was doing really good. Cool parts is, when the wife and I went to see the Doc, he said I don't know what he is doing , but keep it up . Now I have a Doctors excuse and the wife heard it with her own ears. Now how cool is that ?
Taught myself to fly on the Cub in 2004 since then I have had over 30 airplanes , most kit built , plus a TRex 450 3D Heli. Life is good .

Fleet

I got to remember that "Doc's excuse" thing. It's got to come in handy soon.

I've a boat load of model boats and ships that I've build over the years. Crosswinds, sliced fingers, etc . are not a problem with boats.

If I had any regrets, it has to be not being able to bring my grandson's into the fold. My youngest daughter built a Gullows J-3 one summer when she whas 14. I still have it. Her two sons seem not to be inspired. Alas.

Ray W.
AMA 2737
IMAA 9513

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I started building control line airplane kits in 1956, I don't want to do the math!! In 1959 I also got into free flight. RC is something on the new side for me, about 17 years now. Back when I was a bit younger RC was nothing that young folks could afford, prices may seem high today but they really have come down on a lot of the items and gear. Way down!!

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

You are so right[:-]. Yet you still hear people complain about today's prices.

Bruce

Fleet

If one might remember "Model Airplane News" and featured American Hobby Center out of NYC. In that monthly advert, I remember vividly the price of a good 4 or 6 channel reed system (proportional wasn't invented yet) was about $600 and there were no nicads back then.

A big tube of Ambroid would run me $.60 and that was near my monthly income. Once I got a tube of Ambroid from AHC and it was %90 air. I wrote to Ambroid of my plight and they sent me a new tube all packed nicely in a cardboard tube and sawdust for free. Nice of them that.

One of my mentors of my youth flew a singel channel escapement rig biplane with good success. Rudder only and he always brought it back...usually in one piece. later , he had a 3 channel Sterling Tripacer with throttle control. WOW!

Galloping ghosts was an aberation and I would rather free flight than watch that dizzying thing.

Ray W.

clpahodges

My Feedback: (3)

Sixty four years young. Building and flying control line since 1960. Building and flying RC since 1985. I still do both, but now I am retired and can do even more of both.

Bill Hodges

oldschoolfox

My Feedback: (33)

Im 67 been building and flying for 52 years.wow thats sounds scary to me. just started my first gas plane tf1/5 p51 really having fun with it.

BOB MOORE

I have been involed in aviation in aviation models and real aircraft since 1937 , I am 78 years old

fatfreddy17

My Feedback: (43)

I'm 45, been doing this silly hobby since I was 19, never missed a season.

As long as I have fingers to put on a Tx and eyes to see what my plane is doing - I'MGOINGFLYIN"!!!

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Dad was engineer USAF flying MATS (C-54) is the oldest I can remember - instilled the love of aviation in me - don't know how as we were never close .... but built planes since I can remember. Berkley Bird Dog was first kit - built in the attic - never finished it but we did get a JW Walker 'Fly Baby' (first ARF ever made??) and that started it - I think I built every Scientific .049 model available. Built thru high school, went to college and shortly after that started back into UC in late '60's. Move to RC in 1970 (Sterling Tri Pacer) and haven't stopped building since. Love to build more than fly - sure wish I could retire so I could fly more, but alas, being a teacher wasn't the best move I ever did financially. Started out in 1967 at $4900 yr and I thought I was rich (ha ha)....best contribution to the hobby has been the introduction of my son (then age 4) to aviation and today (age 26+) he flies 40%ers and is an excellent son, pilot and friend - can't complain about that!!!!

malthepal

My Feedback: (1)

My first plane was an old stick and tissue Sopwith Camel in the 60's. We watched dad fly control line for a while then I got into plastic for years until I was obsessed with detail. 3 years now flying RC and haven't looked back. My first plane was a Hobbico Avistar (HIGHLY recommended stable plane) I went thru 4 of them in the first 2 years. Oh, I'm 52 now, and try to fly every weekend.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

First ARF I recall was the Fire Baby 1/2A control line model. If you broke it a fuse cost a quarter, a wing was fifteen cents and the stab was a dime. Every small town hardware store in the country sold them and stocked the parts. It was most boys first real flying airplane. Then we started building planes like the Ring Master with our big powerful .15s for power. Hardware stores were3 where we bought our guns and ammo and anything else for the out doors, even boat motors. I used to travel all the way to Tacoma to get to a real hobby shop. Those were special trips for most boys!!

TruBlu02

28 years old now and have been in the hobby since I was 13. I started out with a Thunder Tiger 40 size trainer and flew the wings off it. I have had 15 or so planes over the years and have had some time off as well. I joined the Air Force when i was 18 and took a few years off. I really didn't didn't get serious back into the hobb till 2006 when i started working on my private Pilots License. I found myself being drawn back to the hobby and I am bigger into it now than ever. being a full scale lot has really improved my RC skills and RC does pay dividends when flying full scale. Having a understanding of both sides of aviation, both model and full scale, really does pay off. I hae trimmed back a bit on my models due to a very hectic schdule. I am going through Air Force Pilot training right now and it does not leave much time for RC. I still make time for my hobby though as it is a great stress reliever. My three year old son loves airplanes and I take him with me to fly all the time. Its been a great bonding experience for us. The base I am at lets us fly on the end of the runway on saturdays so that is here we were today. I will be flying in some form or fashion till the day I die. It is in my blood and will always be. I hope to see one of my boys carry on my passion.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

Built my first plane in 1971. It was a Carl Goldberg Falcon 56, followed by a Top Flite Headmaster followed by a Tidewater Pronto. Man, those were the good old days. The word ARF had not even been thought about..... Good Luck, Dave

nelsoda2

Hey guys I am really enjoying reading about your flying and building experiences. I had limited sucess with c/l with my dad when I was a kid,  got turned on to rc when i was sixteen. A buddies dad helped me build and learn to fly my first rc plane (Pilot trainer w/OS 25), have been hooked ever since. Marriage, childern and the lack of money slowed me down for awhile, now I have a good job, my own flying field and nice shop. All my dreams have almost come true, hopefully I will get a grandson in the near future to complete my dream of sharing my experiences flying. My girls never got into the hobby much. Well I have been rammbling on, so thanks for sharing all your experiences. Oh, by the way I am fourty eight going on eight or nine, so my wife tells me. lol

Dave

Kwikfli

I started the hobby when I was 12 (control line). Started rc in about '70 when I built my first radio from a kit (Ace Rc). been flying or trying to fly ever since. Just turned 67. My eye sight and reflexes aren't what they used to be. Isn't old age a pain.

Fleet

Oh man, the earlier mention of Ringmasters just opened up a summer of memories.

Steve Landron

Received my first C/L Plane in 1972, (Cox F-1 trainer), flew C/L up until I went into the Navy in 1981. I picked up my first RC kit in 1983, the Carl Goldberg Eagle 63, (still have it)! All told I have about 27 years building, scratching, repairing, and flying RC planes and Helicopters.

Steve

[8D]

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

"First ARF I recall was the Fire Baby 1/2A control line model"

That's the one! And after a long love affair with .049's the owner of the hobby shop (who just happened to have a flying circle next to his house)(in Dover Deleware) let me fly an O&R 35 (??) plane with him at the handle (around mine) and good bye .049's. Later my grandfather bought me a FOX 35!!! Built a couple of Ringmasters ($3.95), one Super Ringmaster and a Smoothie by Veco (covered in nylon) flew the heck out of that fox! Even had a Berkerly P-40 and two T-28's (both crashed quickly - guess they didn't like wingovers )

Remember once a guy built a Ringmaster in ONE DAY - we had a contest on Saturday and he started building right after work and made it to the contest around 9 AM with the plane - remember those days we used Ambroid and AeroGloss and the wing had to be covered and painted!!!!