I was sitting in the coffee shop late Friday night looking at a Tower Hobbies catalog. An older gentleman who frequents the same shop sat down and asked if I flew remote-controlled airplanes. I explained to him that I was just getting started and getting my feet wet, but that things are coming along nicely for me. The old fellow flew with a local club until about 20 years ago or so, then got out of the hobby when his eyes started getting bad. He had a lot of great stories and some good beginner advice. I had a really nice time talking to him, and he was impressed with all of the "newfangled" stuff in my Tower catalog.

Anyway, the guy leaves. I usually sit around and read and watch tv at this coffee shop for several hours on Friday, so I stuck around. About an hour later, the guy comes back in carrying a red Craftsman toolbox, which he sets on the counter, saying, "Here, I'd like you to have this. There is probably some stuff in here you can use."

We went over to one of the empty tables and sat down to have a look. The box was a veritable treasure trove of parts....wheels, control horns, various nuts and bolts, servo horns, propellers....anything you can imagine.

In the bottom part of the box were three engines, an O.S. .15 and two O.S. 25's, all in immaculate condition and in their original boxes. He told me to keep them, that he'd like to see them being used. I offered to pay him for the stuff, because as he and I both know, it isn't cheap. The most he would accept was to pay for his coffee, so I got two like-new engines (a .15 and a .25), a brand-new unused engine (.25), a pile of parts and a Craftsman tool box for $1.09.

So yes, there ARE still genuinely nice people out there.

I think that once I can fly with at least some degree of proficiency, I'm going to put the .15 in a Great Planes SlowPoke, and see if he'd like to go out to the field and fly sometime. The plane I'm thinking of is:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...6&I=LXLP42&P=K


Just a nice story I wanted to share with everyone. Have a great weekend!


Ray out

Ray,

That is an absolutely great story. I also think it's great that you want to build something and show him what his giving accompished....very cool stuff. I'm going to link this thread to my Pay it Forward thread

Great story!!!! Maybe he would like to go to the field with you and just watch. ENJOY!!!!!

Wonderful story. I had a visitor at the field the other week who hadn't flown for years. You could tell he was full of information and had lots of great stories to tell. He even gave me a few pointers on how to fly my scale warbird. Congrats on the new inheritance, be sure to show him your appreciation by asking him to come see his gear in action like you said.

Ray,
Great story, but to make sure you have a happy ending, use one of the .25s in the Slowpoke. It needs it.


papermache

Congrats. I wish i could meet people like that. Then again i dont go to coffee shops. I think the towerhobbies big book will come with my order. New reading material for during the math lesson.. yea!

This really is very generous

I have 2 things to suggest...

First, get a Sig Wonder for that .15 (That airplane is a blast!)

And second, since that guy frequents the same place, slip the owner a few bucks and tell him that the gentleman's coffee is on you for the next 2 weeks (or month, or however generous you feel)

Don't worry about meeting people like that. Be people like that, and it will come around.

Minnflyer, I think it is a bit early for him to have a wonder. He hasn't began glow yet i don't believe. I get a LT-25, My instructor has one that i will probably get to fly today and it is a blast. I have flown it before and its just plain fun

I can't help but feel sad for the guy, I could not imagine having to give up this hobby for 20 years.
I agree, try to do something nice for the guy, all idea's mentioned here are good.

Thats cool. I have a friend that I used to fly gliders on the circut with years ago. He quit about 15 years ago. I built a windrifter, which was his first bird. Colored it exactly like his, and talked him in to going flying with me one day. I told him I would give it to him if he would fly it, but wouldn't do it. I actually built two of them so I would have one to fly with him, but he wouldn't do it. Bummer. Would have been cool to get him out once in a while. He was a lot of fun.

Nice to meet good guys isn't it. There are a lot of them in this hobby.

That is a real good thing that he did for you. He did not want much for his dreams and the fun he had with all of the goodies in the box. Now your part is not so much to pay HIM back, but to pass the favor onto some one else. When you see some oe who needs a boost in to R/C, or help staying in, give them a hand.

Enjoy what he has given you.

Dru.

Amen and amen. Most of the good guys are in this hobby.

JIm C