My fascination with airplanes began when my Uncle Rene lived with my family while I was in gammer school. Uncle Rene a machinist by trade was a member of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and an avid aviation enthusiast. I spent many hours watching, learning and helping construct a full scale Smith Mini Plane (an open cockpit single seat biplane).

My Uncle bought me my first airplane kit a Guillows stick and tissue, rubber powered Piper J3 Cub. I learned a great deal about aerodynamics and what makes an airplane fly from that model. After building two or three more rubber powered models I graduated to control line but only pursued this on a limited basis. You see what I really wanted to do was remote control but at that time the cost was prohibitive and it was still in it's infancy. Of course I have to tell you that high school, cars and girls got in the way as well.

Then came marriage and my wonderful daughter Jessica and other responsibilities. We were living in southern California at the time and during a visit to the east coast we visited my Uncle Rene. This visit rekindled my love of airplanes and with the progress that RC had made it was time to take the plunge.

Upon returning to California I purchased an Airtronics 4 channel transmitter, a Carl Goldberg Eaglet trainer and an OS 15 2 cycle engine. After completing the construction I hooked up with a local hobby shop owner who was going to teach me to fly but we had a falling out and parted ways. So I decided to teach myself to fly. I purchased a glider kit bought a high start and proceeded to give it a go.

I would fly near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena they have a beautiful well manicured small park that is surrounded by pitch black hot top parking lots which provide excellent lift. I crashed a few but finally got pretty good at flying gliders but flying powered aircraft was never far from my mind.

We decided to move back to New England in particular New Hampshire where we were both born and raised. Upon getting settled I contacted my Uncle and found out that he was about to join a local RC club in the area and asked if I was interested in joining too. Wild horses couldn't stop me we joined and I got myself a new wet power trainer a Sig Kadet MK-II.

We joined The New Hampshire Flying Tigers they had, and still have, an excellent training program that I am still active in but now I'm one of the instructors. The first couple of seasons were great I learned to fly and had a ball. There were a couple of seasons when I almost quite you know when everything goes wrong and no matter how hard you try it doesn't get any better. Well I stuck with it and here I am 16 years latter still having a ball!

I've built sport airplanes, and scale airplanes from thirty size up to 33%. My present hanger contains quite a varied collection of airplanes. I'm also trying my hand at helicopters with a Hirobo Shuttle ZXX. My daughter has also learned to fly so that when I'm old and gray she can bring me to the field so I can scare everyone to death with my flying ability or lack thereof.

You'd be hard pressed to find a more exhilarating or rewarding hobby there is always something new to learn. I hope if you are a flyer or planning to become one that you enjoy it and get as much out of it as I have. Keep the greasy side down build straight and fly safe and you'll have a ball too.