I just knew at a very early age (5 or 6?), I wanted to fly model planes. I finally got a plastic CLer at about 10 years old and RC around the time I turned 17. I've taken a few breaks along the way but I have never been without at least one flyable plane,short of batteries and fuel.

Matt

 

Mine started when I found my brother's old Testors .049 control line plan in the attic when I was around 10. I must have spent a week trying to get that thing to run longer than a couple of seconds at the time. Finally gave up and talked the parents into getting me a Cox PT-19 trainer from the dollar store. Man what a difference. It started right up and I was able to actually fly it!

Graduated from it to some of the Goldberg CL planes and finally made the jump into RC with a Hobby Lobby Paillon .049 powered glider. My first 4ch plane was the Goldberg Skylark 56. Only plane I ever built 2 of until the Mojo 60! Been hooked ever since, with a couple of hiatuses along the way.

 

RC Cars

 

My father was forced to stop flying full scale sailplanes when I was a baby by my mother. When I was 6 he decided he needed to be flying something and got into RC. I got into it with him. When I was 15 he started flying full scale gliders again along with me. I got as far as getting soloed but I never got the license and moved back into RC. He's still doing the gliders.

 

RC cars here also. Then started working at a place where a couple of the guys flew. 1 time on the sticks and I was hooked. Age 32 when that happened, and still going at it

 

2 years ago I was visiting family and my Bro-inlaw had nitro lawn off road cars that would weelie around, had a blast. I commented I always wanted an RC plane. He started the car and off to the RC store we went. What an overwhelming experience! Lukily they had a sim which I proceeded to crash 10 planes in a row. I concluded: "I don't need a plane, I need a sim!"
It's been Mr Toads wild ride since then!

 

Control line - Flight streaks, Satans, snips, ringmasters all built from kits. Tissue and dope. First used MonoKote in like '76 or '77. Started driving and put them up.

In the Marines for 10 years and couldn't afford it nor the space, but while out at Pendleton, I used to go watch Col. Thacker fly his RC Stuff (DF) at the local field. I decided I wanted back in.

8 or 10 years later I told my wife "I wanna do the RC thing" I had been a golf nut for about 15 years and when you look at it, after the initial expense, it's a little cheaper. Anyway, I used to look forward to playing golf all week. If it rained I was a bastard to live with. With RC, if it rains or is too cold I just work in the shop. Haven't played more than 5 rounds of golf since 2003. Started with an LT40, then a 4*40 then some sport/scale stuff. Would look down at the other end of the field where Gator, Matchless, Swany, Rozzman and Jack01 and the guys were 3D'ing and having a blast and said THAT's what I want to do.

Swany actually taught me to fly, so I'm a little off

J.

 

built a comet sheet balsa wind up in 2nd grade. started building rubber powered after that, till i got a cox c/l around 1973. got an r/c plane in 76.always had a thing for model planes. joined service as airplane mechanic. didn't like full scale, they sucked. i liked model planes. still do. never had a desire for full scale flying for some reason, but model planes have always held my interest.

 

Too long ago to remember why. But I do remember my first glow engine was a Cox Golden Bee .049.
Cost a whopping $3.99 ! ( about 4 month's allowance back then LOL )

 

Doctor's Orders.

 

Cocaine was too hard on my nose, and I felt I should waste money on SOMETHING!

 

About 2 1/2 years ago,wife bought me a HZ super cub teach yourself to fly deal for fathers day.Beat the crap out of it for a couple months,then things clicked.Then got a tower trainer given to me by JB.Bought the gear for it(have the debt to prove it) and then I couldn't look back.Flew that until bored,then JB gave me the gently used Mojo,geared it up and flew it first time at the NWO Pro Bro last august.I can't get enough,and the Bro's have really made this alot of fun......also have other planes and more debt. :lol: :drink:

 

Wanted rcplanes since I was a kid. Parents knew it was to much for me to handle and to expensive. Ended up flying Estes rockets instead in the late seventies.

Thirty years later I finally had the space and money for it. Now it's hard to find the time.

 

Cool stories guys, Burrito Bandito my little bro is in the Corp. He is out in Cali right know training getting ready to head to Afghanistan in may. Hard to believe that it seems like yesterday he was pulling at my shirt tale asking me to take him with me since he is 13 years younger than me. I am going to have to get to memphis and fly with you guys some time since I am only an hour and half away

 

Wanted rcplanes since I was a kid. Parents knew it was to much for me to handle and to expensive. Ended up flying Estes rockets instead in the late seventies.

Thirty years later I finally had the space and money for it. Now it's hard to find the time.

That's really closer to my story. I knew my dad had flown CL before I was around. We went to a garage sale up the block when I was maybe 6 or 7 and there was a little CL plane with engine for $.50. It was a 1/2A POS and my dad wouldn't buy it for me. I vowed that when I could buy model airplane stuff, I would. Just a year or 2 later, we were visiting my great uncle in Bisbee, AZ and he gave me a couple of CL engines, an .049 and a McCoy .19, I still have them. I built the original Top Flight Nobler with a Fox .35 stunt, silkspan and dope, my first model. Never flew it. Had it hanging from the ceiling of my bedroom and the string broke, kinda fucked it up.

When I started working on drilling rigs, I bought RC gear. The rest is history.

 

I'm told that I have loved planes since I was a toddler. I have 1 picture of myself from my young years. I was 3 in the pic and was holding a small blue and white, maybe 16-18" Cessna plane with no horizontal stab or elevator. I started tearing them up young, .

Got into R/C nitro cars at age 9. My parents said no planes, when I was 15 I lied to my mom and told her I needed car parts. I came out of the LHS with a plane. Spent about 18 moths teaching myself to crash, repair and fly in that order, LOL. I took 8 years off due to full size off road trucks. Got back in R/C 6-7 years ago and then found 3D. At the time I thought profiles were hideous, now I think they are the most beautiful planes out there.

I never cared for precision aerobatics(pattern), it's too difficult and not exciting to me so I was always thrashing my planes around.

 

Cool stories guys, Burrito Bandito my little bro is in the Corp. He is out in Cali right know training getting ready to head to Afghanistan in may. Hard to believe that it seems like yesterday he was pulling at my shirt tale asking me to take him with me since he is 13 years younger than me. I am going to have to get to memphis and fly with you guys some time since I am only an hour and half away

Open invitation JT. When I get this Hazzbro EE60 done, come over and wiggle the sticks! And tell your little Bro I said THANKS!

Semper Fi Mac

J.

 

RC Hydro's. Started racing them in the '70s and found myself working part time at a LHS. Been losing money ever since.

 

I was always interested in Planes when I was a kid,... specially warturds. Any WW2 movie or documentary I could watch I did.

I used to build the Guillows planes obsessively,... Most for Rubber power, a couple Electric free flight, One on a cox .049 (never did find that one)

One day I heard a guy flying an RC a little way away from my house,... I wound up spending a lot of time watching him fly, and even got to watch him build a couple. I always knew I wanted to fly since then.

Finances didn't allow it until about 4 years ago tho.

I think I'd only been flying for about a year or so when I found the greatest RC site in the world.

I've been a ProBro ever since! :wink:

 

When I was about 6(in 1990 :rolleye: ) My dad and I stopped by our local flying field. One of the guys there talked my dad into flying his 1/4 scale clipped wing cub. He went down nervous and came back shaking with a huge grin on his face. After that he got a plane(Rebel 40T) and we started to learn. He was a lot faster then I was but I still soloed by 9 even with all the RC cars and boats I drove. We have been going strong to this day. The trainer we had was really a great trainer. It had very little dihedral so it made you really fly the thing. He ended up getting me one, that one no longer lives.

Here is a pic of the first old lady

 

Always liked planes. My dad was an expert train modeler, but for some reason they never interested me. I built a lot of rubber powered planes, but never thought I could do RC. I overheard a new friend of mine asking another guy if he wanted to see his RC plane go, I invited myself. That was almost 21 years ago. I'd prolly be out of the hobby if it wasn't for the bro's and the craziness here... Keeps me addicted..

 

I have had an Obsession with flight since before I can remember. I do remember that I wanted to be an astronaut when I was 8 or 9, that dream ended when I found out I was too tall to be an astronaut (5'11"), I was 11! My father passed away when I was 6, and when I was 12 my Mother dated this really cool guy that spoke with a German accent (his name was Fritz) and he had a Christen Eagle! The Day he did as fly-by our farm, and landed to ask me if I wanted a ride was probably my first wet dream! He took it easy at first, then he asked me if I was gonna puke in his plane, Never, I replied! He tru his whole routine, and I was hooked more than ever! Ground school soon followed, those were the "Good'Ole Days" as I was the proverbial little "Ramp rat" at the local FBO. I would wash planes all days for some stick time. I had enough hours to get my private's by age 15. We had a house fire when I was 16, and thank goodness noone was hurt, but all my logs were destroyed. I knew my family(Single Mom) didn't have finances to start again, so i got into R/C. I opened the Tower Hobbies catalog, and ordered a "Bud Light Laser" It was spiffy and fast. I flew it 3 times before I totalled it, In hindsight, not a good learner plane! My Mom got me an RC-10, and racing that became my new r/c outlet. I also got into Boats, with Tunnel's and worked up to the .90 v's. Fast forward to 1995, I was single, gainfully employed, and decided I'd put shit off long enuff. I went and got my Privates in 2 weeks, and shortly thereafter, got a Sig Kadet. I found the local flying field and an older man there(Cj at first sight) was doing rollers, and I asked if he could help me. 3 days later I was soloing. My first Kit I built (not including the 79 1/144 scale models hanging from my ceiling in 8th grade) Was a Four-star .60. Great flying second model. I put R/c off again for a few while I had kids, and when my son turned 6, after coming to the field, told me he wanted to learn. We got some foamy's at first, and I have been 3ding(trying) ever since!

 

Whew, I think that's the most I ever typed here.........sorry

 

My wife bought me a trainer kit for x-mas.
I bet she regrets that move big time

 

Awesome story's guys! I think if you cut me open, my blood would be little VW emblems under a microscope. My love of flying started long before I ever knew what RC was though. I always was a little intrigued by the twin engined flying bus in HotVW's mags. My grand dad had a full scale Navion and a perfect scale model of it in the house that I can barely remember. Both were polished to chrome. Never got to fly in it, he had a stroke before I was born. The model was smart enough to stay out of my reach. Wish I knew what happend to it.
Bought all my stuff from odd jobs as a kid. I think the first was a COX Bushmaster or a Testor BD-5, neither ever ran long enough to get off the ground far enough to crash. I did not understand the need for fresh fuel and glow battery back then.
My first RC planes were Hobby Shack Super Box Fly's, one in camo and one in Stars and Stripes. Still have them, one flyable. Cirrus radio, AM 7 channel, still have it too. Antiques now LOL.