84,031.82 raised in 2026. We have reached 16% of our goal.
Help us reach this year's goal of $500,000!
Original article written by Richard Augur in 1997 for his club newsletter. Richard notes that even almost 30 years after this article was written, he still has the Esquire!
When my father, Bob Augur, built his Midwest "Esquire," a quarter of a century ago, he couldn't have imagined the impact it would have on generations of young people and future RC pilots.
I am Gautam Mehra, a 14-year-old student whose interest in robotics began in 6th grade and later expanded into FTC and RC aviation. I began learning through Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects using a robotics kit my parents bought me. I designed simple projects, such as a small robot buggy, and learned to use electronic components on a breadboard. Though I started my journey by taking small steps, I learned several fundamentals that propelled my fascination with robotics.
My name is Aiden, I'm 9 years old, and I live in Champaign, Illinois. I first became interested in flying at the Champaign County RC Club (CCRCC). I got to practice on a simulator first and then fly a real RC plane with a coach at CCRCC. That experience made me really interested in flying RC planes. Flying a new plane is always exciting.
My name is Adam Sun. I am ten years old, and I live in Savoy, Illinois. I have been a huge fan of flying since I was little. I have flown several RC aircraft before and all of them ended up crashing or being lost. The last one was a drone I received as a birthday gift. After that, I really wanted someone to teach me how to fly, so I wouldn't keep crashing my planes.
Dan Bott, current co-chair of the AMA Foundation Board based out of Arizona, was exposed to model airplanes at the age of 13. Initially interested in model cars, this exposure was thanks to customers he assisted while working at a local hobby shop in Southern California.
Hello! My name is Andrew Nguyen, but everyone calls me Andy. I am nine years old. I started getting interested in RC planes when I saw my brother flying them at the flying field. It looked really cool watching the planes go up in the sky and do tricks.
My earliest memory of flying and model aviation is trying to build a pair of wings when I was eight and living on my family's farm in central Illinois. My father came by and asked, "What are you up to?" I answered, "I'm gonna fly out of the barn on this!" My dad looked at the wings made of sticks and feed sacks and said, "That doesn't look very strong." It broke in half when I lifted it up.
I'm a biochemist in the field of bio therapeutic purification. I started flying as a kid on 0.049 Control Line planes but eventually found girls more appealing. After college, I came back to the hobby, needing something to do with my hands. I now serve as a club officer (treasurer) and help promote building wherever my airplanes take me.
I've been interested in airplanes for as long as I can remember, especially models. I remember watching one of my uncles launch a model airplane from his front yard into the street - I must have been about three years old - 1941? I guess that triggered something because model airplanes (and airplanes in general) have been a part of my life ever since.
My name is Oliver. I am 11 years old, and two years ago I went to RC Fest in Monticello, Illinois, where I discovered my love for RC planes. I bought an AeroScout and went out to a local soccer field, wanting to fly. I took off and immediately lost control of the plane as it flew off. I felt terrible that I had lost the plane. My dad posted on social media asking if anyone had found it. No one had found it, but a kind person replied saying they had an extra one that I could have.
