Biographies

-A A +A

Jim Zabel Biography

Man outdoors with large remote control model airplane.

As a child, our "flying farmer" neighbor's take-off path put him just 200 hundred feet or so from our house, roughly 150 feet in the air. The thrill of seeing him wave to me as his plane roared overhead started a lifelong love of aviation for me. Although I eventually went on to pursue my own aviation career, I began modeling much earlier.

"Graduating" from dime-store balsa gliders to Free Flight and Control Line models around the age of ten, I eventually began to fly Radio Control by the age of 14. Modeling has been my lifelong passion, and I never grow tired of it.

Jeff Stover Biography

Conference room with a person sitting at a long table; Stover Engineering logo on screen.

Musician (former performances with Il Divo, Bob Hope, Don Rickles, Frankie Avalon and Trini Lopez) and Aviation and Aerospace investor and historian. 50 year career in the music business enabled Jeff to pursue his love for RC Airplanes and cars and boats, Control line, Drones, Model Rockets and even trains and slot cars.

Jeff started investing in Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics and Curtis Wright for over 40 years fueled by his love of aviation history and a need to create his own retirement plan at an early age being in the music business. 

John Jordan Biography

Man holding a model biplane on a grassy field, wearing a cap and shirt.

Born in 1952, I started my AMA membership and competitive Control Line scale and rat-racer flying at 7 or 8 years old. My dad flew scale and my older brother flew combat during the late ‘50s in the Lexington/Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. My dad and I attended the 1961 AMA Nationals at the Willow Grove NAS.

Clifton Howe Biography

Man and boy with model airplane on grassy field.

My AMA Story

In the early 1970s, my uncle gave me a small (049) Control Line airplane. Knowing nothing about the hobby at the time, we followed the instructions for set-up and fired up the engine. Once it was tuned for peak performance, my brother let go of the little plane. Within seconds, possibly one or two, I was picking up pieces. I meticulously glued all the parts back together. We rechecked the instructions to see if we had missed something. The only obvious thing to do was to adjust the controls to minimize surface deflections.

Doug Abel Biography

I started into the hobby a little over 7 years ago; my father had started flying with a friend who'd gotten him hooked in the hobby and my dad asked if I'd be interested in getting into the hobby as well. I jumped at the chance, starting with a racing drone (and I do NOT recommend going that route as a first aircraft; it involved LOTS of crashing on my part LOL).

Bruce Ream Biography

Man kneeling next to a yellow model biplane on a grassy field with mountains in the background.

I'm a retired architect who has been in the hobby for 35 years. I flew full-scale aircraft from 1976 until 2002. I'm a member of Jefco Aeromod'lers in Denver, Colorado. I have served as the President of the club and was a AVP for District IX. I'm a builder, and many of my projects have been featured in Stan Alexander's Scale Builder.

Carl Helrich Biography

I began building model airplanes when I was 7 years old. I got some basic instruction from an older (junior high school) boy down the street, who built very nice "stick models."

Of course, I also built Speedee Bilts by Monogram, as well as Comet stick models. And I joined a local club when one appeared. We built hand launched and high-start gliders. There I learned a bit more about why airplanes flew and what the airfoil actually was and did.

Paul Attwood Biography

Started learning in 1980. Took some time off to raise 2 daughters and rejoined my club a few years later. Our Club has been in the same location for over 55 years!!!! I became President of our club and have stepped down to the Treasurer position after 5 years of growth. Now retired, flying 3-4 times a week, and enjoying LIFE!!!!!!

Charles White Biography

My nickname is "Chic." I grew up in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, living off the end of an active runway of the Greater Pittsburgh Airport. I watched Boxcars, Constellations, and Electras take off. When at the Observation Deck, I even talked to the departing pilots.

Gerald DePoorter Biography

B.S. in Ceramic Engineering, University of Washington, 1961

M.S. in Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1963

PhD. in Engineering-Mineral Technology, University of California, Berkeley, 1965

1965-1987 Research Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M.

1987-1999 Associate Professor of Metallurgical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

Pages