I have been building and flying model airplanes off and on since I was 5 years old, in 1950. At 5 years of age, I loved the Comet Sparky, a difficult-to-build model. However, I actually built one on top of the box with a single-edge blade and Testors wood glue! Painted it like the box picture with dope.
My name is Steve Markowitz, and I have been an AMA member since 1989, right out of college. Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my father attempted u-control, and I did not like it. In my 4th year of pharmacy school at The University of Pittsburgh, an older gentleman took me under his wing and explained to me about Radio Control flying. We did some buddy box, but I was a mess. He did give me a Cessna to play with. My first flight by myself, it got stuck in a 50-foot tree in the woods. I came back later with an axe to retrieve my airplane.
I purchased a used book authored by the late AMA Pioneer Bob Aberle. I poured over it for 7 years before I had the courage to try RC flight.
Although starting this endeavor late in life, I built simple planes from blue foam and applied what I learned from my book. Now I’m 13 years into this sport, which over time became my passion. I’ve done other things in life, but my life has been enriched beyond measure by meeting other people in this sport that helped, coached, and mentored me along the way.
AKA, Airplane Nut. 67 this month. Clear back to 1968 was the year my father started taking flying lessons. He was able to purchase a 1946 Aerocoupe. 1969, at the age of 11, I got my first ride. My Dad was a very busy guy running a welding company and hauling precast concrete. As the years passed, my passion for aviation grew along with my curiosity of how airplanes flew. My Dad continued to work hard and so his passion for bigger, faster airplanes grew.
Retired CIO of a Fortune 500 company with a background in Mechanical, Electrical, and Information Technology. I hold multiple engineering and software patents. In my retirement, I teach STEM to 5th–12th graders through the University of Tennessee Extension and 4-H, and I also enjoy equine ranching and golfing.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that there are not many hobbies that can give you as much fulfilment and satisfaction on so many levels. RC flying has been the best. As I progress in this hobby, I have learned so much. My Friday night starts with charging batteries and loading the planes in the car. But what I will never head out without is my AMA Membership. Trust me, it's the cheapest peace of mind you can take along with you. Have fun and stay safe out there, all.
I first became a member of AMA way back in 1965. This was at the demand of my father. My father was a kid that grew up during the Golden Age of Aviation. He built many Free Flight models and was influenced by growing up near Newark Airport. My father was an Army Air Force veteran who was washed out of the pilot training program and became a crew chief on B-24s and lastly on Curtiss Commandos, prepping pilots of both tow planes and gliders for the Normandy invasion. Long story longer, my father must have passed that aviation bug gene onto me.
From the Ground Up: A Lifelong Passion for Flight
From a young age, I was captivated by remote control vehicles. If it could go faster, handle better, or pack in the latest electronics, I was all in. That fascination quickly grew. As I entered my teenage years growing up in Wisconsin, just a short drive from EAA, I found myself constantly inspired by the world of aerobatics and the incredible things aircraft could do in the sky.
Retired Army Aviator and Lieutenant Colonel. Flew the iconic UH-1 Huey. Cold War and Afghanistan Veteran. Lifelong model airplane builder and recently into scale R/C planes.
My journey into aviation began in the early 1990s with the RC hobby. What started as an interest in model aircraft ignited a passion for science, problem-solving, and flight; eventually leading me to Embry-Riddle, where I earned multiple degrees.
