I guess I’ll start off by saying I truly love this hobby and always encourage people young and old to get involved in RC flying. I spent summers at my aunt's home when I was a kid, and there was a flying field one block from her house. I was absolutely amazed seeing these RC planes climbing at full speed above the homes across the street, I couldn’t wait to be able to buy one.
Navy Flight Crew on P-3 Orion and SH-60 Sea Hawks from 1979 -2000, Retired Navy, worked in the executive aircraft field from 2000 until June 2025, Retired Volunteer Fire Fighter 2001 to 2012, recently retired and living in Florida. Husband of 38 years, 4 kids, 2 boys and 2 girls, grandfather to 7 grandkids. Just picked up RC Flying to do something new. Scuba Diver, Golfer, and Veteran Service Dog Ambassador.
I’m a CFII/MEI/Chief Ground Instructor because I started with Control Line when I was 9 years old. I was a member of the Middlesex Modelers in Middlesex, NJ. Men in the club helped me. Specifically, Bob Mauger was my mentor and is the contributing reason that I am deeply involved in aviation. I moved on to R/C starting with a Jensen Ugly Stik, Orbit radio, and a Weber .61. I moved to Florida after college and joined R/C World in Orlando. My AMA number 12207 and is still active!!
Hi, my name is Jonathan, and I'm from a small town in Tennessee. I grew up with my dad flying private planes. So, I've always had an interest in flight.
I was first introduced to the beautiful RC hobby at a late age - 34 years old. My wife and youngest son, 2 months old, were driving by DCRC’s flying field off of Gude Drive in Rockville, MD. We stopped in to watch, and a gentleman askes me if I flew RC planes. I told him I didn’t but was very interested in learning.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles M. Schlom, US Army (ret.), a combat veteran of Afghanistan, is an Army aviator and Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the North Korean military. In the Army, he served in aviation positions from Section Leader to Corps Flight Operations. He flew the iconic UH-1 Huey and earned his Senior Army Aviator Wings. Schlom was also assigned to the 85th Division (Exercise) where he served as Scenario Developer, Senior Opposing Forces (OPFOR) Observer/Controller Trainer, and OPFOR aviation SME. He has participated in numerous North Korean Battle simulations and exercises.
I got the bug for aviation at 9 years old when my stepfather took me for an aerobatic ride in a Citabria. My first model airplane was a Control Line PT-19. I built a few RC airplanes over the years, and actually built one of the very early RC collective helicopters (I never could fly it).
I liked planes. Like most people, I enjoyed seeing a 747 take off or land. But not until I was in my mid-50s did I ever consider not just flying but building my own RC.
It was early April 2006. I was surfing the Net, not really looking for anything in particular. I happened upon this site called aircrash.org. Something about lifting bodies, lifting fuselages, and a man named Burnelli. What I stumbled upon has profoundly changed the direction of my life.
My dad built and flew Control Line planes as a kid, probably in the late 1940s, early 1950s. I vaguely remember him flying one time when I was maybe 3 or 4, but never again.
Fast forward 10 years to 1971. I was approximately 13 years old. One Saturday morning, Dad told me that we had a special project for that day. He got down a large box from the attic and opened it up. It was that plane that he last flew 10 years earlier. He had crashed it and just boxed it up. It was a P-51 Mustang with a Fox 29 engine.
