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I started in 1974 after seeing a '1/2 Time Show' of Early Aviation RC Aircraft at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York. It just happened to be taking place when I attended with dad at the age of 12. I couldn't believe my eyes and have been hooked ever since. We picked up a Guillow's cub on the way home and dad said, "If you can build this, mom and I will go 1/2 on an R\C setup."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!!!!!!
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.
