In honor of Christina Bhend:
My wife Christina was slow to enter the hobby. After years of watching me build, going to the field and events, and helping me as my pit crew and spotter, one night, she walked into the workshop and said, "You're having WAY too much fun in here. I want to build an airplane." She built a Goldberg Anniversary Cub and that was it. She was hooked.
After building a few more kits, she decided that she wanted to learn to fly what she was building. She was a quick learner and became a pilot. Her favorite plane to build and fly was the Balsa USA Eindecker. She flew with the Warbirds and Classics Alliance at the events and became one of two lady pilots in the group.
She was diagnosed with brain cancer and set a goal for herself to build and fly a Balsa USA Sopwith Pup, which she did in late 2024. Sadly, she passed away on February 17, 2025, but she had achieved her goals. The AMA and the people in the group supported and motivated Chris all through her flying experiences. She grew into a confident, self-assured pilot but, most of all, person. The friends that she made during her years involved with the RC community have her a feeling of pride and accomplishment. She will be deeply missed.
