When I lost my wife of almost 40 years, I really didn't have any hobbies. Between taking care of the family, the house, church, work, community involvement, and other family issues, it always felt like there was never enough time.
Then, I noticed a couple of my neighbors who had started flying AeroScouts. I would drive by watching them like a kid. Before long, I was hooked too. As we moved up to slightly bigger planes, we started flying at the local community center, where I ran into an old friend who had also taken up the hobby.
While enjoyed both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, the real blessing has been the ability to get away and build camaraderie. Without even realizing it, these friends helped me through some very tough times.
Then, my dad lost the love of his life and developed a passion for simply coming out to watch us fly. At 94, he constantly asks, "Are we flying this weekend?"
We were always talking about the next plane, and I must have said a hundred times that I wanted a Corsair. It sat in my online cart more than once, but I never pulled the trigger. One day, we went out to fly, and I didn't call my dad because it was just a quick "Who's flying?" text with the group. I couldn't stay long, but I went to fly anyway.
To my surprise, my sister pulled up with my dad. I assumed they were just out running around and figured they noticed we were flying. My birthday was the following week, and I had just told one of my buddies that I might have to spoil myself with a new plane. Then another friend pulled a blue-taped box out of his truck. Completely naive, I assumed he had bought a new plane and just hadn't told us. I was wrong.
It turns out my dad had been working behind my back to buy me a plane, and my friends decided they wanted in as well. They all pitched in. I was truly blown away.
In the four to five years since I started this hobby, I've bought more planes and spent more money than I ever imagined. I've spent countless enjoyable days flying—and crashing—planes. I even started a small YouTube channel focused on fixing and flying RC planes, since I got pretty good at fixing them. But more important than any of that has been the camaraderie. These are people who were there not just for the hobby, but for life.
That's what makes this hobby special. It's more than just planes. It's a group of people with a shared passion who are willing to help each other out.
It reminds me that we are never promised tomorrow, and that we should appreciate the friends and family that we have—and take the time to enjoy life.
Happy flying.
