My name is Gilbert Ruiz. I am 58 years old, a father of 3 children, and a grandfather of 3. I live in Miami, Florida. I became involved in the radio control hobby very young in life when my grandfather, who was an auto mechanic, gifted me an RC Chevrolet Camaro Z28. I cannot remember what model platform it was on, but all I knew is that it went fast and was a blast to play with.
As life went on, I had several RC cars, Control Line airplanes, and electric boats. At the age of 19, I joined the US Army Reserve and my RC hobby was temporarily put on hold.
In the late 1990s, while working as a full-scale aircraft mechanic, I became interested in RC helicopters. A good friend gifted me an old Kalt Barron, and I installed a more modern radio in it and attempted to fly it. It was really more like controlled hops. My next model was a Thunder Tiger Raptor 30. This model flew successfully and was a lot of fun.
In 2005, I received the news that my wife was pregnant with our son, and, again, the hobby had to be put on hold. Once my son was born in 2006, I picked up where I left off, purchasing a Hangar 9 Ultra Stick with an OS 46 AX to finally learn and become proficient with fixed-wing RC aircraft. As my career as a full-scale aircraft technician flourished into an instructional position at the local technical college, my spare time became more limited.
In 2023, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. During the time that I was being treated for the cancer, I began to watch videos about EDF Jets. Once I decided that I would like to try it out, I renewed my AMA membership, sought out the closest club that I could find, and became a member of the Osprey RC Club in Homestead, Florida, where on the very first day that I showed up, I was welcomed with open arms and a very friendly atmosphere by the club's vice president. He suggested a brand of transmitter that wouldn't break the bank (Radiomaster) and website where I could purchase the EDF Jets.
Right around the time that I was transitioning into EDF Jets, I was finishing my cancer treatments and received the news that my prognosis would have a favorable outcome. I truly believe that getting back into the RC hobby was instrumental in helping to keep my mind off of the health challenge that I was going through and contributed to helping my body to begin healing.
This marked the last time that I will ever put my hobby on hold, as it was really helpful to me in my time of uncertainty, and now I spend my entire week at school dreaming of Saturday when I can once again enjoy a truly wonderful hobby.
