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.
His name was Walt Good. I told him I was in the process of putting together an Airtronics glider kit. He invited me to the next DCRC club meeting, which was going to be at his house. He said to bring along my glider, and the members would give me their critique on my building.
There, I met Maynard Hill, who became a great personal friend for many years until his passing. And that was the beginning for me. I was a member of the DCRC field in Columbia, MD, which eventually became Howard County Radio Control Club, and when the field moved to Laurel, MD, we became Free State Aeromodelers.
While at the Columbia, MD, and a part of DCRC, I met many good modelers and became close friends with Ed Mitchell, who it turns out was Captain Tom Huff's shop teacher. Ed and Tom became best of friends, and through Ed, Tom, and I, and my son Kurt, who is an awesome RC pilot and now heavily involved in the Navy’s unmanned aircraft program at Webster Field, a branch of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Lexington Park, MD. I am 84 years old, and on weather-permitting days, I still fly my Blade 180, 230, and 550 helicopters. I have over 700 flights on my helicopters without any issues.
Backing up a little, I attended the University of Maryland from 1959-1964 and earned my BS degree in Electrical Engineering. During that time, I met Bob Violet and we became friends and hung out doing our share of soaking up beers and some crazy college stuff. He was studying aeronautical engineering. In 1963, after two years, he told me he was going to join the Navy. He tried to talk me into it, but I told him that I wanted to finish my degree, which I did. I had joined the Navy reserves in 1963 and was stationed at Andrew’s Air Force base in Suitland, MD, where I became a plane captain for the XO’s FJ4B (the Air Force's F86). After graduating from college, I went to Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, and was commissioned an Ensign USNR in February 1965. I became the Damage Control Officer on the USS Pocono AGC 16, which was Vice Admiral John S McCain's Amphibious flag ship.
I was then a Ships Superintendent at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA, leaving the Navy in 1968 to pursue a great career with C&P Telephone Company and Bell Atlantic, retiring in 1991. I didn’t stay in touch with Bob Violet and only got back in touch with him through Tom Huff’s many Change of Command Ceremonies and his retirement from the Navy. Tom and I are still great friends and stay in touch regularly.
So, for a guy born in 1941 and almost a year old when Pearl Harbor was bombed, you might say I’ve had a long, beautiful life. I have been married to my beautiful wife for 58 years and have two sons, Kevin and Kurt. Life is precious, and I have been blessed to know many, many folks who have shared this great hobby of Radio Control aircraft.
