When I got out of the Navy in 1960, I saw Bob Cording flying RC. I kept asking question after question. He asked me, "Would you like to fly it?" I said, "No, I might crash it." He said, "You won't crash my plane." He took it up high and gave me the transmitter. In no time, I had no control. Bob took it back and leveled it out and told me to "give just a little bit of control." I did, and I was hooked. I had to have one.
I bought a three-channel ready-to-fly plane that I could afford. The plane had a little red brick radio with all three servos, a fox 25 engine. My son and I both learned to fly with it and spent every Saturday and Sunday at the flying field. My son loved it so much that he got his pilot's license to fly the real planes and got a great job because of that.
I am now 92 years old and belong to a great club with a great flying field, and I am the oldest one in the club. My son sent me a Piper tri pacer plane with everything on it (lights, flaps) just like the real plane. And my son told me, "Dad, you will be flying when you are 100." I hope he is right, for I sure do enjoy flying RC.
My daughter bought me a flying lesson for my birthday. When I took the lesson, the instructor accused me of flying before because of the way I controlled the plane from takeoff to landing. I assured him I had only flown RC planes. He said, "I knew you had flown before because it is the same. You're just in the plane."
He told my wife and daughter, "I would fly with him anywhere and feel perfectly safe."
My son's daughter (my granddaughter) is training to be an airline pilot. She enjoyed RC flying also. The hobby has my whole family closer together, including my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
