As with many of us, I would imagine, I began my modeling addiction with rubber band-powered balsa models in the grocery store checkout. My first powered model was a Cox PT-19 Oh 49 Control Line that I received for Christmas when I was 8 years old.
Since that time, I have built hundreds of models, several from scratch. I have enjoyed sport, scale, pattern, IMAC, 3D, combat, pylon, turbines, FPV, and SAM. Essentially, if someone showed up at the field with something new, I was up for giving it a try!
I have been an instructor, contest director, judge, and have held every club officer position to include president for 15-plus years. My fascination with aviation went far beyond modeling, however.
I was an aviation electronics technician in the USMC for 14 years. I then began my career in satellite communications where I worked at construction ground tracking stations from the Naval Research Lab, to NASA, and am now getting close to retiring from SSC Space US.
SSC Space US was originally called Universal Space Network and was founded by Pete Conrad (the third man to walk on the moon). Upon retirement next year, I will have spent 41 years working in the aerospace industry.
Outside of my work, my aviation interest led me to get my pilot's license, and I have built or been involved with the building of several experimental aircraft. My current project is a Kitfox Super Sport, which I intend to have completed and ready to fly by my retirement next year. I was also very involved in Civil Air Patrol for quite a few years, flying various missions from search and rescue to target aircraft in Air Force training exercises.
I have been married for nearly 38 years and have two children who spent so much time at the flying field growing up that when my daughter got married, she asked to have the ceremony and reception at the field. The Midnight Sun R/C Club has a beautiful field that has water on two sides of it, so that both runways have water at one end. Setting up a tent at the end of the cross runway in front of the water, with the Alaska range in the distance, made for a beautiful setting for a wedding.
Aviation, and model aviation, has been a huge part of my family's life. I look forward to many more years of camaraderie and competition at the field.
