Growing up in rural Helena, Montana, the only son of a USAF Sabre fighter pilot, I was fascinated with flight from my earliest memories. Dad was in F-86 Sabre training when the Korean armistice was signed. He then moved back to his native Montana to fly with the Montana National Guard for 13 years, while serving as a pilot, then Chief Pilot for the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
We started with homemade Free Flight models and then took the big step up when I was 9 to the Ranger 42, with a then-new technology single-channel proportional radio control. I was 12 when I earned the money to buy my first four-channel Royal radio control kit. We each graduated through dozens of aircraft as our hearts led. Dad built a number of beautiful but poor-flying exact-scale World War II Fighters. I was into Quickie 500 Pylon Racing and Contender sport flying.
Graduating from college, I joined the US Navy as a Naval Aviator (pilot). Flying the T-28B/C Trojan was a joy. Getting selected for jets put me into the pipeline of the T-2B Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawks. After being the top hook at the boat in each aircraft, I finished at the top of my class in June of 1981. Finishing well meant that I got my first choice of fleet aircraft, the F-14A Tomcat fighter, based at NAS Miramar, California. Pretty good for a farm boy from Montana!
Reporting to VF-124, the F-14A RAG (Readiness Air Group) training squadron, I spent a year and about 250 hours of flight time learning to fly, fight, and win in the Tomcat. My first Fleet Squadron was the VF-111 Sundowners, based at Fightertown USA (NAS Miramar, California), and the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). My next tour was as an Operational Test Pilot with VX-4 at NAS Point Mugu, California, flying the F-14A Tomcat and the F/A-18A Hornet. As a Test Pilot, I graduated from Topgun (the US Navy Fighter Weapon School) in the then-brand-new Hornet, flying with Beta flight control software (that didn't yet understand transonic flight).
Completing that tour, I joined the VF-51 Screaming Eagles back at Miramar and back to the USS Carl Vinson. I then reported to my Training Command duties, first as XO then CO of my own training command squadron, the VT-26 Redhawks, flying the then-new T-45A Goshawk. My radio control flying through all of these tours was a series of Contenders powered by a wonderful and powerful OS Max 60 Goldhead. I also had an experimental Avid Flyer IV with a 64-hp two-stroke to compete with my radio control flying.
As a reward for a very successful command tour, I was rewarded (Navy wise) with a 1-year remote tour as the Chief of Combat Plans (DOJ) for Seventh Air Force, Osan Republic of Korea. As it appeared my flying days with the Navy were over, after 21 years, I submitted my retirement papers. Two weeks into my retirement, I was hired to fly for United Airlines. It was during that time that I transitioned from glow to electric. Retiring after 22 years back to Montana, I flew the Shrike Commander for one year as an Air Attack pilot on contract to the Forect Service and BLM, fighting forest fires. I then flew the Pilotus PC-12 for three years as an Air Ambulance pilot out in eastern Montana.
I have over a dozen of foam WWII fighters, US, British, and German. Using both my old Futaba and my new Spektrum radio control systems, I just love the look and feel of these old girls.
It was fun to come back to the Helena Flying Tigers RC Club after 43 years away.
Cheers, Sluggo (aka Mike).
