Several members in our club are somewhat surprised that I am still designing, building, and flying at 87. One afternoon, a young man came over to me where I was installing the wing and asked about my plane. I said it is an E-Venger pattern plane I recently designed for a friend that is an AMA Life member, Otto Dieffenbach, that I flew pattern with back in the 70s. He said he was curious to know if it was the type of plane they used to fly in pattern contests years ago. I said it is.
He followed with he sure would like to see it fly. He then asked me how long I had been flying RC planes, and if I could remember how I got started in RC flying models. I said I have been flying RC for over 63 years, and my first RC plane was a Carl Goldberg Junior Falcon, which was rudder-only controlled by a rubber band-powered escapement that we had to wind up before each flight. We used a single-channel transmitter that, when you pressed a button on the transmitter once, the plane would turn to the right. If you pressed the button twice, the plane would turn to the left. We had to be very careful not to press the button too many times, you might use up all the twisted rubber band, at which time you then had no control over where the plane would fly.
He asked if he could stand beside me when I flew the plane. I said sure, and I asked him what he was flying. He said he was flying 3D, which I had only read about and seen a couple of times. After takeoff, I did a few pattern maneuvers. I then asked him if he would like to fly it. He said Really and I said Sure, but we are limited on battery time, but do whatever he likes. I handed him my transmitter, and as he flew, he said it was so smooth and responsive. He followed with I can see why you enjoyed flying pattern back in the old days. He then handed me back the transmitter just as the 6-minute time sounded. As I approached for landing, he said he was surprised at how slow and smooth the approach and landing were. As I taxiied back and shut it down, he said he wanted to thank me so much. I really made his day!
