I've been interested in airplanes for as long as I can remember, especially models. I remember watching one of my uncles launch a model airplane from his front yard into the street - I must have been about three years old - 1941? I guess that triggered something because model airplanes (and airplanes in general) have been a part of my life ever since.
My childhood and early adulthood was spent in western Washington State, and this period of time saw the escalation of model activities turn into an interest in Control Line (CL) Scale, with a bit of Carrier and Racing thrown in.
By the time I graduated from college - BS in Aero Engineering from the University of Washington - I was married with two kids and was working for Boeing in Seattle. Model building and flying continued, with the CL Scale interest growing. In late 1964, cancellation of the X-20 Dyna Soar project saw me surplused, and the Lockheed Georgia Company picked me up and we all moved to North Georgia. I did Structural Analysis work on the C-130, and the C-5A proposal. The Marietta, Georgia, area was kind of a hot bed for model airplane activity, and I quickly became involved. And I have stayed that way! The Lockheed employment only lasted until 1970, another lay-off, but this time a career change. I also like automobiles and automobile racing (another story for another audience), so it was back to school, getting a Masters in Transportation from Georgia Tech, and employment with the Georgia Department of Transportation as a Transportation Planning Engineer (no more depending on defense contracts for job security!). I retired from there in 2000.
During all that time, my model activities continued, and increased. Long story short, my activities included a bit of RC, some Free Flight (FF; outdoor and indoor, scale of course...), and a lot of CL Scale. I've had the opportunities to be involved in many local contests and many Nationals, both as a competitor and a judge, and several FAI Scale World Championships - twice as a competitor, once as a Team Manager, and once as a Static and Flight Judge (Poland, 2010. That was interesting and fun!).
I am a Contest Director, and a member of the Control Line Scale Contest Board and the F4 Team Selection Committee. I actively participated in a major rewrite of the AMA CL Scale Rules and the FAI F4B Static Judging Rules several years ago. I am also a member of the CL Scale Hall of Fame. Besides AMA, I am a member of the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers, the National Free Flight Society, the North Georgia Sky Rebels CL club, and the Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta FF club.
Since most of the CL activity around here is of the Stunt variety, local activity has been Stunt judging and socializing. And FF flying and socializing.
As time has marched on (I'll be 88 this year), my model activity has seen a decline in building and flying - but not of interest! The socializing and memories remain. It has been, and still is, a great ride!!!
