General control line discussion > How I got my start in the hobby

How I got my start

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RC Storick:
It was around 1961 and I remember this because of the Mercury space program. I was fascinated with the X-1 and X-15 and then space. Wow! I had convinced my Dad I wanted to do what the other boys were doing in the school yard. My Dad bought me a stick and tissue P-40. He showed me how to take a double edge razor blade and use a match book to make it a single edge. Cut out those printed part out of hard balsa, it seemed as if every piece split. I gave up.

The next year my uncle Jerry came to stay with us and I didn't know this at the time but he and my dad had flown together in the late 40Ty's. He had taken a Panhead and jumped interstate 10 off Garvey and broke his arm and foot. With the motorcycle smashed in the garage and him laid up he started to build some stunt planes. That set all the years after into motion for me. Motorcycles and airplanes.

That Christmas my dad bought me a Wenmac RTF we went to the school and they flew it. I should say crashed it several times. After they had broken it I took it home and fixed it and snuck off to the school and flew it myself. I was hooked. Jerry got better and moved out by the urge to build and fly was stuck in me.

I stayed in the smaller bedroom and had my shop there. I out grew that very quickly. My parents swapped me rooms. I moved into the master bedroom to build. That didn't take long to out grow. We had a 2 car garage and it was full of news papers my dad was recycling. I was told if I would load the truck I could make my shop there. Needless to say that's what happened.

My dad was a mechanic for Sears (when they did real auto work) and he had opened Trident pool supply and service. My mom needed something to do so in the shop next to it they opened a hobby shop. OH BOY!

Tom Warden was our Testors rep and Victor Cunningham (of free flight fame) was another rep I forget for who. Bill Noyes was a local club president and I had convinced my dad into sponsoring a contest in the parking lot this was July 1969. I remember this because of the moon landing. The plane that really cemented my vision was the Continental, It was there in out parking lot for any of the historians who ever wish to challenge the year it was built. Tom had 2 Minados a green one and the purple one. Bill had a blue Jet called the Pisces.

I kinda got side tract. Anyway I have built and flown ever sense. I have lost tract of the number of planes I have built but I have slowed down in my later years. Jack Sheeks was always my hero. He was the fastest builder on the planet.

MarcusCordeiro:
Robert

Very cool!!!
Only the part about you slowing down.... That I didn't buy.. LL~

Marcus

john e. holliday:
Robert, you were/are so lucky to have parents like that.  Mine were great also when it came to model planes.  Also all the modelers you got to know and meet I just got to read about.   But, I did have my local heroes here in KANSAS and MISSOURI that helped me.   Thanks for the story.

Shultzie:
Beautifully written and heartfelt story Sparky! Thanks for sharing these early days that started your Love of modeling and motor cycles.

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