Ok, so who do you "blame" for this?

[Michael Brooks]

This may be in the wrong section but after the posts about first hobby shops in the Stunt Grunt section, I wondered who can you "blame" for getting you started in model planes. I blame my Dad. I should probably start by explaining "blame". When my wife grumbles at every new kit, I tell her to blame my Dad. Dad always said, with a big grin, it was good that I loved airplanes too because I'd have had no choice growing up. Dad picked up C/L and FF in the late '40s and gave it up after my sister and I came along. I can still remember the day he fired up an OR .29 in the backyard (I was about 4) and the 2 neighbor boys bringing their C/L P-51s over for Dad to have a look at as they built them.
We started flying together when I was 13. Countless times, Dad would take the afternoon off so we could go fly. He was my first and best flying buddy. Dad told me lots of great tales from his early days including a couple involving a Dynajet flown at night at Wyandotte HS in KCK. For my 14th birthday, I got a Super Tigre .29 FI that I had drooled over in the glass case of Charlie's Hobby Shop all summer long. The day Dad brought it home, he was so excited himself that he showed me and then made me promise to act surprised on my birthday ( it was a long week until my birthday and I must have pulled it off because Mom never knew). Dad was a very good builder, mush better than me. I'll never forget the Nobler wing we built. I've never seen anything prettier.

My family life took a turn for the worse and my parents were divorced not long after I got out of high school. For a number of reasons, Dad and I didn't really speak to each other for a very long time. When we did see each other, model planes were the common thread that kept us communicating so some degree.

Dad died 10 years ago but not before we mended fences. Every time I fly, I miss him as my pitman. I found some plans Dad drew up not long ago. 2 plans were for speed trainers powered by the OR .29 and one set was for a Class D sized Golden Rod speed plane from an Air Trails magazine for the Dooling .61 he treasured and I still have. The plans were dated Sept. 29, 1953. It's been suggested i have the plans framed and I probably will.

Anyway, this sort of became a ramble but I'll always be able to say this was my Dad's fault with a big grin on my face and smile inside. So, who can can you blame?  The picture is my dad at 17.

[Bradley Walker]

Cox F-15 RTF at Hobby Lobby at 31st and Garnett, Tulsa, OK.

[Steve Fitton]

Cox F-15 RTF at Hobby Lobby at 31st and Garnett, Tulsa, OK.

Thats cool!  I soloed on a Cox F-15 when I was 12.

[catdaddy]

Thats cool!  I soloed on a Cox F-15 when I was 12.

Cox P-39 with Air launched missles, then a Cox Stuka. Both these I got by selling christmas cards. My Dad tried to help me fly both of them, but declared they were pieces of excrement. He bought me a Top Flite 1/2a Hellcat and told me that balsa wood was much better than plastic. He was right. I had more fun with that model than just about any since then. I miss my Dad.

[Marvin Denny]

  I accept FULL responsibility for ALL my actions.  I saw an article in a magazine (either MAN or Air Trails) back in pre WW II times  and HAD to have a model.   I was already building rubber powered stuff from the "Five and Dime Store"  but this Control line flying model-----I HAD to have it.  Dad Helped me get it and the support stuff that went with it although Dad never flew, he didn't try to stop me and did help launch etc.  We lived out in the boonies so there was no interference other than an occasional cow wandering into the circle to see what all the noise was about.

  Bigiron

[Randy Powell]

I blame my cousin Bill Mayo. He started this for me. Always been grateful.

[Larrys4227]

Definately my dad, and his friend Ernie Huber. My dad had been flying since before I was born in '61, and through growing up airplanes, helicopters and cars were a way of life around the household. I can still smell the dope coming up from the basement. The height of his hobby-career was in the 70's when he was involved in several movies with the helicopters.

Every time I head to the field to fly ... I think of him.

FlySafe!  Larry  (Larrys4227)

[john e. holliday]

My brothers built models as far back as I can remember.  It didn't matter, cars, boats or airplanes.  Also reading "Young Mens"  magazine while Mother was shopping.  The old Comet 10 cent kits.  But, really it was the rubber powered ROG's that was bought in a shop just off of Central Avenue on 18th Street.  I think it was moved over to Central Avenue later on.  But, what got me really going in competition was the "Flying Eagles of Kansas City Kansas".  Had a lapse between 57 thru 62 when family moved to southern Missouri.  Still wonder about the classmates when I was in 6th grade at Welborn Grade School who couldn't get their engine to run during school  picnick.  Still having fun,  DOC Holliday

[Michael Floerchinger]

I have to blame my dad, for some reason he bought a Gullow’s P-40 balsa stick and tissue painted in the Tiger theme. I was about 11 and was into model cars. I thought the plane was cool, I never knew why dad built the model but I started asking where he got it and watched intently as he built and finished it. He said he bought it at Schaefer’s hobby shop on Virginia and Merrimac in St. Louis and took me there to pick out a plane for me, I was immediately drawn to the P-51 Mustang, which ended up being my last stunter. He helped me build the plane but I wanted to go back and look at the Control Line planes, I had my eye on at Cox .049 Piper cub and he finally bought it for me. We flew it at Park at Arsenal and McCausland, that became our flying field for a few years until our planes got bigger and louder, no mufflers in those days. I soon busted up the Cox but I was able to fly so we bought a balsa model to mount the Cox to, I was able to fly that model until the fuel ran out and my addiction was in place. I found out that my dad flew with Art Schaefer when they were kids and was introduced to the Yellow Jackets and eventually became a member of the club. My next plane was a Barnstormer and moved up to a Stallion 35. my dad then started taking me to Buder Park where I met Ted Wintermann who coached me to eventually flying the pattern with a Magician. At this point my dad and I were hooked. He would by engines, kits, balsa and hardware by bulk and have it shipped to the house, we would both anxiously wait for the package to be delivered and then go thru and check off all the parts to make sure we received everything. My dad was an expert builder, he built a nobler that flew really well, I could not believe how well it flew, like it almost flew itself. We flew up until I got into cars, building and racing stock cars but when my family came along I got back into airplanes. My son continued the tradition by starting to work at Schaefer’s Hobby shop when he was 14 and eventually managed the hobby shop until he was 26. my son taught me how to fly RC but I always came back to Control Line and flying with my dad. My dad has been gone for about ten years now, I really miss him but the airplanes bring back his memory and how he liked to help me build and fly.

Mike

[Steven Kientz]

I too have to blame my father. he won his first contest in 1953, at the age of 14. Ten years later I was born, by the the age of 2 or 3 i was hooked

[Bill Adair]

My uncle Marvin bought a full size glider when I was a toddler, and kept it in our basement. I spent many hours sitting the the bare bones fuselage, playing with the controls I could barely reach, and pretending to fly.

We moved to the farm in the early forties, and my uncle (now newly married) stored some of his stuff in the barn loft. While rumaging around there one day, I opened a large wood crate, and inside were the plans to a wondrous and beautiful rubber powered model airplane. My uncle told me the model was lost OOS, but he kept the crate thinking he might build another.

Turns out my Uncle won the Moffett trophy at the Nats the year that I was born (37) with that very airplane, which he designed himself. Sure wish I'd kept those plans, because they were never published, and can never be replaced.

My uncle was my best friend, and when I expressed an interest in building and flying model airplanes, he took the time to teach me basic aerodynamics, and showed me the approximate ratio of flying surfaces, proper wing incidence, basic airfoils, and how to trim an airplane for a good climb and glide. I used those proportions to design my first rubber powered sheet balsa stick models, and amazed the neighbor kids by flying them in the back yard.

Bill

[Chris McMillin]

My Dad.
He was a professional pilot when I was born (1958) and had C/L models hanging in the garage. A Midwest Cougar with a Torp 19, Testors Sr 29 with a Mohawk 29, Ringmaster Jr and a couple of others.
I could not resist.

I tried to resist after years of building and flying models, contests and Navy Nats and flying real airplanes with him, airshows, aerobatics, air racing and stuff through the years. I tried to resist, when I was in HS and College.
 
I wanted to be a rock&roll singer.
 
He put up with it for a few years, but never helped or backed me. So it was much easier to become an airline pilot, too.

It's all his fault!

Chris...

Below is a skewed and weird photoessay of sorts...