Those were the days

[Mike Griffin]

I remember these days

[fred cesquim]

I remember these days

we had this luxury in brazil until 6 years ago! when Casa Aerobas closed doors! after some research we was convinced that was the oldest model shop in the world up to the closing time
i used to visit each4 months to chat and dinner with my long time friend Fernando, the legendary guy that sold my first model back in 1985. He´s still around and we miss so much to enter the shop, smell the dope & Balsa scent so peculiar and hear Fernando´s hello. Fernando started to work there when he was 14 and retired when the shop closed doors few years ago.

[Richard Fleming]

What a cool place, love the photos and memories!

[Steve Dwyer]

Mike,

I would guess the photo was taken some time in the late 50s or early 60s by the clothing and the vintage bikes the boys have. I have researched the history of the Palace Hobby Shop in Albany New York with little luck in finding much about it. Some people have posted memories of the shop only to say it went away sometime after the 70s some 20 years from my time going there. Why our minds only seem to hold some information is unfortunate as I can only vaguely recall seeing the two aisles of the narrow store, the glass cases and the wall behind filled with model kits stacked with the ends of the boxes displayed. There was something magical about the PHS and boy do I wish I could walk those aisles just once more time again today.

Thanks,

Steve

[john e. holliday]

There two shops in Kansas City Kansas I went to before I found the other shops in the KC area.   Jims Key and Hobby a little south of the 18th street and central intersection.  The other was Charlies Hobby Shop a little west of the 18th St and Parallel intersection.   Ckarlie was shot point blank by a young man who only got seven years in prison.   Jims Hobby moved around the KCK area and I don't know when he closed.  Sure miss those days.

[Gordon Tarbell]

The old Colonial Photo and Hobby in Orlando is still thumping away I hear.  That was my main place for controline stuff. I plan to make a visit real soon.  Some time in the spring I will be a Florida resident again and that will be one of my early stops.  Leaving the Left coast and headed back to near where I grew up in the 60's and 70's.

[Paul Taylor]

The old Colonial Photo and Hobby in Orlando is still thumping away I hear.  That was my main place for controline stuff. I plan to make a visit real soon.  Some time in the spring I will be a Florida resident again and that will be one of my early stops.  Leaving the Left coast and headed back to near where I grew up in the 60's and 70's.

Orlando traffic is the worst. Traffic stops on the interstate for no apparent reason. I expect to see cars and bodies piled up on the side of the road. Notta, zippo, nothing. Then is magically starts moving for a mile, then brake lights again. Rinse and repeat.
I would rather CA my fingers together than drive through Orlando.

But welcome home. 😎

[Gordon Tarbell]

I agree , traffic is similar to what I see in LA and the bay area out here. That is one reason the place i just bought is near Holister and Interlàchen FL . 6.8acres with my own lake. I might visit Orlando and winter Park on occasion . I now need to start looking for a suitable place to fly

[Ken Culbertson]

Orlando traffic is the worst.

At least among the worst.  I used to have a client in Vero Beach and flew into the Orlando airport from Dallas.  It took longer to leave my office and fly to Orlando and rent a car than it did to drive the 100 miles to Vero Beach and the Airport is in the south of Orlando.  I hear it is better now.

Ken

[Ken Culbertson]

I agree , traffic is similar to what I see in LA and the bay area out here. That is one reason the place i just bought is near Holister and Interlàchen FL . 6.8acres with my own lake. I might visit Orlando and winter Park on occasion . I now need to start looking for a suitable place to fly

6.8 Acres and a lake?   

Ken

[Gordon Tarbell]

Yep the lake is about 1.5 acres clear spring fed and abot 30-35' deep . I share with a neighbor but 2/3 is on my property. I have enough room to put in a flying circle but I would have to cut beautiful old oaks , I will find another place to fly instead.

[Robert Zambelli]

Ken - your picture is the Macchi-Castoldi MC 72, still holding the world record for nearly 100 years.
Check out the pitch on the propellers!
Two FIAT V-12s, one to drive each propeller.
Depending on the headwind, the plane required over two miles to take off.
The Italians know speed!

     

Bob Z.

[Bruce Guertin]

Orlando traffic is the worst. Traffic stops on the interstate for no apparent reason. I expect to see cars and bodies piled up on the side of the road. Notta, zippo, nothing. Then is magically starts moving for a mile, then brake lights again. Rinse and repeat.
I would rather CA my fingers together than drive through Orlando.

But welcome home. 😎

It always seems to be at the on ramps. I quit racing at Orlando. I can get to Gainesville quicker using less diesel.

[EddyR]

 When you speak of Orlando there use to be large CL contest held at what was called the Peddlers Market. It was a closed up strip mall and had a lot of room for several circles. I flew at every contest they had there during the 1980’s  i remember the hobby shop and the large sign announcing. tv station  FOX 35. Also Tom Petty showed a couple of times to watch as he lived not to far from there. I worked in two hobby shops as a young person and those days have a lot of good memories .
Eddyr

[Rusty]

Orlando traffic is the worst. Traffic stops on the interstate for no apparent reason. I expect to see cars and bodies piled up on the side of the road. Notta, zippo, nothing. Then is magically starts moving for a mile, then brake lights again. Rinse and repeat.
I would rather CA my fingers together than drive through Orlando.

But welcome home. 😎

That is why I quit going to Graves hobby once a year.  Fighting the Orlando traffic is stressful. 

[Steve Dwyer]

The link below describes the history of the Old East Greenbush Airport where the Flying Aires Model Club was given permission to uses a small area along side of the grass strip runway for control line. Scrolling through the photos there's an aerial of a housing development where the main hangers once stood and another shot of a school facility where the runway was. The parking lot along the road is where the CL field was. These photos are from the 50s and early 60s when I flew at the field. By the mid 60's the property was purchased for the school, this ended control line flying for the Model Aires Club.

All of this ties to Mike Griffins photo above and my fondest memory of the Palace Hobby Shop. It was above the Palace Hobby Shop where the Model Aires would meet monthly. I was not old enough to be part pf the membership because I didn't drive and couldn't afford the steep dues that were probably $1.00/ month. Anyway, buying my first kit and a Fox .15 and flying it at the old control line field all comes back when I see an old photo from years back. How we all cherish these special memories.
Steve

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_Albany.htm#eastgreenbush

[Gordon Tarbell]

In the 60's&70's we had a large gathering of CL flying in what was the employee parking lot of Sears&Roebuck at the corner of East Colonial dr and Maguire rd. Combat guys used the adjacent grass field. The paved area could easily support 3 or 4 circles , lots of good flyers.

[EddyR]

I have  a lot of pictures from the Orlando days. How many remember this guy. Past Pampa president, KOI winner. My wife called him "Jimmy Damit "
He always set up a flag at center of circle to check wind. He was a funny guy.
 Eric bought some of him models after he left us

[EddyR]

  Another great guy from the Orlando days at Peddler Market. Anyone remember him? Peddler Market in background.

[Gordon Tarbell]

Where in Orlando was peddler market?

[EddyR]

       Gorden.        Eldridge dr and Lee rd .       I looked it up on Google as I did not have a clue after all these years

[Richard Fleming]

Eddy I do remember that place and we also used to fly Valencia Community College too. Was that Jim Mitchell you referring to?

[Steve Dwyer]

Does anyone recall anything about a control line flying event(S) at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York Rensselaer County? Not sure what year it would have been.

[Ken Culbertson]

Sometimes the road signs on Memory Lane get lost.  Does anybody remember a club that flew at Fairfax Va. Highschool on Ole Lee Road in the 1960-1963 time frame?  I have fond memories of the Saturdays spent there but I have totally forgotten the names of the fliers.  Reconstructing our roots seems to be a thing we do as we get older and memories fade.

Ken

[Gordon Tarbell]

I am not remembering a peddlers market. But there was a large parking lot near Edgewater and Lee rd for the Northgate shopping center. I used to attend west campus Valencia CC in the 70's but never flew models there. When I get fully moved in to the new place I will be looking for good place to fly.

[EddyR]

 Richard.  Yes that is Jim Mitchell. Bill Rich flew his first  Florida contest there.

[EddyR]

  The guy in frame #18 is Jon Ramsden. “Rodger Ramjet”He is holding his Platypus that I think he got published. It had dihedral in wing and tail.he was having problems with it and asked me to fly it this day. It flew fine for me and he was glad to see it fly from outside the circle.it may have been a take apart plane also.   Note passed in 2017
 Eddyr

[Richard Fleming]

Thats cool Eddy. It has been quite some time now but I flew some times with Jim at West Orange High School parking lot back when he had the Pink Panther plane. Jim was a funny guy but serious when it came to flying.