A trip down memory lane
Larry Terrigno
lterrigno@roadrunner.com
Larry Terrigno (lterrigno@roadrunner.com) thought that sharing his 1953 black and white photo would be fun, writing that it was taken in Ohio at one of the many RC events in which his father, Tony, participated.
“Mom had me all decked out in my cool clothes and dad had me sitting there with the single-channel OK Cub .14-powered Harold deBolt Livewire Trainer,” he wrote. “That moment had me taking in all the attention from the other modelers passing by. It also served to infuse me with a love for all things aviation forever more.”
Larry stated that he would sit in the basement watching and learning as his father created “the wonder and magic those models represented.” It caused a spark in him that has lasted a lifetime. His grandmother would buy him Jim Walker A.J. Hornet rubber models and he would fly them for hours. He went on to build and fly early Free Flight (FF) rubber models, Control Line Stunt, and eventually RC models of all types. He currently flies Old-Timer FF models and belongs to the Southern California Antique Model Plane Society.
Following a stint in the Navy, Larry learned to fly full-scale airplanes and worked with his father, also a full-scale pilot, throughout the years restoring fabric-covered airplanes such as the Mooney Mite and Piper Pacer. He and his father both owned and flew other aircraft that they cherished, with many trips, trophies won, and “indelible memories created.”
“All of this fun,” he wrote, “again due in large part to model aviation and our mutual affection and involvement in model aviation. We [Larry and his father] both completed and retired from decades-long engineering and management careers in the aerospace industry. I remember using many of my modeling skills solving complex work-related problems. Modeling continued throughout my lifetime and has been a passion for [more than] 60 years. I have loved every minute of it!”
“Every time I look up at a model circling in a thermal, sunlight shining through the translucent covering, I relish again in the magic of being able to design, build, create, and fly these very special model airplanes.”
As parting words, Larry wrote: “Always challenge yourself to build that next model. It will bring such satisfaction and learning. You’ll never regret it. Never lose sight of your dreams because you can attain each and every one of them. [I] hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane.”
Do you have an airplane or helicopter photo you are proud of, or a model aviation-related photo with a great story behind it? Email your high-resolution “Viewfinder” photo and a short note about it to jennifer@modelaircraft.org, or submit it online at www.ModelAviation.com/viewfinder.
