… it was a great time to be a model aviation enthusiast
Model aviation has come a long way in the last several decades. When you look back at how far we have come, it’s been a pretty amazing trip.
I began flying model aircraft with my dad when I was 8 years old and haven’t looked back. Those were the days when flying an RC aircraft was a combination of sometimes having control of the model and sometimes watching it fly off uncontrolled. I can remember club members parking their cars facing out of the parking lot at the field, knowing there was a good chance that they would have to jump in and chase a wayward model. Even with all of these challenges, it was a great time to be a model aviation enthusiast.
Today, of course, it’s a different world. Back in the old days, you had to be a bit of a tinkerer to get a model aircraft airborne and then back on the ground again in one piece.
More often than not, engines were challenging to get running and keep running properly. Radios sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t.
Servos were called escapements and were not battery powered, but powered by a wind-up rubber band similar to what is found on balsa gliders. Receiver batteries alone weighed several times what a complete airborne pack weighs today and transmitters were so large, they were actually ground based with a cable that went to a control held in the pilot’s hand.
There were modelers who actually built their radio systems from kits or sometimes with nothing more than a schematic (plans for the building of electrical components). Unlike back then, today it is news when a radio doesn’t work right out of the box.
Like many of you, I’ve benefited from a lifetime of enjoyment as an aeromodeler. We are all model aviation enthusiasts, and no matter how we get our enjoyment from the hobby and how different we think we might be, we’re really pretty much all the same.
The other real change throughout the years has been the advent of ARF and RTF model aircraft. There was a time when neither of these existed. Modelers had to build their own aircraft. Many built from kits, but just as many built from nothing more than a set of plans.
There was no such thing as instant glue. Glues sometimes took hours to cure. Iron-on plastic covering was nonexistent. Models were covered using silk and dope or sometimes Japanese tissue and dope.
Building a model was not a weekend project. For many of us, building a model was a winter project. And if that model happened to crash early on, you had to scramble to get another one built, or you were done flying for the season.
I was brought up as a builder. My dad was there to help, but if I wanted to fly it, I would have to build the model that would let me do that. Some of my early efforts weren’t pretty, but they all flew—mostly. As time went on, I got better at building, covering, and finishing. Building a model aircraft taught me to work with my hands, to think ahead, to create, and to innovate. These are all great attributes that have served me well throughout the years.
Today, of course, things are different. Although there are companies out there that still produce kits, or kit cutters who can make a short kit for you, it’s rare to walk into a hobby shop and see a true model aircraft kit on a shelf. Most shops, out of necessity, carry mostly ARF and RTF models.
This doesn’t mean that those who purchase RTF and ARF models are not modelers. They are. They enjoy model aviation as much as anyone. They simply choose the ARF/RTF path in getting to the flightline.
In some cases, these modelers might enjoy building a model, and someday many of them will take a crack at building, but in today’s fast-paced society, the stress of a career, raising and caring for a family, and the need to set priorities to make the best use of free time, sometimes trump everything else—including aeromodeling.
Like many of you, I’ve benefited from a lifetime of enjoyment as an aeromodeler. We are all model aviation enthusiasts, and no matter how we get our enjoyment from the hobby and how different we think we might be, we’re really pretty much all the same.
By now, every eligible member should have received his or her ballot to vote in the AMA elections. Elections are taking place this fall for the office of AMA president and for vice presidents in Districts I, V, and IX. Please take a moment to read the candidates’ campaign statements and vote for the individual of your choice.
See you next time …
