THE INSIDE LOOP
PEOPLE MAKE THIS
HOBBY GREAT
Jay Smith, Executive Editor
jays@modelaircraft.org
AS I WRITE THIS, I am occasionally glancing over my laptop screen to watch the Super Bowl preshow. The big game is only an hour away. It’s 3° in Muncie, Indiana, but in my home state of Florida, it is 70° for the game and my team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first one to compete in the Super Bowl in its own stadium.
Growing up, I raced RC cars with Frankie, who was the head equipment coach for the Buccaneers. Players would often stop by the racetrack or the pond, and I was invited to a team practice that was not open to the public. I got to go into the locker room and meet all of the players, including Lee Roy Selmon, the first Buc to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I still have my autographs from that day!
I continue to look back fondly at all of those who I have met through the hobby and those who I continue to meet and work with. The cars, boats, and aircraft are cool, but it is really the people who make hobbies great!
From an early age, I participated in RC boats, racing RC cars, and flying model airplanes. I learned that there is a lot of crossover between the hobbies. I still dabble with cars and boats and I don’t have to tell you that I am an active flier. Some people with whom I used to race with are currently active in model aviation, such as Glenn, who worked on our RC racing team’s motors, and Charlie, who was one of my closest friends at the pond.
I continue to look back fondly at all of those who I have met through the hobby and those who I continue meet and work with. The cars, boats, and aircraft are cool, but it is really the people who make hobbies great!
Correction: In the February 2021 issue, the Phoenix Model Edge review by Joe Hass listed the wingspan as 55.5 inches and the price as $124.99. The wingspan of the model reviewed is 65 inches and the correct price is $206.99. Model Aviation regrets the error.
