I AM THE AMA
DUANE WILSON
Model Aviation contributor
JAY SMITH: How did you become involved with model aviation?
DUANE WILSON: Like many of us, when my dad got involved, I tagged along. The Radio Control Club of Detroit is one of the oldest clubs in the country. It sponsored an invitational tournament (similar to the Tournament of Champions). I had the chance to personally see most of the pioneers of Pattern: Ed Kazmirski, Jim Kirkland, Hal deBolt, Don Lowe, and others. This left a lasting impression on me.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
DW: RC is a hobby that you do with others, and I’ve met a lot of great people. Most modelers are happy to help others.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
DW: After my initial trainers, I was naturally attracted to RC Precision Aerobatics (Pattern). I even attempted aerobatics with my trainers.
Flying Pattern has always been a personal challenge; each flight has a purpose because you’re always working on something. To me, there’s nothing (in RC) more beautiful and satisfying than performing a perfect maneuver.
JS: What other hobbies do you have?
DW: I became interested in photography in college and am largely self-taught, meaning, “never make the same mistake twice.”
JS: Who or what has influenced you the most?
DW: In RC, there have been two primary influencers. Both went out of their way to mentor me at critical times. Ken VandenBosch first introduced me to AMA Precision Pattern in the 1980s. He set a calm example of what to do. I never would have had the nerve to get involved without him. Second was former Senior Pattern Association (SPA) President Bruce Underwood, who welcomed and shepherded me early on while answering what must have been a hundred dumb questions. Making the effort to take newcomers under your wing can make a real change for people.
JS: What do you enjoy most about the SPA?
DW: Good question. First, the “senior” in SPA has nothing to do with your age. It’s about competition with vintage Pattern models (mostly designed in the 1970s). We fly Pattern the way they did before the turnaround was judged—one maneuver at a time, single pass alternating upwind and downwind, turnaround not judged.
The best thing about SPA is that you can get the challenge of judged competition without taking out a loan for state-of-the-art equipment. Technology limitations built into the rules level the playing field, reducing the pressure to spend money. SPA airplanes don’t cost any more than other comparably sized airplanes at the field.
I understand that the current larger Pattern aircraft fly great, but nobody has offered to let me fly theirs—yet.
