ART PESCH
Former Carl Goldberg and Hobbico employee
By Jay Smith | jays@modelaircraft.org
JAY SMITH: How did you become involved in model aviation?
ART PESCH: I started modeling when I was 5 years old. My dad and a friend of his had each built a Midwest Gollywock several years before. Dad’s model hung in his workshop for years. I was fascinated by it, which started me on my lifelong modeling avocation.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
AP: Model aviation led me into several career paths. After teaching high school and college drafting in Charlottesville, Virginia, I went to work for a defense contractor, RS Systems, in Beltsville, Maryland. I managed the company’s training and field service department and flew target drones around the world.
From there, I followed the US Army target drone contract to Carl Goldberg Models in Chicago. It was there that I met the company’s national sales manager, Carol, who became my wife. Hobbico hired both of us, bringing us to Champaign, Illinois.
I started in product development then moved to research and development, eventually running the department. For my last 15 years, I was in charge of the service and support department.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
AP: I flew Pattern for many years, and I still fly aerobatic models. Currently, I fly sport and Stand-Off Scale models. I fly almost exclusively electric power. I still enjoy building from kits. This winter, I have a Goldberg Tiger 60 and a Balsa USA Bristol on the bench.
JS: What other hobbies do you have?
AP: I am heavily involved in fresh water tropical fish. I have two large show tanks in the house: a 180-gallon, high-tech, planted, community show tank, and a 90-gallon, cichlid-only tank. In my heated garage/shop, I have a rack of nine 10- and 20-gallon breeding tanks.
JS: Who or what has influenced you the most?
AP: The model airplane hobby, and then career, have taught me so much and given me so many opportunities. Working in the hobby industry has allowed me to meet so many of the great people who built the hobby into what it became.
Working for Don Anderson (the founder of Great Planes) at Hobbico was a privilege and honor. When I ran research and development, and then service and support, he trusted me to do the correct thing without micromanaging me. He was the best boss I ever worked for.
JS: Looking back on your time at Hobbico, what are you most proud of?
AP: For the nearly 20 years that I worked for Hobbico, I got to attend multiple trade shows every year, as well as interact with thousands of our customers through phone calls. Being able to personally help them solve their problems was extremely gratifying. I was especially proud of turning a contentious situation into a happy conclusion, which would make my day.
Being a modeler for 65-plus years gave me a huge amount of knowledge to draw upon. That, plus a tremendous staff of people who worked for me, made me happy to go to work each day.
