Gordon Braun-Woodbury, TEMAC #14

[gordonbw]

I've been around TEMAC since the early days and thoroughly enjoy the flying and friendship. 

So, how did I get started in e-flight?  Like many of my vintage, I messed around with tissue-and-stick and control line kits until puberty kicked in.  I actually built and flew my first electric kit in 1965 -- beat that!  It was called the "Electra-Fly", and was a 24" wingspan pod-and boom design made (in Japan) of very light styro with a balsa boom.  Believe it or not, the battery was a wet cell!  It comprised a 1" square zinc plate in a plastic bag.  You added salt water to the bag and the prop turned -- sort of.  It flew once, just barely fast enough to stay out of its own way.  The landing gear consisted of a single piece of wire with a wheel on the end bolted directly to the motor.... so, when it landed the motor self-ejected through the styrofoam pod, leaving it in shreds.  Does anyone else remember this item?

Fast forward to 1999, when I was looking for a hobby that my 11 year old son and I could share.  I remembered that model airplanes had been a bond between my dad and me, and decided to try it by purchasing a Windstar gilder and flying it at Riverdale Park.

Well, my son didn't exactly stick with the program, but I found that I really enjoyed the hobby    Through A&J Hobbies I got connected with the 14th Avenue crowd (Rob Pike, John Werner, John Kusturin, Michael Rogozinsky and the rest), who patiently helped me rise up the learning curve ... a long slow journey that continues to this day.

I've been through at least 40 models since then.  I've found that I get the most pleasure from planes I have built from balsa kits, but EPO foam Arfs have been a blessing.

My favorite branch of the hobby is soaring.  I also like scale aircraft, and flying in a scale manner.  3D and pylon are not really in my repertoire -- neither eyesight nor reflexes are up to it. But I am really hoping to give pattern and float flying a try this year.

Also, I am hoping to spend a lot more time at the field this summer.  For the first time in decades I have the opportunity to take a longish summertime break from work, and I plan to devote some of it to the hobby. 

[sihinch]

Here's to a great Summer, Gordon! Looking forward to trying the pattern flying with you.