Why this hobby kicks ASS!

[SleepyC]

Ok ... I realized today that this hobby is 25% flying 25% getting and drooling over new gear, and 50% just plain old cool people.

I got up this morning and headed out to go pick up my new 33% extra today.
And as I was in the car I had no worries, because I was dealing with an RC guy.
If I was going to pick up a used car or motorcycle I would have been a bit apprehensive...as in "am I going to get mugged?" "is this a scam"?

But since it was RC related, I was at ease, and just thinking about my how cool my purchase was going to be.

So I drove the 1 1/2 hours, and when I got to the guys house... it was just as I expected.

William (the guy who was selling me the plane) was a nice a guy as anyone I've met involved with this hobby.

Within 5 minutes, we could have sat around and had a few beers all day and discussed planes, pattern flying, covering (guy is SICK.. covering a 35% Carden Edge..wow) and a pile of other plane related stuff.

The Extra was just as described, if not better than I expected, and now I have a new friend in the Pennsylvania area.

I guess what I'm saying is that this hobby is more than airplanes, and fly in's .. its being able to have instant friends all over the country...

And that just kicks ass.

I invited William to check out the site (he had never heard of it) and he seemed pretty stoked that it existed.
So,... hey buddy.. if you made it WELCOME. You'll find a bunch of cool guys here.

Thanks again.

[Dennis C]

Picture's....picture's

[Oh Yeah!!]

Well said, Sleepyc.

[plaster93]

Lets see the Extra man.....dont keep us in suspense!

[Bryant330L]

You hit the nail on the head Sleepy. I have made so many friends and met some super people in my 6 yrs in the hobby. Most of the folks are just really good people.

[Do-rag]

That is one of the Truest statements about this hobby. I have made so many friends just by visiting fly-ins that it is unreal. The percenatage of cool (nice) people in the hobby is off the chart compared to anything else I have ever been involved in.

Now let's see some pics of the new plane.

[Kiwi]

Guys.

I think I can add to what sleepy has said above.

I live in the Arid north of Chile and we have about five pilots, sometimes more but never together. They predominantly speak Spanish of course and so do I in a fair fashion. But the culture here is totally different to what I grew up in. Anyone who read my story on an addicted RC fanatic will understand. Modelling and hand skills is not part of the LAtin culture, at least not in Chile.

So I have my small group of guys who meet once or twice a month. I go every Sunday. Many a time my 8 year old is helper, spotter etc because there is no one to help. 40% planes are not one man toys.

So the Net as in Flying Giants is my connection with others who think and do the same thing. To me I would likely not be as fanatical in what I do if the Giants site did not exist. It really is a connection rather than just a web site.

I have visited the triple tree site twice. In 2004 I went for the Don Lowe, meet Biff, Pat Hartness and the likes of Kirby and his wife. It was a life changing experience. If you could say there was a Mecca for RC then that is the place. Then I came back again for the 2005 Joe Nall. Good god almighty, what an experience. I meet people who I only had seen faces in magazines, they spoke to me like good ordinary people do. No snobbery or classist society there. Everyone was out to help each other and enjoy the time. They also had an enormous respect for the place and those responsable for making the weekend work. Honest to god a different group of people to anything I have ever experienced in my life, and I have travelled the world. I came away from that week totally zonked at the way people enjoyed being together in a great place.

So what is the cure for that sort of experience.

Go back and do it again. I meet guys who have been going for 20 years and I know why. RC people are good people, whether it be pylon, pattern, IMAC, 3D or what ever else there is. They come from the same gene pool and I am so damned proud to be part of it.

Kiwi

[SleepyC]

Kiwi good addition!!

Ok you guys wanted pictures... you got it.

Plane, plane and more new plane!!

[SleepyC]

Ok more.. wings and BAD ASS wing bag!!

[Bryant330L]

Sweet lookin plane Sleepy.. Very nice! Congrats my friend. You will love this one.

[SleepyC]

Ok and allow me "splain" the following pictures...

I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED THIS PLANE SINCE I FIRST SAW IT. More than any other plane!! I just like the looks of it.. I guess.. but I feel like I have resolved one of the great wants in my life.

Hence.. I showed it some love!

(ps. excuse the garage.. The plane is too damn big to go into my basement!!)

[SleepyC]

Ok... so I'm a nerd... all I can say is this... there won't be pictures when I get my Dalton extra 260 someday.... unless you are over 18!!