Is it a Hobby, an Addiction, or a lifestyle?!

[SleepyC]

This hobby is an addiction. No question about it.

It worst then most others.
I can spend a week flying and hanging out at Joe Nall, get home and after one night of good sleep, all I can think about is Planes. Some nights, I feel guilty going to bed if I know I don't have something done on my planes that I had planned on doing. I even gave away all my video game systems this past year, because I felt guilty playing thenm, instead of practicing on the sim.

My wife has no interest in planes or RC at all, and this makes my passion for this stuff hard to pallet for her. She is usually annoyed with me and I have to be very careful on how I present plans for trips to her. Or how I sneak a 40% into the house.

Its hard sometimes.. and it causes more arguments than anything else in my life.
BUT you know what... its RC or the highway for me...!! I will not give it up!

Um yea... RC is an addiction... A BAD ONE!

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

	Quote: Originally Posted by SleepyC
	This hobby is an addiction. No question about it. It worst then most others. I can spend a week flying and hanging out at Joe Nall, get home and after one night of good sleep, all I can think about is Planes. Some nights, I feel guilty going to bed if I know I don't have something done on my planes that I had planned on doing. I even gave away all my video game systems this past year, because I felt guilty playing thenm, instead of practicing on the sim. My wife has no interest in planes or RC at all, and this makes my passion for this stuff hard to pallet for her. She is usually annoyed with me and I have to be very careful on how I present plans for trips to her. Or how I sneak a 40% into the house. Its hard sometimes.. and it causes more arguments than anything else in my life. BUT you know what... its RC or the highway for me...!! I will not give it up! Um yea... RC is an addiction... A BAD ONE!

When I was heavy into pattern competition, my first wife did not share my passion at all. I did eventually get divorced from her for other issues, but she did realize that I could of been into alot of other things that were worse! I think that every man needs a form of mental departure from the every day ho-hum of lviing and surviving.

[Stu_D]

Its all about having a passion . Life is hard enough and if you have only one thing
to think about you will surely screw yourself into an early grave. Even as a kid my
parents would never let me be idle on weekends . It didnt matter what I was into
it was always full on and do it as well as you can .

9 years BMX
7 years Mountain bikes and road bikes
8 years go kart
6 years RC planes

People who knock you for doing a hobby need to get a life and have some FUN .
Weather its just going to my local field with my mates or looking at IMAC patterns
until my eyes bleed its all a big bag of good times .

Love what you do and love life .

Stu

[ULTIMATE1]

It's starts as a hobby that you become addicted too that changes you lifestyle !!!!!!!!!!

[toprudder]

My hobbies:

http://www.toprudder.com/hobbies/index.html

When I was getting started in the hobby as a young teenager, all my Dad ever told me was that model airplanes were a waste of time and money. But I enjoyed it. Made a lot of life-long friends. Through the years I won a lot of trophies in competiton fun-flys and pattern. It is kind of sad that my Dad never came to a single contest in which I flew.

Around '97 or so, I dropped out of the hobby for a few years. Two years ago, my son became interested in flying, so I got back into the hobby as a result. What a great two years this has been. We are as close as ever and it is so great to have a common interest. I don't even fly that much, I just enjoy watching/helping my son. We hang out with the best group of guys you can possibly imagine, the group known as the RDRC Traveling Circus. By the end of this year, my son and I will have attended 26 modeling events. Wow!!!

I think back to the time I was growing up. Model airplanes gave me something CONSTRUCTIVE to do and I am sure it kept me out of trouble. I built a few electronic projects from kits, including an Ace Silver Seven radio, and as a direct result I got my start in electronics. I am always thinking of ways to solve problems or to improve things so it stimulates my mind. I have an activity now that I can share with my son. He is involved with an activity that includes aerodynamics, electronics, REAL physics (not someones idea of a computer simulation), mechanics, and gives him a reason to get out of the house.

If other people can't understand that, I simply don't know how else to explain it.

Bob R.

[YNOT]

D) None of the above

Girl I was dating didn't go away when I bought planes instead of crap for her, she is the wife now, Lauri.

House was picked for airplane use. Type of garage, parking for trailer, etc. In fact, we are moving soon and the new house has to be more airplane friendly. Right now the garage, the trailer and one room full of airplane, heli, r/c car (on and off road), slot cars, r/c boats, hovercraft, kites. You can not go to any place in the house without seeing some r/c related something.

The 15 foot trailer to haul planes.

The big ass van to haul planes and pull the trailer, however it also is a bitchin beach van.

Vacations are planned around flying events. Many of you have met my family at these events.

Changed jobs to get more time off to go fly events. Job sometimes sends me to places where events are being held

Son flys.

Mom and Dad opened a hobby shop 30 years ago and now my wife runs it.

This stuff is my life.

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

Toprudder,

Very nice story. Yes it is a shame that your DAD did not share your passion with you. My two son's never shared the hobby with me, but I gave them every opportunity, which is fine. But I do love them very much and encourage their extracirricular activities, but school and grades are first!

I wish that my son's had taken interest, but in your case it's never too late. I guess there is hope that my son's interest will peak. The funny thing is they both can fly on there own.

Thanks for sharing Bob

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

	Quote: Originally Posted by YNOT
	D) None of the above Girl I was dating didn't go away when I bought planes instead of crap for her, she is the wife now, Lauri. House was picked for airplane use. Type of garage, parking for trailer, etc. In fact, we are moving soon and the new house has to be more airplane friendly. Right now the garage, the trailer and one room full of airplane, heli, r/c car (on and off road), slot cars, r/c boats, hovercraft, kites. You can not go to any place in the house without seeing some r/c related something. The 15 foot trailer to haul planes. The big ass van to haul planes and pull the trailer, however it also is a bitchin beach van. Vacations are planned around flying events. Many of you have met my family at these events. Changed jobs to get more time off to go fly events. Job sometimes sends me to places where events are being held Son flys. Mom and Dad opened a hobby shop 30 years ago and now my wife runs it. This stuff is my life.

Now that's what I am talking about. It the last three years it has come to that. you do not have to have a hobby shop, but my wife and I are starting to plan things around RC events. It's too bad that she has to work every Saturday (USPS), but she is at the flying field with me every chance she can (she says, its so that she can be with me). And she enjoys shooting videos of me and other pilots.

[Freddy Warbird]

	Quote:
	The Flyin Hawaiian:I think that every man needs a form of mental departure from the every day ho-hum of lviing and surviving.

Understatement of the century, and I couldn't agree more.

[toprudder]

	Quote: Originally Posted by The Flyin Hawaiian
	My two son's never shared the hobby with me, but I gave them every opportunity, which is fine. But I do love them very much and encourage their extracirricular activities, but school and grades are first!

Hey, model airplanes are not for everyone. I let my son develop his own interest, I did not push him into it.

He also loves to play guitar, and is pretty good at that as well. The great thing is that he loves all the classic rock-n-roll that I grew up with. "Hey, Matt, learn to play this song....". And he does. I bought him a really nice effects processor for his birthday and he is lovin it. If we are going to a weekend long model airplane event, we usually pack his guitar. He ended up jammin with the guys at Joe Nall this year - that was a real hoot!

Whatever your kids are interested in, support them. Show some appreciation of their accomplishments. Otherwise, you might miss the only opportunities to really get to know them before they leave the house.

Bob R.

[JMZ]

It's an obsession, and a beautiful one at that! The leading edge graphic on my Extra 330 proves it! It's also a lifestyle for me, and one that I've long been addicted to.

Seriously, I started with FF and CL at ten years of age and have been a modeler for 37 years now, flying both fixed wing and helicopters. I also soloed a Cessna 150 before having a valid driver's license, and along the way picked up a commercial pilot's license, instrument rating and flight instructor certificate by age 21. I guess my point is that for some of us aviation, in all of its forms, is just a life long love. Flying is life, and life is flying!

Luckily, my wife understands my addiction and is very supportive. She actually buys me most of my toys. In fact, she gave me the Extra as a Christmas gift! What a gal, huh?

Hopelessly and Happily addicted

Jim

[toprudder]

	Quote: Originally Posted by JMZ
	Luckily, my wife understands my addiction and is very supportive. She actually buys me most of my toys. In fact, she gave me the Extra as a Christmas gift! What a gal, huh?

Same here.

Years ago, my wife and I were at the field together, and I crashed the only plane I had in flying condition. I walked out to pick up the pieces, and as I was walking back, a friend of mine was taking the radio gear out of the plane he had just been flying. I asked him why he was doing that and he said "Its your plane now". My wife worked out a deal with him while I was picking up the pieces of my plane. I was flying the next day.