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

[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.

[50%plane]

It's definitely a lifestyle for me. 10 or 11 years ago, I started flying with my Grandfather and it was a cool hobby, then it became an addiction as I started buying only airplane stuff. Now, It's a lifestyle. I live probably less than a mile from a full scale runway, work on full scale planes, Study about them, relax with RC planes, and hopefully helis as soon as I get some time.


50%

[Josh Price]

I think of it as a lifestyle with a hobby addition

[crazy4rc]

I agree with every post here. My story is that of a harsh one. I was a NYC teenager involved with the wrong crowd, getting into trouble, drugs, the whole nine yards. I straightened my life out by the time I was twenty five but was looking for something to keep me occupied. The best thing I ever did in my life was get involved with rc. I started with racing off road nitro and never looked back. I got tired of going to two day weekend races due to the fact that it takes too much time away from the wife and kids so for the last two years I got involved with my local flying field and I love it! I'm 36 now and your going to see me at the field when I'm 76! I have a two and a half year old daughter that loves airplanes and helis so keep an eye out for this father and daughter team. My only wish is that I had more space for my planes. Too me it's all the above, Hobby, Addiction and Lifestyle!

[GmanBill]

I've said a million times, this is a addictive hobby that becomes part of your life. The people, the planes, and most of all the friendships you develope over the years all are what make this what it is.
I have had many people gasp at the ammount of money and time I spend in this hobby. But when you are spineless (for those at the DOGS movie nite) and can not do the other hobbies that you used to you have to find something you can do. If I can spend $5k+ on a road bicycle and $20k+ on a harly I have gotten off cheap flying RC.

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

Wow! Great reading guys. There is a whole lot to this hobby than the hobby itself. You learn about aerodynamics, the technology.............it makes you use your head as well. But one of the best things is that there is always a new friend to make almost every time you go to any flying site!

[VooDoo Child]

Ya and by the looks of your video this hobby has kept your hand-eye coardination razor sharp,eather that or your wife makes you look good......Keep up the good work. p.s.hope you dont mind,but i saw a move i have to steal.

[Al Czervik]

Rennie,

It sounds like your wife is your biggest supporter which is fantastic.

I had my first "bad" day of the season yesterday when my engine stalled doing rolling harriers about 15 feet up with zilch airspeed. So much for the fuselage of my first gasser. It's times like this that I question just what the hell I'm doing with my money and time myself.

Perhaps this is normal during a time of mourning...?

[harrys]

I have been addicted to rc airplanes for quite looong time sine my school days, People call me mad crazy airplane lover but thats how i have build up my skills in aerobatics in past years, i am so much addicted to it that most of my free time i am building planes, designing on cad..... i am more into F3A & IMAC, when it comes to aerobatics i practice various different maneuvers at home in my free time with my hands imagining the maneuver in my mind i also do this in my OFFICE...some times in bathroom..... sounds really crazy ha but thats how i learned aerobatics

i believe to achieve success in any field you need to go mad or crazy about that subject (I mean study it in depth) and have a strong will to achieve it....

And now my final conclusion is i cant live without RC airplanes.....

[madmax]

Very cool thread Rennie, and the replies are awesome. The way I see it, the actual toy airplanes encompasses the hobby. Camaraderie and friendships create the lifestyle, and the side effect is the addiction.

I spent many many years without modeling, and lived what I believe to be a charmed life. I never left my 30 mile radius here in California, and as ridiculous as this sounds, had little or no knowledge of different cultures that exist within our country, and had few friends outside of my geographical radius of comfort.

From my observations, this hobby is 25% model airplanes and helis. The rest is the friendship and camaraderie that we encounter with folks along the way. We all drive one another to become better, and we're generally on the same wavelength and share a common bond. Never in my life would I have imagined making the lifelong friendships that I have formed from being a part of all this, nor could I possibly explain in black and white text the amount of fun I've had and how important it has become in my life.

I think we've all experienced this as well.

Hobby = something we do to kill time
addiction = passion
lifestyle = friends

Proud to be a part of it, with you guys.

MD