News

Local community teaming with enthusiasts for remote control model airplane hobby

  • Published
  • By Holly Birchfield
  • 78 ABW/PA
Robins Air force Base, GA --  Andy Wendt dreamed of taking to the skies as a young child. He wasn't aspiring to pilot aircraft though. Mr. Wendt wanted to design and fly radio controlled model airplanes.

The 36-year-old electronics technician, who works in the 579th Software Maintenance Squadron at Robins, is a third generation "modeler," still enjoying the hobby along with his 65-year-old father and 91-year-old grandfather.

"I just love airplanes," he said. "It's one of the reasons I went in the Air Force. I got a chance to work on the airplanes."

Mr. Wendt, who is a member of the Georgia Aeronautical Modeling Association based in Fort Valley, Ga., has crafted and flown planes ranging in size -- from as small as his hand and to others large enough to hold a small toddler, referred to as "40 percent aircraft."

"I'm actually a builder more than anything," he said. "I like to design certain types of airplanes I like to fly the most. Of course, once I build them, I enjoy flying the tar out of them."

It's no surprise that Mr. Wendt learned how to fly the aircraft through watching his dad and grandfather. His passion for the hobby, however, comes from the heart.

"I design and build my own airplanes," he said. "A lot of the aspect of the hobby for a lot of the people is competition."

Ed Stefan, Radio and Wireless Communications Systems chief in the 78th Communications Group, picked up the hobby while working in his father's Tennessee hobby shop at 13. He captured the title of Tennessee's radio controlled aircraft champion early in his chosen pastime.

The only time Mr. Stefan has taken off from his hobby was to help his wife, Debra, raise their two children, Laura and Sabrina.

The Tullahoma, Tenn. native was compelled to return to his aircraft modeling days.

"My favorite part of it is building the plane and then getting into the sport aspect of it," he said. "There's nothing more gratifying to me than to see a plane take to the air on its maiden flight after you've built it from a box of sticks.

However, seeing your prized aircraft crash is a big let down, as Mr. Wendt can attest.

"I was flying straight down doing what is called a straight open dive into a parachute which is where you stop moving in midair," he said. "When I hit my elevator extremely hard, the wing snapped into me."

Mr. Wendt spent the next three hours searching through kudzu for his plane's remains.

The father of two has many friends who are equally as committed to the hobby.

"Socializing is a big aspect of this," he said. "I have many friends who do different flying events. It's very rewarding."

Wayne Minor, an equipment specialist in the Global Logistics Support Center here invested about 15 years in the hobby before having to park his planes due to a personal injury. He said the hobby was a way for the former pilot to carry on his flying days.

"I like doing aerobatics and doing things with a remote control plane that you wouldn't have the nerve to do if you were in one," he said.

Mr. Minor said people who are interested in the hobby should get involved in a local remote control plane club.

"You should definitely get hooked up with a local RC club because they have trainers who can teach you the proper way to fly, and they have devices that can certainly save your airplane if you're just learning how to fly as opposed to just going out and learning on your own," he said.