First RC Flying Experiences

The following story comes from the culmination of my many years flying RC. Sharing this hobby has been such a rewarding experience. And to think, this all started way back in the 1970’s when I got my first RC plane as a child. It was the Cox RC Cessna Centurion 2-channel airplane. It had a throttleless Cox .049 engine and controlled only by rudder and elevator. Once started, it would go full-out until the engine quit and (in theory) it should glide in for a landing. I believe I was only 11 or 12 years old so of course my older brother, who had no RC experience at all, thought he should be the one to fly it first. He got the engine running, set it back on the ground and let it go. It quickly went across the parking lot, and all seemed well. He lifted it into the air and appeared to be making a left turn. Well, that turn did not stop and the plane kept banking more and more to the left and eventually gravity took over and it smashed into the ground and exploded into what appeared to be a million pieces. I had about 10 seconds of excitement that day and after that experience, I would not touch another RC plane until I was 44 years old. During that interim, I did acquire a lot of aviation experience. It became my major in college and during that time, I accumulated over 40 hours in actual flight time in Cessnas and Pipers. I was just short of my hours to be licensed and never finished once I accepted an offer of employment that led to a 27-year career in law enforcement. I never did lose my love of aviation through those years and continued flying on a sim on computer.

My Experience at the Western North Carolina Apple Festival

In late summer of 2025, I was invited to be part of the Western North Carolina Apple Fest, specifically, to represent the flying club that I belong to, Etowah RC Flying Club, at the Western North Carolina Air Museum. Since I am not only a member of the club and an employee of Horizon Hobby, I felt this would be an opportunity to represent both the club and the company. It was an honor to be invited to represent both and set up our booth in the shadow of the museum which houses some vintage aircraft, all which have historical significance. The display that was set up included many E-flite aircraft in my personal collection including  the Habu XS, F-16 Thunderbird, A-10 Warthog, Piper Cherokee and Blade Fusion 360. We also had the RealFlight Evolution simulator set up using an Spektrum NX6. It was amazing to have so many local and visiting guests come to the museum and to the club’s display. They loved seeing all the aircraft and after practicing with the simulator, they were amazed to see how easy it could be to get into the hobby and learn to fly. It was great to see many kids taking an interest in the hobby and doing hands-on learning. Anyone that visited us at the display that day was invited to our club’s Labor Day picnic the following Monday.

Labor Day RC Club Picnic

On Labor Day after the event, I arrived at the flying field early so I could set up a display of my aircraft and to be ready for anyone that had visited me at the museum to show up. I had the HobbyZone AeroScout all set up as a trainer using the Spektrum iX20 as the “instructor” transmitter and Spektrum NX6 as the “trainer” transmitter. I also had the Habu XS ready to go since that plane has become a real crowd pleaser. It has also become one of my favorite RC planes to fly. Looking back, I wish I had the E-flite Airbus 320 then because this too has become my favorite. Soon after I arrived, it was nice to see people that were at the museum arriving at the picnic. This included some of the kids that were having a great time on the simulator. I showed everyone around the club and got the kids right onto the AeroScout with the buddy box set up. I am always amazed at how quickly kids can learn new things, flying the AeroScout is no exception. We did a lot of training that day and went through a lot of batteries. Whether I am a Horizon employee or not, I would still only use the Spektrum line of Smart batteries. Since they came out, I have accumulated well over 100 different sizes, voltages, etc. With proper care, they have lasted a long time and have not failed me.

At the conclusion of the picnic, I believe that I sparked interest in some about the hobby. I am excited to continue sharing the RC flying hobby with others.

My First Real RC Flying Experience

I vividly remember the day when I re-entered the world of RC flying. I had just retired and was visiting my cousin on Long Island. I walked into his house and sitting on the floor was the HobbyZone Super Cub 3-channel trainer. It was the original version with no stability at all. I asked him if he had flown it yet and he said he was too nervous. I figured now that I have some aviation experience, I could do this. We went to a local park to give it a shot. We did all the pre-flight checks this time and all was good to go. I added some throttle and that plane lifted off the ground so gently. I did some easy rudder turns and right then I knew I could easily do this. I flew for a bit more and brought it in for a gentle landing. Not sure who was more impressed: me or my cousin. One thing I was certain of though was that this was the beginning of my new hobby.

Over the years, I practiced and got better. Moving through fixed-wing, helicopters, gliders and EDFs. What started as my first RC crash turned out to be a lifetime love of the hobby.