Men And Their Toys

Tuesday night at the church was a special night.  Once a month we enjoy a mens’ dinner and this one was a barbecue to which we could invite a friend.  Usually, we’ll have a guest speaker to tell about his life or vocation.  This time, one of our members had been asked to tell about his hobby.  It was in making and flying airplanes of all types, with electrically powered motors and radio controls.  Unusual interest was shown among a relatively small group of about 50 men.

The dinner was set in the church library, with barbecuing done conveniently just outside.  Buns and embellishments were ready along with cold soft drinks in a tub.  Our MC told his usual round of short stories and then asked the blessing.  After dinner, our guest speaker told how someone introduced to him to the hobby and how he became engrossed in it.  The property he bought had a natural flying field, causing other men to be attracted to his place, to fly their planes.  At first, he had only a closet of about five feet by two feet, in which to construct and service his planes.  Nevertheless, it was adequate.  Later, he enlarged his workshop to accommodate fourteen planes.  The reason he had fourteen was that one helicopter suffered an accident, which left him with only fourteen.

Our guest hobbyist described how modelers obtained their planes.  They either bought them fully manufactured, or in various stages of construction, even to the extent that the laser-cut parts might have had to be separated out and then constructed according to plans.  Control surfaces such as ailerons, elevators, and tail fins, the pitch of the propeller as well as the speed of the electric motor, have to be operated by electrically controlled rods.  One can buy a complete kit with plane and transmitter for 125 dollars.  Once smitten by the hobby, a person is very likely to invest thousands in bigger planes and sophisticated transmitters.

We were informed about the need to be careful pilots concerning the batteries within airplanes and helicopters.  They must be fully charged.  Flying time must not extend past the limits of the batteries within their controls.  Instances have occurred when this oversight caused the loss of a plane that had gotten out of range of its transmitter.  Visions of a fine model dangling from a tall tree in the forest were in everyone’s mind.  This club specializes in electrically powered models in contrast with other clubs that fly planes with gasoline powered motors.  

We went into the church’s large gymnasium to admire a collection of airplanes of various shapes and sizes.  There were helicopters, acrobatic planes, scale replicas, ones made of flat pieces of Styrofoam and others that didn’t look like planes at all, but were designed to fly by remote control.  A unique model was a quadraplane, with its blue flashing lights.  As it flew, it looked very much like it was an alien ship from outer space.  It was steered from its transmitter that governed the individual speeds of four electric motors.

A fine demonstration of piloting skill was in flying a small lightweight airplane around the auditorium, even as it was caused to loop the loop.  The applause would have been quite satisfying to our guest as he piloted the plane to a safe landing.

In all, the men had a very satisfying evening.  They had had a delicious barbecue, an interesting talk by our guest and an intriguing show of skill and craftsmanship as they watched his planes being flown in the gymnasium.  Possibly some of the men may take up the hobby and enjoy the camaraderie of others who find satisfaction in piloting very maneuverable flying machines even though its all done from the ground.  I was pleased that my own guest had enjoyed a great evening of dinner and entertainment within a friendly atmosphere.