85,171.87 raised in 2026. We have reached 17% of our goal.
Help us reach this year's goal of $500,000!
I started with a Comet stick model plane in 1951. Went to UControl with a Revel Racer with an .049 engine. At age 14, I went to the desert in California to fly sail planes. At age 16, I went to Santa Monica to learn pistons. 23,000 hours later at age 76, I joined an AMA Club in Dunnellon, Florida, to learn how to fly RC. It is the hardest flying I ever did.
I no longer fly full-size aircraft but fly often a fleet of RC aircraft.
David Barker recently retired from the Idaho Falls Police Department, following a 29-year career, during which he was certified as a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (2008-2019), and most recently served as the Department’s Logistics Officer, Training Coordinator, Quartermaster, and UAS Assistant Team Lead.
I began my model flying with U-Control, a balsa trainer with a Cameron .19 and Joined AMA in the 1950's. I still have my AMA issued number 9550. The flying in Waukesha, Wisconsin was promoted by the local hobby shop, The Hobby Horse.
Planes to follow were the Ringmaster, Barnstormer, Veco Scout, Smoothie and the Veco Thunderbird stunt. The Nobler was very hot at contests that beat me out for points. Bob Gialdini was a local stunt champ competitor with his design. I competed in AMA flying events in Milwaukee with junior stunt, and rat racing.
I have been an active modeler since I was old enough to toss a glider.
I just recently found the September 1961 issue of Model Aviation that had the results of the '61 Nats. My 3rd place in Junior 1/2 A speed was the first time I won at anything. Later in my teens, I won a few times at the Nats and held a number of Control Line speed records in the junior and senior age group.
Well, back in the '70s, I wanted to build an RC heli. In 2005, I finally did.
Back then they were very hard to fly but needed a place for them. Joined AMA and when I joined PGRC in MD plane club I had to solo to get a key to the place. Sunday morning at sunrise was my time. I've been with AMA ever since and they have opened more than one door so I can enjoy our hobby!!
I've been flying RC airplanes since 1980. In the last 45 years, there isn't any other hobby that has been more fun and rewarding.
I've learned more mechanical skills from projects related to the hobby than any other thing in my life. The people I've met along the way are the best people I've known. AMA is a vital part of the hobby, and I respect what they have done to keep the hobby alive.
I was introduced to models at a cub scout camp out in mid-80s. I had been big into RC Cars but I picked up my first kit, the Great planes Electric Cub in '92. Built it and before I flew it had a teacher to sell me a Headmaster 40 with the old, converted gold Futaba setup. Solo in first of '94 and the sky has been the limit. Wish my dad had been alive longer to get some stories but the guy he worked for had an old Cub in the barn and would make delivers with it.
I grew up always loving airplanes. One day, at about 8 years old, I was working with my uncle, a former USAF Pilot, at my grandmother's kitchen table. He was looking for something in a container that contained "Miscellaneous" things, proceeded to pour it out onto the table, and out rolled his Air Force Pilot wings. Knowing nothing more than what had just happened, my immediate thought was "I want a set of those." We built model airplanes, he took me to airshows, and I was hooked.
