I began flying Control Line in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1959 with a Wen-Mc .049. I moved up to a Guillows Profile #3 within a few months and joined AMA (38937 J) so I could enter the GSCB balloon bust contests.
While still a junior, I began to build better airplanes and learned to fly Navy Carrier. I flew in most New Jersey Control Line contests until I graduated high school in 1969. I was out of the hobby while in college and serving time in the US Air Force.
I came back to the hobby around 1984 (with a new AMA number) when a lifelong friend (Bill Rich) taught me the stunt pattern. I picked it up quickly and won the only beginner contest I entered. I spent about 2 years as an intermediate and got booted up to advanced where I competed for many years with ST 60-based stunt ships as a member of the Philly Flyers.
I flew in my first Nationals in 1988 with an ST 60-powered Spektrum, where I finished in the middle of the pack in Advanced. I moved to Northern Virginia in 1998 and flew for about 15 years with the NVCL. In addition to Pampa competitions, several of us built trainers and served as instructor pilots for any guests who showed up at our field and were willing to try Control Line flight.
Today, I build and fly 40-46 sized ships and occasionally compete in Control Line precision aerobatics in the Advanced class.
