What Makes This Hobby So Great

Written by RodrigoDuarte

Since an early age, I have been fascinated with radio-controlled machines. My first car was driven until the back tires gave up and it got me hooked!

I built 2 cars (a 4x4 and a Honda NSX model) when I was a teenager, but my dream was always to fly an RC helicopter which I couldn't afford at the time. As a kid, I wanted to be a car mechanic and l grew up to become a Mechanical Engineer and that probably explains why I love to build, control, maintain, and repair radio-controlled machines.

When I started to earn my own money, I was finally able to afford a helicopter and I bought my first one! It was a 30 glow powered machine, but I didn't go far, crashed it badly, rebuilt it, and end up selling it. I had other hobbies to attend at the time!

But the helicopter bug was never killed!

I decided to take some flying classes to get me through the first steps of helicopter flying with the help of someone experienced and that really paid off. I was then able to buy my first electric helicopter with the confidence I would be able to fly it! My instructor and some of his mates became my current flying mates.

I currently own a 450 and a 700 size electric helicopters, which I fly with great pleasure. The 450 is the tricks guinea pig and traveling companion (has its own hard case) and the 700 is just amazing! I got curious about airplanes flying and end up buying a second-hand foam trainer airplane. It introduced me to the basics of airplane flying and to slope soaring too!

I end up getting a Spitfire EPO for the looks of it and that led me to build a balsa trainer airplane kit with some spare servos and an ESC I had. The trainer works as the training platform for the Spitfire more demanding flying. I do love to see the Spitfire flying!

To me the essence of this hobby is not about wanting to fly and can't afford to fly a manned airplane, it's about being able to control something and at the same time watch it doing what you want! You can see cars jumping, helicopters looping, airplanes rolling, and the wake of a boat through still water...

It’s also about being able to share your experiences, joys, mishaps, tips, footage, etc with your mates!

Currently, flying my machines is the best antidote for stress! It keeps my mind off everything else when I’m in the field and resets my stress levels to acceptable levels.

It’s not just about the time you spend at the field, but also the chronicle you write to your mates that couldn’t make it to the field that day, the repairs and checks you do at home after dinner during the week, and the memories of the amazing stall turn with the sun shining on the rotor, the crazy loop, and bullet dodging roll that allows your mind to wander and relive your last flying sessions!

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