HorizonRcFlyers' Staff Introductions

[WingingIt74]

My name is Travis and I am Plane Nuts :) I fly RC planes and try to fly RC helis.

I've been around airplanes almost my whole life. My Grandpa got his license and first plane in 1975. The pic here was taken in 1975 and I was 1 year old. He has had a Cessna 172 (that he bought) and later (2) Beechcraft Bonanza A36s (both company planes).
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/CLSSY56/N7318G.jpg
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/CLSSY56/Lyle%20&%20Bonnie%20Henry.jpg

I've only had one flight lesson my freshman year of high school. During that flight my instructor kept me up their 30 minutes longer because he was enjoying the flight ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry60K4ifnSE

(edit: my wife gave me a flight lesson for my B-day 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DV3JWbvCmc



http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/CLSSY56/Halls-TN.jpg
(I was front page on the Sunday edition of the State Gazette paper that covered all of Tennesse, Aug. 25,1996)

I grew up in the St. Louis area on both sides of the Mississippi. My Senior year of high school, I got into WW2 living history and portrayed a B-17 Navigator, Co-Pilot and later Pilot of the B-17 Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby as member of WWII Airmen's Preservation Society. After high school I went to college at ITT Tech and got an Associates degree in drafting in 1995. I remember taking my vacation and going to some airshow somewhere and setting up my display and teaching about what a bomber crew mission was.I've met 4 original crew members of the Memphis Belle, including spending a week in Tiffin, OH with the Pilot, COL Robert Morgan. During all of this I had also flown in a TBM Avenger (Halls, TN) and B-25 Mitchell (Tiffin, OH). The living history part of my life ended around 2000 as the 50th anniversary of WW2 had passed and people were not as excited in it. Invitations slowly dwindled down to I was only doing 2 shows a year. I use to have one heck of a collection, anything from a pack of Luckies to a Norden Bomb Site.

I was trying to think how many WW2 aircraft I've been in...

B-17:
YAF
EAA
909
Thunderbird
Texas Raiders
Sentimental Journey
Memphis Belle (been in all the positions, including the ball turret) (met 4 crew members)
Movie Belle (shown in the above pic)
Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby (only got a close up look, didn't get a chance to go in)

B-25:
Show-Me
YAF (flown in)
Heavenly Body

B-24:
Strawberry b^tch
Diamond Lil
There's another one but I can't remember (this may be a B-25 I am thinking of)

PBY

P-51 (Old Crow)

Beech Twin Trainer

TBM Avenger (flown in that... wow what a great story.. I'll have to tell that one later)

CAF He-111

C-47

AT-6 Texans

Military Vehicles:
Armored Scout Car (drove) similar to the Half-Track
Jeeps (drove many) Have another story there in STL
DUKW

AH, good memories...

I also spent a week with Col. Robert Morgan (Memphis Belle) in Tiffin OH doing a "Living History" display for 5th graders.



I eventually sold most of my collection and paid bills and started my love for 56 Chevys. I bought my first 56 2 weeks after my first son was born (now on my 3rd). I have 2 boys, Brandon and Logan and both of them are into cars and planes.

I have since sold my 56 Chevy and bought a motorcycle, first street bike, had a dirt bike from 5th grade through High School.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/302142_10150284931625947_588815946_8109812_1620512 898_n.jpg

I got married in August 1999 to a southern belle from Charleston, SC as she lived in St. Louis, MO. I met her on AOL in September 98 and got engaged in December 98.

I'm a project manager for our family drilling business and help manage (5-6) 2 man drilling crews.
Http://www.redi-drill.com

My Website (1/3 owner):
Http://www.HorizonRcFlyers.com

[ATIS]

Hi, my name is Bryan and I am a RC plane addict.... (you all say "Hi, Bryan"...)

I am a self taught rc pilot with a little over 5 years of flying under my belt... mostly planes, starting back into helis after giving my wallet a 3 yr break from the beating it was taking.

If its electric and has wings I will fly it...or at least destroy it trying to fly it... I have 38 planes in my hangar ranging from Slow Flyers, to Sport Flyers, to EDF's and Pusher jets...I enjoy modding my planes, adding flaps, better motors, stronger wing supports, what ever I feel I need to do to improve the plane.

This hobby is a combination of several things to me; my stress management, a continuation of my childhood plane building (but now they actually fly!!), and a chance to meet new people that share my enjoyment of airplanes and flying.

The last photo was taken in Saudi Arabia during Operations SOUTHERN WATCH/OIF I...I'm 5'10" and duct taped...we were heading home in a few days so a couple of my staff non-comm's thought they would have fun with the LT...good thing I have a sense of humor and I spent 10 yrs enlisted...I did manage to escape after they put me in the back of a pick up truck and paraided me around the flight line...never leave a knife on a Marine, we know how to use them. They spent an hour chasing me around the flight line trying to re-catch me....the air force security on the flight line didn't know what to do!! LOL (the aircraft behind me is a EA6B Prowler from VMAQ-2)

[WJCJR1]

Hi all my name is Wayne I have about 2 years into the R/C Airplane hobby. In my Hangar on ready alert is the E-Flite Apprentice and the HobbyZone Super Cub.

Flying is a great liberty for me and I truly enjoy the feeling of breaking roots with the ground every time my plane leaves the deck.

I look forward to sharing much information, true tales and even those shameful dreaded moments of pushing the limits which ended in carnage...

Wayne