For me, RC modeling has been a lifelong hobby. Starting at the age of 15, in 1970, I bought (with my newspaper route earnings) a Heathkit RC system electronic kit. It was basically an at home STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program before they existed. I learned about transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc., and assembled and soldered it all onto circuit boards to create a working RC system. This then led nicely into my career as an electrician in the auto industry where I worked with very complex systems and was eventually assigned to an Electronics Crib, repairing computers, printers, and maintaining networks.
I’m thrilled with what my hobby has now become. Never before has RC flight been so affordable and accessible. The variety of opportunities to build your own design or buy a relatively inexpensive aircraft along with the advances in RC control systems and electric motors and batteries has taken the hobby to new “heights”. My current fleet of planes is about 30, with 1/2 of them being simple designs built with foam board from a Dollar Store that can cost less than $10 to construct before adding the electrical components. In the past my flying sites have consisted mainly of private property, parks, soccer fields, and school grounds (when not in session). Only since 2015 have I been involved with an RC Club, TRAMPS.