2020 RC Airplane Hobby Year in Review
Everyone is doing a year in review, so I thought I would share my second year in the RC hobby.
It was a year of solo flying as my son lost interest in the hobby, and I continued by myself. I had gotten into the hobby through my son, so I had to transition to RC flying, not being a father-son event.
With my son leaving the hobby, I expanded and grew in the hobby by:
I am programming my RC airplanes into my transmitter. Aircraft setup is a critical skill that I needed to learn.
I progressed and took up one of my son’s EDF’s for the first time. Nerve-racking and tough. The Hawk was my first EDP, and I enjoyed it.
Creating a dedicated RC workbench. I needed a dedicated space to maintain and work on my RC airplane collection. Here is a YouTube video of my dedicated workspace.
Repairing my planes. My son enjoyed repairing our planes so, this year, I developed this skill. I developed my repair skills from foam repair to landing gear, servos, and motor replacement.
Painting and airbrushing my own planes. Along with repairing, I also grew my painting and airbrushing skills. For both aesthetics and safety (increasing my view of the plane’s orientation), I got good and enjoyed painting my airplanes.
Built a storage rack system for my planes. Planes are expensive and can easily get damaged if they aren’t organized and put away. My garage storage system keeps the planes safe.
Started a YouTube channel and revamped my blog. All about sharing as I grow and learn in the RC hobby.
It was a different year at the field as well:
COVID, coupled with my son leaving the hobby, really had me flying by myself a fair bit as our club couldn’t hold any Fly-in’s or club events. I did have a small group of friends from the club that I would fly with and learn from, which was awesome.
To be creative, we started racing cars at the field. Too much wind is a great time for racing cars. Care racing helped build camaraderie.
The club has given back so much to me that I am giving back by being the treasurer for the club. I can use my finance and accounting skills to give back and help grow the club.
How was your year?
Let me know in the comments below.
I will be reflecting on how I want to grow in the RC airplane hobby in 2021. I will share my thoughts as I set goals for 2021 and also bring you along on my journey in the hobby.