Managed World

So I've gotten into a new hobby as of late. Why? Simple: my son. You see, many of the hobbies I've had in the past are "loner" hobbies that don't involve many people well: playing RPGs, programming video games, etc. I had some criteria that I was thinking about. First of all, I wanted it to be a family friendly hobby (so my son can get involved if he's interested). Second, it needed to be outdoors (I'm stuck inside enough because of my day job, no reason to make it worse). Lastly, it needed to be somewhat "geeky" still.

After doing some research, I found one that fit the bill quite well that piqued my interested: R/C Airplanes. Yes, you heard me right, I'm getting into R/C Airplanes. I put some research into it to make sure I got the right way, went down to check out one of the local R/C clubs and their flying field, and even attended their Open House and was able to fly the plane I eventually bought in person. It was a GREAT experience and somewhat of a "high" to be able to fly an R/C plane. GREAT hobby with lots of great people.

I also figure that getting into a hobby that has NOTHING to do with computers will also help make me a little more "well-rounded" that I possibly was before. You know, give me some fresh life experiences that I can bring into the other areas of my life.

So in that vein, yesterday I went down to the LHS (Local Hobby Shop) and picked up my new baby:

Oh yeah! All the goods I needed to get started. The Arrow has a 63" wingspan and a semi-symmetrical wing that makes it a good training airplane, as well as still being able to maneuverable enough to pull off some easier aerobatics. It is also a Glow Engine ("glow" being a type of fuel). I went this route instead of electric because I wanted a larger, more powerful plane that will handle the higher winds we get here in the Northwest (read: beefier than an electric in the same price range).

Tonight, I fully plan on putting this bad boy together and starting to charge the batteries. Then, next Tuesday (weather permitting and if my AMA membership card arrives in time), I'm off to the local airfield to do some training with a club instructor. Oh yeah! Summer is here, and I couldn't be more excited about it!

I already bought my second plane as well. It is a SIG Four-Star 40 in kit format. So, basically, I will be putting it together from the ground up myself (from the balsa wood baby!). It will be a great feeling to put something together with my own hands and then getting to fly it through the air.