About

My name is Mark. That's me in the photo, in 1980, when I was 19 years old. I had just returned from my very first Nationals, flying Control Line Precision Aerobatics. I had been flying for about 6 years at this point. Even though I came in dead last in the competition for those who actually completed all of the required flights, I had a great time. I have always been primarly a sport flyer, and that's Ok.
My initial attempts at control line were greatly frustrating. At that time the Cox Company produced plastic control line planes powered by their .049 or .020 engines. I had a Cox P-51, and a Cox Pitts Special. While the Cox engines are great, the planes they put them in were not. I'm sure someone, somewhere has actually flown one, but they are not the beginner planes they are made out to be. Just getting them running to begin with was quite a feat for a then 12 year old. When I finally did get the P-51 .049 engine started I was so excited I ran into the house yelling "It's running! It's running!" My dog was barking, my mom was trying to get me to take it out of the house. It was pandemonium. I never actually got it in the air before the landing gear broke. About 6 months later when I came home from school my mom told me to get into the car. She drove me to a nearby pharmacy, where there was a gentleman, a pharmacist, who was signing people up for the Lexington Model Airplane Club. That gentleman was Lew McFarland.


Lew was a control line flyer who had won the Aerobatics Nationals in 1961. He also owned a hobby shop, and had designed several planes that were made into kits. For Christmas that year, my Mom and Dad gave me a Jetco Shark 15 and an OS Max 15 Engine. My Dad helped me get it built, and then later Lew taught me how to fly it in an open field near his Hobby Shop X-Cell models. From there I progressed, taught myself how to fly the full stunt pattern, or at least my interpretation of it, and enjoyed flying until I entered the Navy in 1984. In the Navy I became an Airborne Communications Officer, got married, we started having children, and model airplanes faded into the background. I left the Navy in 1992, and had difficulties finding stable work due to the economy at the time. Finally I got a job in IT and started getting some traction careerwise. My sons showed interest in models, and I eventually taught them how to fly, but money was still tight and where I lived I didn't know anyone who flew. The Internet was still pretty new, and it was hard to find out "who was out there".
In 2016 while on eBay I stumbled across a Sig Chipmunk kit, like one I had built in 1982. A few moments later I found an OS Max S .35 and ended up buying both and a set of Nobler plans. The seller contacted the Secretary of the Tree Town Modelaires Control Line Club (Fred), who then called me. So I rejoined the AMA and also joined Tree Town. Fred told me of another flyer who had a lot of control line planes that he needed to find homes for, so I ended up with an already built Sig Twister and Sig Banshee. Soon I was flying Control Line again.
Since that time, I have ventured into R/C Sport Flying as well as a brief stint into Indoor Free Flight. Regardless, Control Line remains my primary interest. I enjoy designing and building Aerobatics planes, and fly them mostly just for the fun of it, only occasionally venturing into competition. This past summer I went to the Nationals again for the first time in 44 years. The photo to the left is my Sirius Mk V airplane during appearance judging at the Nationals in Muncie. I flew Advanced.. I did ok.. Better than 44 years ago, but not great. Mostly I had fun. I was able to renew some old friendships and made some new ones. The competition is fun to watch, of course, and you get to see some amazing flying, but for me, it's the camaraderie and friendships that I value the most.
Happy Flying!
Mark