By David Cook
My interest in model aviation appears to have begun well before I was born. I can trace it back to my father’s attendance at the 1934 Cleveland Air Races in Ohio as a young boy. Growing up, my father and I spent many hours building and attempting to fly RC aircraft. We fought through single-channel escapement and Galloping Ghosts. I still have a working Mule system tucked away in the shop somewhere.
I became a radio builder and completed a number of ControlAir, Ace, and HeathKit systems. At the 1964 Toledo Expo in Ohio, I saw a demo of a Taurus with a Bonner reed system fly a pattern, and I was determined to fly like that. I flew my first Pattern event in 1985 with a Curare 20. Since then, I have progressed, slowly, to flying competitively in D4. In addition, I am the secretary for the Westlake RC Club, a 25-year gold Leader Club outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and then volunteered for media on the committee for the RC Warbirds over Port Clinton fun-fly and show in Port Clinton, Ohio.
A project then appeared that led to volunteering with the Elyria, Ohio, school system’s STE(A)M program. The teacher there has been fortunate to have the school system’s support for the acquisition of foamcore kits and builds for 3-channel-powered aircraft. The trip was sponsored by the Lorain County RC Club in Elyria. I’ve additionally aided Build and Fly programs through the EAA.
In each of these cases, the opportunity to lead was placed in front of me. All that was required was to let the opportunity unfold with only the slightest effort on my part. It’s amazing how so little effort can bring a greater reward for me by just coaching the best out of others. Don’t be afraid.
Professionally, I have recently retired from teaching in the post-secondary school market. I taught CAD drafting, among many other classes, including AutoCAD, 3Ds max, and Inventor, as well as the full Adobe suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects. Prior to that, I had my own business as a manufacturing representative selling library and school furniture. Before that, I came out of computer systems and project management.
David Cook
AMA 68703