RACINE — Jim Litwin, 70, of Racine, is president of the Racine Radio Control Club.
The retired chief deputy with the Racine County Sheriff’s Office gets together with other hobbyists to fly model airplanes year-round. Winter can’t stop a good hobby.
As part of The Journal Times’ continuing series on local people and their hobbies, Litwin answered five questions:
1. What’s your hobby?
My primary hobby is the building and flying of radio-controlled model airplanes.
2. Why do you like it?
This hobby allows me to create something with my hands during the cold winter months and then fly my creation during the warm weather. In doing so I also get to share my hobby with other like-minded people. The flying of radio-controlled model airplanes allows me to fly my aircraft in a three-dimensional world, free of the constraints of a PC or video monitor.
3. How much time do you spend on it?
During the cold weather months, building and repairing can occupy several hours a day, if you want to. During the warmer weather, I can be at the flying field for 3 to 4 hours at a time. Note: We do fly our airplanes in the winter also, it’s just a little more challenging.
4. What’s most challenging about it?
I find that trying to fly the model airplanes in a realistic manner, like real full-size airplane would fly, is the most challenging aspect of the hobby. A new flier would probably say the challenging part is keeping the airplane in the air and then safely landing it!
5. How can others get started?
The building and flying of radio-controlled model airplanes is best done by meeting and joining with other like-minded people in a club designed for the purpose. You can get a lot of help with making the right equipment purchases, and learning how to fly, plus the enjoyment of talking with people enjoying the same hobby. Locally, there is a club already doing this. The Racine Radio Control Club has its flying field located just north of the intersection of Highway 20 and West Road (at the old brown brick school house, later known as the Racine Armed Forces Center) in Mount Pleasant. You can also go to the club’s website, www.racinercclub.com, for more information.