TACOMA NATIVE AND PAST MEMBER RE-JOINS CCRCS FOR CONVENIENCE AND THE FIELD

 May 1, 2010  by Dave Anderson

I first met Dan at our regular club meeting on April 14th this year.  It was his first meeting with the club in many years, and he walked away with a brand new Sea Bee Sport!  I got a chance to meet Dan again last week to learn more about his R/C history.

Dan's been flying models since the early 1980's in Tacoma, Washington.  With a help of a friend's father, he chose to start out with a Krafty 60 (with an OS 50 FSR and a four-channel Futaba radio) they built together.   He learned to fly "old-school," passing the transmitter back and forth with his flight trainer!  He flew that plane for several years, and then taught another friend to fly it. 

Dan moved to Vancouver back in 1987, starting off his adventure here flying from Kelly Point, and Firestone for a couple of years.  He helped to start up and was president for the old Evergreen Miniature Aircraft Club (EMAC), but that dissolved when the flying site revoked their privileges.   He was out of the sport for about 10 years, being busy running his local company: Hometown Exterior Designs, then a couple of years ago an old friend of his reminded him about the Proctor Antic they had built together back in 1989.  His friend had it hanging from the garage rafters, but told Dan he'd really like to see it fly. . . so he brought it home, put the radio in it and flew it . . . quite well!  Now, he's back at it, and having fun again!

Currently, he's building a Taylorcraft from an Ace kit (similar to the one pictured here, and usually flies a Cub and a Big Stick.  He also boasts about his Hanger 9 Sopwith Camel electric, his Fokker DR1, and many other projects in the works.

And Dan likes to do the pylon racing circuit too! - He told me all about the pylon racing club, NW Props.    He related his worst experience:  flying a "Quickie 500" in a pylon race.  Spotters were in place, but a fellow pilot cut the inside of a turn and ended up T-boning Dan's plane right out of the sky.  It was carnage in a balsa scale!  - can anyone say "matchsticks?"!!!

He started out with his passion for racing when driving for 6 years in the "Mt. Ranier Go-Cart Association" circuit!  Imagine a 5/8 mile track with 9 turns and speeds of 80-90 miles an hour. . . in a go-cart!  He moved all the way up to the "Gold Cup" circuit, with his wife driving in the "Powder Puff" series at the same time! 

Dan's had to fly in a lot of different places over the years, including the Daybreak landing strip.  Flying at the strip, however, requires avoiding the real airplanes from time-to-time!   As a courtesy the pilots were requested to make a fly-by of the field before landing. . . but not this Mooney!   Dan recalls coming in on approach but then had to dodge the Mooney as his model was heading nose-on to the real aircraft!   Full up elevator brought his model right over the windscreen on the Mooney! 

Now that's what I call a near-miss! 

Dan's comfortable now, back again at CCRCS.  When he flies, he prefers the electric models now.  He spends a lot of time running his business, and is now an avid sport-walker, using many of the local trails to stay in shape.   He is in the business of exterior home remodeling, so if you should need him, visit his website www.hometownexteriordesigns.com. 

Dan is an experienced flyer, a good builder, and trainer of fellow pilots.  If you get a chance to meet Dan, ask how the new Taylorcraft is coming along!   And tell him thanks for choosing to fly with CCRCS. . .  what a great addition to our club!