Have you noticed that what seems a disproportionate percentage of us obsessed with aviation, are also equally obsessed with photography and electronics? Personally, I'm retired from 30 years of electronic field service, 4 years of USN aviation flying back seat radar operator on antisub trackers from carriers before that, got my PPL in '65 but abandoned pro ambitions when eyesight went south, and an avid advanced amateur photographer the whole time (that's tapered off cause after you have a few thousand slides/negative/files, friends won't talk to you months after a vacation, and no wall space left, what the hell do you do with them?).............
I'm a former Navy journalist, myself, and photography is one of my favorite interests. If I sold all my Nikon bodies and lenses, I could probably buy a full-scale ariplane.... ;-) As I mentioned in another thread recently, electronics seems like something I should be more deeply interested in, but I just can't seem to fathom it.
Yes I noticed. Also lots of Amatuire Radio fellers around too. I'm actually a fry cook and don't know another flyer who is. I have studied electronics, photography and always wanted to fly full scale. Used to fish and golf but that fell by the wayside. My sons asked me to golf tomorro. 3 planes NEED a maiden flight. Humm mk
Well, I've noticed an "obsession" with aviation in this news group, but I suspect that is pretty normal for a group of people who are into this hobby. As for me, I was probably more obsessed with aviation when I was in my early to mid teens, but I think I became obsessed with fishing, hunting, girls and then came college, wife and kids and, later, golf. Now that the kids are grown and looking after kids of their own, I'm becoming obsessed with things that fly again, because back problems prevent me from wading a river, walking a field or swinging a golf club with any degree of comfort. Even if my back got better, I suspect I'd have to give up one of those other hobbies for RC planes. I wish I could get my wife interested, because it looks like golf isn't something we are going to be able to do together anymore. (I did get her to come out to the field today, however.)
I've been interested in photography for years, but not anywhere near the level of my interest in fishing. I did kind of incorporate the two over the past several years, however.
As for electronics, I'm afraid I am firmly in the camp of desmobob ......... I don't get electronics, and I feel like an imbecile when the conversation turns to that subject. And my dad was very good at electronics and things electrical. Now that I'm a geezer, however, I have no plans to learn much about electronics; there may be too little time left to enjoy the things I understand and/or enjoy more.
Oh, by the way, the reason my wife came out to the field today was because I was determined to fly my trainer for the first time despite gusty winds and chilly temperatures. But I did it! The instructor wouldn't let me land it myself because of the winds, but I think I could have done that ok, too. I'll humor him for a while!
It's really always been so, with aviation and electronics at least. RC aviation was born of the union of freeflight modeling and ham radio in
1937 in a joint venture of twin brothers Walt and Bill Good, one a model plane nut and the other a ham operator. The pair were virtually the "Wright brothers" of RC aviation as we know it, even down to petitioning the govt. for the frequency allocations we now enjoy (in the U.S. anyway). Too bad they are all but lost to history and forgotten. See-
"CRaSH" wrote in news:IwZZf.555$fG3.285@dukeread09:
Seems true. I have a strong interest in electronics and photography. Many are prior service.
I've shot 8 or 9 weddings as an advanced amateur in 35 mm and
2-1/4, multi-flash setup and all.
My unaided eyesight was bad enough that I never pursued flying. I did something better than flying, I spent 3 years in the Army Band, finished out with my 20 year letter, 15 years in Band field and 8 in other fields (helicopter mechanic, air defence artillery, truck driver, etc.)
Yep, seems as so with R/C and electronics. A few years back, I did the airborne video thing and also put a GPS "overlay" (like a HUD) that overlayed the lon/lat, altitude, groundspeed, etc. onto the transmitted video. I had this in a GP Spacewalker and it worked really well.
What's funny is a Navy Lab guy contacted me after seeing posts in this newsgroup. He asked what my configuration was, who I got the electronics from, and how well it performed. I answered all his questions and even talked to the guy on the phone. Now you see little planes all over that troops use and have this same information on the screen.
You would have thought I would have made some money on the deal....NOT ! LOL But it was a fun project. Heck, I still have the rig but it is not installed in a plane.
Nope, S2F-1A off of USS Kearsarge in early '60's. Most notable cruises were when we picked up astronauts Wally Shirra (first one in history to come back in view of the recovery force!), and Gordon Cooper in the south Pacific...
But I can top that. I owned a 1968 Hino Contessa, a rear engine, water cooled 1300 cc car, a sort of Japanese Renault R-10, but different.
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This is pictures of a model of the 1965. There were few changes in 1968, except mine was a 4-door.
In 1953, Hino licensed and produced the Renault 4CV. When the Contessa came out in 1964, it was their own design and rather stylish, when compared with Renault's offerings of the time.
Ed, Speaking of altereds, I had two in the early sixties when draggin' was fun, and another in the eighties with my kids for bracket racing. Now that I am retired, I have built a '34 Ford Pickup chopped and slammed with '51 full dress 265 flattie pushing a Ford C4 tranny into a dana 44 RR. Still I have time build and fly.
Just when I was beginning to have fun in drag racing in the sixties, Uncle Sam kept sending me notices to report for Army physicals. I saw the handwriting on the wall and beat them to the punch by joining the USAF. When I got out and could afford to drag race again, everything had changed. And not for the better. I enjoyed drag racing more when you couldn't go to the dealership and buy a 11 to 12 second car, complete with warranty and monthly payments. Oh well.
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