It's been a year!

[NJSwede]

Today, a year ago I wrote my first post here on Wattflyer. It also so happens that today, a year ago, was my first attempt at flying an RC plane. Some of you may recall my first post where I desperately wondered why things went so horribly wrong and how to get a Super Cub down from a tree.

It's no exaggeration to say that my RC piloting career may have begun and ended that day if it wasn't for Wattflyer. But you had patience with me and my combination of complete ignorance and naive enthusiasm (and sometimes slightly obnoxious attitude) and you invited me into the Wattflyer family with open arms.

It probably took me at least ten horrible crashes and countless hours of repairs before I achieved a reasonably controlled flight. I don't even think I realized back then exactly how bad I sucked! :-) But now, a year later, I own some ten planes (all of them still in somewhat flyable condition) and I think I'm ready to call myself an "intermediate" pilot. I've graduated to 3D-aerobatic models, joined a club and made a lot of great friends in the RC community, both physically at the field and here at Wattflyer. Some of my best times I had this year was when I was invited by fellow Wattflyers to fly at their club fields.

So thank you friends for having patience with a noob and helping me through all the high-flying adventures I've had this year. Here's to many more years in this wonderful hobby!

[earthsciteach]

Happy Anniversary!

[NJSwede]

Originally Posted by earthsciteach

Happy Anniversary!

Thanks! I have friends who are sober alcoholics and former drug addicts who have tattooed the date they became clean to their bodies. Maybe I should do the same and tattoo the date I became "dirty" with this addiction?

[Don Sims]

NJ, congrats on the anniversery and thanks for helping to make Wattflyer the great forum it is!

[firemanbill]

Way to stick with it NJ. Congrats on the one year anniversary!

[gramps2161]

Glad to have you on board Wattflyer NJ goes by quick when your having fun!

[stuart]

njs,I've seen you fly my friend...it's hard to believe its only been a year.!!!!you got the hang of flying way faster than i did,it took me 4 years to get to my bank and yank skills..lol...[2 years of building and teaching myself how to crash...lol]. the first club i joined didn't really help me to gain confidence flying and dieing over the nj wetlands. what a difference a nice club and nice field makes for inproving skills.

plus your hanger has grown in numbers of arf's that challenge the best pilots while having a blast flying.

so congrats on the anniversary,and glad you joined the wattflyer gang.stu

[Nitro Blast]

Happy RC Anniversary!

The first year you learn, the next year you gravitate to what you like best and after that, well, its like playing a musical instrument... you get to a point where its all natural and you really start to flow.

Enjoy it brother, it gets better and better.

[pd1]

Congratulations. The first year is the hardest, the next fifty or so will go by in a flash.

[CHELLIE]

Originally Posted by Don Sims

NJ, congrats on the anniversery and thanks for helping to make Wattflyer the great forum it is!

+1 Congrats Swede

[stevecooper]

You a jewel on this board ,,,Watching you learns been fun as well! your Bubsteve

[NJSwede]

Originally Posted by stevecooper

You a jewel on this board ,,,Watching you learns been fun as well! your Bubsteve

Thank y'all for your nice words! I hope my learning experiences might have helped someone. At least they know what NOT to do.

And maybe it's a bit fitting that I helped some kid maiden his Wild Hawk today. (BTW... I wouldn't recommend that plane as a trainer to my worst enemy. Not enough rudder authority, not enough dihedral and anemic power).

[dumo01]

Congrats on the milestone NJ