I remember putting together a plastic ship model before I could read; so started my entrance into the hobby field. I believe my first rocket was built in my church's Wednesday night Christian Service Brigade boys club. It was a Wac Corporal, and not my best rocketry success. I can remember watching it go up, the chute coming out, and then separating in an auspicious start to my long rocketry career.
I have lost count on how many rockets I have made over the years. I know I still have more than 85 of them that I built between 1969 and 1980, all still in good flying condition. I can verify that there were another thirty or so that were lost in one mishap or another. (I have this strange quirk where I save all the bags and cards that the rockets originally came in, so I know what models I've built).
I didn't build or fly many rockets after I graduated from High School. I did, however, continue to collect rocket kits for a few years after that. How many, you ask? Enough that when I eventually sold the classic kits on eBay I earned enough money to purchase my current automobile. Thats a much better return than most money market funds.
I the mid 80s I started doing radio controlled airplanes and very soon after that I started molding my own fiberglass fuselages for RC jets.I believe to date Ive fabricated over twenty different jet-powered aircraft. Now thanks to the Vatsaas clan in the late 90s Ive returned (in part) to my rocketry roots and picked up the hobby again.
As you can see from the photos, my workroom it is now as mixture of jets, and rockets, and an addiction to Star Trek: Voyager that is untreatable with currently available medications.
People often wonder how I'm able to juggle my time between 6 kids, 2 dogs, 2 jobs, and one wife.
I guess I have to give all the credit to my wife. Shes my second greatest supporter, and has never once discouraged me from pursuing any of the hobby stuff I dream up. Of course it didn't hurt when I sold enough rocket swag to buy a car. (And in case youre wondering, my first greatest supporter is the financial institution that issued my VISA card).
I still manage to put out a few rockets every now and then. I try to use those idle moments between my full-time job, my part-time job, bowling, karate, piano lessons, changing diapers, church activities, and ongoing dad-duty (as opposed to kid-doody). Actually, I usually get to work on hobby
stuff after about 11pm. The neighbors love me when I'm out in the garage at one in the morning, cutting wood on the scroll saw or fiberglassing and stinking up the neighborhood.
I currently work about 8 hours a week at a local hobby store in order to support my real love, which is working full-time as an electrical printed circuit board draftsman (and electronics technician). I have worked at a number of places over the last 20 years including Medtronic, Thermo king, Honeywell and several other companies, I went to night school for 2 years (when I had only 3 kids) to get a degree in 3D animation, which so far has paid a lot less than selling old Estes rocket kits. But the hobby store gig -- that spells DISCOUNT. Now I often come home with bags full of the good stuff, and wait for the clock to strike 11:00....