A Life of Free Flight

Man crouching on grass, holding a model airplane with tools nearby.

Free Flight Duration

By Louis Joyner | joynerduration@gmail.com

Child playing with a toy plane on grass, vintage car in background. — Louis Joyner, as a young boy, playing with model airplanes.

Boy holding large model airplane outdoors in black and white photograph. — The author with his first kit-built Rubber model.

I HAD AN EARLY and fortunate start with building and flying Free Flight (FF) models. My dad owned Desoto Hobby Shop, located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. He would bring home kits, balsa, and other supplies to my older brother and I for building. We were active in the local FF club; meetings were monthly with more than 60 members attending. The club sponsored Indoor FF contests at a local college gym and monthly Outdoor FF events at local parks. In addition, my junior high school offered a shop class with a great instructor. I learned to use tools and techniques that have served me well in building detailed models.

In 1956, at age 11, I attended my first Nats with my father and older brother. I was hooked. Just like most modelers, my involvement since then has experienced ebbs and flows through college, marriage and family, and job locations and schedules.

I enjoyed participating as a team member representing the USA in the 1995 FAI F1B World Championship for FF Model Aircraft in Domsod, Hungary. Getting to know so many other modelers has been a major part of the sport, whether it’s been on the field helping each other time events or chasing models on foot, bicycle, motorbike, or in a car—you spend time talking about flying and all sorts of other life experiences that add to your memories.

I enjoyed meeting so many participants who had experience in space programs or who designed or flew full-scale aircraft. Everyone brought different skills and materials to the sport and helped it continue to progress from the simple kits my dad brought home from his shop.

I have also had the privilege of getting to know so many young fliers who have come to meets with their parents, and then progressed to the Junior level and are now participating in competitions. They bring their enthusiasm and willingness to try new methods, materials, and techniques to share with us older modelers.

Man in suit kneeling on grass with open model aircraft kit. — The author is shown with a model box full of Wakefields.

Man holding a model airplane stands beside a car in a grassy field, black and white photo. — Groovy! Louis is pictured with a Towline Glider

Man in red shirt adjusts model airplane outdoors. — Groovy! Louis is pictured with a Towline Glider

Man holding a large model airplane outdoors, wearing a blue shirt and visor. — With his airplane wound, Louis watches for a thermal in the sky.

Putting my love of writing and photography to use in the "FF Duration" column in Model Aviation has been enjoyable. Throughout the years, I have had the opportunity to take photos of participants at contests, which helped visualize the points that I was trying to make in articles. I enjoyed shooting photos in-studio (usually on my living room floor or outside on the grass) of models that I was building. Hopefully these photos have helped or encouraged others to build from plans.

Working with the staff at Model Aviation has made the process so easy. Jennifer Alderman, the managing editor, especially, has been so patient as I’ve worked through meeting deadlines with new computer or software issues, and her editing skills help make articles readable.

Throughout the years, I have enjoyed designing, building, and flying my airplanes, and in the last few years, I have gotten into building Scale models from World War I. Now I feel that it is time to turn the column over to someone new. I wish for everyone to experience the great feeling that comes from flying FF.

Others have written more eloquently about that moment you toss the model into the air, but it is a great feeling—especially when the sun is shining and you catch a thermal. It never gets old.

Signing off, Louis O’Hara Joyner.