Born to Fly
Jim T. Graham | [email protected]
Turning your RC hobby into a profession
As some of you know, I spend a lot of time on the RC show circuit. At most of these events, someone asks me how to get into the industry. There are many ways to do that and many things you can do to make your hobby your job.
In this edition of "Born to Fly" I speak with Jason Cole of Hobby Lobby International. He will go into detail about the route he took to go from a weekend flier to an RC professional.
JTG: When did you start flying? JC: As a kid I would play with foamie hand-launch gliders. My dad had a Control Line Blue Angels F-18, so I did have some early aviation stuff as a kid. I have always loved things that fly.
I started flying RC in college. I was bored, found the hobby, and fell in love with it. I didn't know the hobby existed until one day I walked into a local HobbyTown USA. I was like, "Oh my gosh, look at all this stuff!"
JTG: I met you through TheProfileBrotherhood.com, and you were a hard-core 3-D pilot. I was the public relations/marketing person for Hobby Lobby at the time and you came by to fly with a bunch of Pro Bros. Is 3-D still your main interest after all your years at Hobby Lobby? JC: I still enjoy the challenge of 3-D, but working at Hobby Lobby has broadened my perspective of what is available in the hobby. I have found that if it flies, I'm going to love it. I go into phases of things I'm into. I have gone through the heli phase, the sailplane phase, and right now I'm into jets. We have had a great run of really cool jets at Hobby Lobby. I have had a great time flying them, rigging them with lights, and taking them to the beach with me on vacation.
JTG: How did you get into the RC industry? JC: It all starts with having a passion for the hobby. My very first job in the hobby was at that HobbyTown USA I walked into during college. Electric flight was the up-and-coming thing, and I became the local electric expert. I would hang out at the hobby store and share my experience and suggestions about electric flight. HobbyTown invited me to work for them, and that sounded like fun. I worked my way through college at HobbyTown. It was great for a college job, but I wasn't aware you could make a profession out of working in the hobby.
JTG: So the next thing you know, you're in the lobby of Hobby Lobby. I overheard you say that you were looking for a job. I ran back to the vice president and said that we had a good employee candidate in the store. I think all of your experience at HobbyTown USA had a lot to do with your getting that job. JC: That was awesome that the stars aligned for me to be in there that day and meet you guys. I was excited to visit Hobby Lobby, where I had purchased things from the online store, and then to get offered a job was just amazing. I started out as one of the sales guys on the phone. I already had a good knowledge base from ordering from Hobby Lobby in the past and already knew about Hobby Lobby's products. My college degree allowed me to move up to assistant sales manager. Then there was that fateful day when Jim T. Graham/Billy Hell left Hobby Lobby to start his own RC company. That opened up the marketing spot for me to step into.
JTG: One of your roles as an RC pro is to be a demonstration pilot at large events such as the Southeast Electric Flight Festival and Joe Nall Fly-In. I want to know what it was like for you the first time you were on the flightline, flying the only model in the air. All eyes were on your airplane and you had a person on a microphone describing your every move. Was that a huge amount of pressure? JC: It’s a ton of pressure the first time. You’re out there with guys like Jason Noll and Quique Somenzini, and now you are out there doing the same thing they do. Your hands are shaking and your heart’s thumping, but you get through it and do the best you can.
You have to take the confidence you have in your flying and put it to the test. It’s about making it look good and making it look easy and keeping a smile on your face. It gets easier, but even now I get a little nervous.
JTG: I’m sure this has happened. You are doing a demo, and you auger a model into the ground. JC: I was at E-Fest in 2007 doing a heli demo. I was the only one there and thought that flying the demo while Frank Noll held the mic and I talked about the heli was a good idea.
That was not a good idea and I quickly crashed that heli right into the ground!
JTG: We have both been doing this for many years. Has living RC day in and day out taken any joy out of the hobby for you? JC: I will say that I don't fly on my own as much as I used to, but I still absolutely love this hobby and am in it for life. Work allows me to get out my need to fly, but we don't just play all day.
As you know, there is a lot of work to be done at the office. I do get to fill a lot of my RC needs on the clock, and that is great.
JTG: One great thing about working at a place such as Hobby Lobby is that you get to see the new stuff come in. You know who the hard-core RC pilots are, because they gather around the boxes on the shipping dock, waiting for someone to cut them open and reveal what RC airplane or helicopter has just arrived. Has that been your experience? JC: It is still exciting when the samples come in. Sometimes we are the first people to see a product. We get to be the first to build and fly it as well. That is a lot of fun and a neat thing we get to experience working in the RC industry.
JTG: Let's talk about events. Tell us about the first time you went to an event, all expenses paid, to represent an RC company. JC: Oh man, when I first started it was you and David Payne that got to do that, and I was so jealous! I wanted to go to those events! My first event I was super excited and a little apprehensive because I had personally gone to events but I had never gone as a representative of a company.
JTG: What advice would you give an RC enthusiast who has a dream of working in the industry? Do you think there is a formula for how to make it in this profession? JC: Some of it has to do with who you know and how you get your foot in the door, but it really comes down to your drive and desire. College also plays a big role.
If you want to be in product development, then you might want to study engineering and aeronautics. If you are interested in the PR (public relations) aspect of the industry, then study marketing.
Ultimately it comes down to your desire and dreams. Set your mind to it and you can do it.
JTG: One other thing I'll add is that you need to love what you do, because that will always show on the flightline. Being courteous and friendly is a big part of being successful.
When I attend an event, my intention is to do my job but have a great time doing it and making sure others are having a great time as well. JC: Yes, this hobby is all about fun. So if you aren't having fun, then you shouldn't be doing it. This is a ton of fun, and I'm having fun doing it!
JTG: What are your goals for your RC career? JC: I am slowly migrating to product development. I think my passion is leaning towards the product side of the business.
I want to be the guy that is creating the new products, working with the manufacturers on designs, structure, and trim schemes. I think that is what I will stay with for a long time.
JTG: Are there any last words you would like to get into the story? JC: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Thanks to you for everything you have done for RCGroups.com, for Hobby Lobby, and for the industry in general. The more folks we can get involved in the hobby, the better!
Sources
- Hobby Lobby — (866) 512-1444 — www.hobby-lobby.com
- RCGroups — www.rcgroups.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
