I am the AMA-2012/11
JS: How did you get involved with model aviation?
JR: I became involved with models thanks to my father. He sat with me and we built (he built and I messed things up) a 1/2A CL model. It was a Carl Goldberg Swordsman 18.
I entered RC at age 10 with a Pilot Junior 100 kit purchased from Hobby Shack with an O.S. Max .10 in it and a Cirrus radio system. We would fly at a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert.
Those days were some of the best of my life and taught me to never give up, pursue your dreams, and stay on course. These lessons have guided me through most of my life.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
JR: It has driven most of my career.
As I flew models in the Mojave Desert, I could look up at any given time and see some of the greatest military aircraft flying overhead—F-4s, T-38s, F-105s, and even the SR-71. I entered the Air Force as an enlisted mechanic on the F-16. It wasn’t long before I found myself working on the most famous aircraft of the Desert Storm conflict: the F-117A Stealth Fighter. Modeling stayed with me and drove my passion for a career in full-scale aviation.
JS: In what disciplines of modeling do you currently participate?
JR: My main disciplines are jets and scale models. My true love is scale military aircraft—the ones that carried guns and bombs! To me it’s all about whether the aircraft was a target or a fighter, if you know what I mean.
I have flown pattern, Quickie racing, giant scale, IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club), and helicopters. My truest loves are military fighters.
JS: What are your other hobbies?
JR: One is baseball with my son. As a pitcher, he is pretty good and I get to catch for him on a regular basis. His fastball sits in the high 70s now. That keeps my eyes and reflexes in calibration!
Another hobby of mine is muscle cars. I love what Detroit delivered in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I bought a 1967 Barracuda convertible that is identical to the car I had in high school.
JS: Who (or what) has influenced you most?
JR: My father introduced me to modeling and ensured I always had a model to fly when I was young. He instilled in me the pursuit of aviation. His guidance still drives me every morning when I wake up and ask myself, “What am I going to do with a model today?”
Another influence is the spectators. When I fly at events across the country, I enjoy talking with spectators and explaining what we do and how cool it is to fly models.
JS: How did you get started in the hobby industry?
JR: Bob Violett picked me up as a field rep for his company, Bob Violett Models. From there, sponsorships with JetCat USA and Team JR with Horizon Hobby (now Team Horizon) were my beginnings.
A full-time position came to me in 2003 when Bob Wilcox of JetCat USA approached me to work for him. Bob’s attitude and standards drove me to a new level which I try to maintain today. He’d say, “Always do it right and ensure the end customer has the best experience they can have.”
David Ribbe approached me in 2005 about a position with E-flite. I worked in product development for five years before moving to the online marketing side of Horizon. The industry has been exciting, with great years to come.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
