I AM THE AMA
Don Butman — Black Sheep Squadron member and Free Flight modeler
JS: How did you get involved with model aviation? DB: When I was seven years old, in 1938, a neighbor boy I went to school with and I started building models. That interest has continued ever since.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career? DB: I graduated in aeronautical engineering but worked as a mechanical engineer. Model aviation pointed me toward both model and full-scale airplanes. I started flying Control Line in 1944 and attended the second and third Plymouth Internats in Detroit in 1947 and 1948.
I joined the Air Force and later worked in engineering for Northrop and North American Aviation. I continued building models throughout that time and got involved with RC. I retired in 1995 and started flying indoor and rubber-powered Free Flight. I joined the Black Sheep Squadron and have been active with them.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in? DB:
- Indoor rubber and electrics
- Outdoor electrics
- CO2 (all Free Flight)
I haven't flown Control Line in a while because of hip issues; getting down on my hands and knees to crank the engine doesn't work well.
JS: What are your other hobbies? DB: Other hobbies? I bowled for a number of years but haven't done that recently. It's mainly airplanes for me.
JS: Who (or what) has influenced you most? DB: I had some very good friends in school who were my biggest influence before I went into the Air Force.
JS: What advice would you give someone looking to get started in Free Flight? DB:
- Start with a Delta Dart and work up from there.
- The Delta Dart is more informative than the Sky Streak because you actually have to put the covering down.
- Depending on how much model building you've done before, start simple, learn the basics, and move up from there to avoid frustration.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
