I AM THE AMA - 2014/09
Frank Noll — Industry professional
by Jay Smith
Jay Smith: How did you get involved with model aviation?
Frank Noll: My father was into aeromodeling since he was a child, building gliders and rubber band–powered models. He later went on to work for the civil service, building wind-tunnel models for the Air Force. By watching him as a child, I learned how to build and fly and owe him greatly for getting me into this hobby.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
FN: Modeling has afforded me the ability to meet many influential people and travel to places that I probably wouldn’t have been able to go. It has also led me to my current position with Hobbico in Champaign, Illinois.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
FN: I recently retired from Giant Scale competition aerobatics, which was my primary interest for most of my life. I now enjoy other aspects of the hobby such as flying my jets, helicopters, park flyers, and indoor planes.
JS: What are your other hobbies?
FN: I’m an avid golfer! When I’m not traveling or working on household duties, you can usually find me on a golf course.
JS: Who (or what) has influenced you most?
FN: There are a couple of guys whom I looked up to when I was younger as I got serious about the hobby. One was Don Lowe, who was a good friend of my father’s, and the other was Ivan Kristensen. When I was younger I would watch these guys fly and dream about being as good as they were. To this day, they’re both great, close friends.
JS: What advice would you give someone looking to turn his or her hobby into a career?
FN: Most importantly, you’ll need to have the passion to do it. Most people think that it’s a dream job to be in the hobby, and regarding certain aspects, it’s true. But it is a business, and with it comes the normal business decisions that affect you as well as others.
Decide what you’re looking for with your decision, and keep in mind it’s not always what you’re personally interested in that may lead to good business decisions. What you may find exciting may not always be “mainstream.”
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
