Bill Boss — MA's "CL Scale" columnist for 30 years
Interview
JS: How did you get involved in model aviation? BB: As a youngster, I was always interested in flight. I was fascinated with the early Buck Rogers serials, which depicted space flight, and the movies of the great biplanes of World War I.
During the 1930s, my family lived in Brooklyn, New York, and during school vacation time we spent many summers with my grandmothers in Springfield Gardens, New York, which, in those days, was almost all farm land. It was there that I made my first real flying model of the Ryan ST. Those were the fun days.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career? BB: I believe that life and career went hand in hand. For many years, my wife, Jan, and I, along with several close friends, traveled together to many contests, providing many good times.
As for my career, college and my employment at AT&T for 31-plus years provided the knowledge, technical know-how, and managerial experience used in my modeling career.
JS: In what disciplines of modeling do you currently participate? BB: My current modeling participation has, for a number of years, been dedicated to the Control Line Scale category as Model Aviation's "CL Scale" columnist. Navy Carrier was my other most competitive event from the early 1960s to the 1980s.
JS: What are your other hobbies? BB: Other hobbies I enjoy are photography and gardening, which I believe complement each other. I enjoy growing roses and find great satisfaction in photographing them.
JS: Who (or what) has influenced you most? BB: As an associate vice president of the Academy from 1969 to 1972, I had discussions with John Worth, Academy president at the time, about the need for creating a guide book for Executive Council members.
I brought together all information and documents a council member might need as an aid to his duties. The first draft of the guideline book was submitted in February 1971 and a final version was given to all council members in March 1972.
JS: How did you get your start writing for model aircraft magazines? BB: My writing started in 1969. Edward Sweeny, editor of American Aircraft Modeler, asked if I would like to try my hand at covering the Control Line events at the 39th annual National Aeromodeling Championships at Glenview Naval Station.
I started that column with these words: "Armed with a portable tape recorder, a borrowed Nikon camera, a small notebook, an official-looking blue helmet, a blue-ribboned name plate, and a lot of guts, I set out to cover the Control Line events."
I went on to write for the magazine until 1974. It wasn't until 1982 that I was approached to write once again. This time Carl Wheeley of Model Aviation asked if I would do a column on Control Line Scale. The rest is history.
Here I am in 2012, on the 30th anniversary of the column, retiring and ready to turn it over to another for continuation. It has been a most pleasurable and rewarding experience.
Memorable Moments
- Winning the CL Scale event at the 15th New York Mirror Meet in 1960 at Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station, Brooklyn, New York, with a Jetco P-51 Mustang.
- Seeing the completion and dedication of a four-circle CL flying site in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York, June 1967. I had the pleasure of designing the site.
- CDing the CL Scale event at the 1974 Aerolympics, Lakehurst NAS, New Jersey.
- Placing first at the Wilmington, Ohio, Nats in 1980 and having my de Havilland Mosquito awarded Best Military Scale model by the Air Force Association.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
