40 ModelAirplaneNews.com
It was encouraging to see some new, young fliers participating
at the event. Among them was Joshua Clark from Kalispell,
Montana, an accomplished turbine jet flier at the ripe old age of- He describes himself as a “third-generation RC pilot” and,
under the watchful eye of his dad, Addison, competes at jet
events across the country. I had a few questions for him about
how he got involved, and here’s what he had to say:
“My first RC airplane was a small glow-powered Alpha trainer.
What really interested me the most was my grandfather. He
was an old Navy pilot who, in the late ’70s, got into RC. My dad
also got involved and slowly got into the ducted fans, and finally
turbines, in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when I was born. I got
to travel with them to the various jet events around the country,
and I was so fascinated in jets that I wanted to start flying, whichis when my father got me the Alpha trainer for my second or
third birthday—and I fell in love. I gradually advanced and soloed
on a foamie T-28. After that, I got my first turbine, which we built
on for a few years, slowly, as I was still learning techniques. In the
summer of 2017, I finally soloed my first turbine flight, and we
registered for the AMA turbine waiver. I’ve been flying turbines
ever since, traveling across the country with my dad, having a
blast. I love airplanes so much and hope to pursue a professional
career in aviation as I grow older.
“Readers should know that a little practice, even on a small
foam aircraft and a simulator, can lead to turbine jets and a very
fun time, possibly even an aviation career as well.”If you run across a child like this who shows interest, nurture
him. Kids like Joshua are the future of RC.THE NEW FACE
OFTHE TURBINE
FLIER
FLORIDA JETS 2019
The BVM F-18 Hornet has an attractive “tri-blue” Centennial of Naval Aviation commemorative scheme and was flown by Cole Thornton.