My recent retirement has allowed me the time to rekindle my life long intrest and passion for RC hobbies, for the last fifteen years when time has allowed I have focused solely on RC heli's but working ten hour days six days a week and taking care of family obligations really left little time to play.. Now finally free I sit and reflect on how amazing the progression of the hobby has been and also reflect on my humble beginnings into the hobby as a wide eyed ten year old interring into my first hobby shop. It was 1971 and they had just opened a new toy/hobby shop in a small strip mall near my home, I can still remember it like it was just a few days ago not forty some years later.. The sights, the sounds and even the lingering smell of dope and thinner waffling thru the air, my head seemed to spin as I tried to take in all the store had to offer.. There was a train running in the back corner, planes hung from the ceiling, stacks and stacks of models littered the floor and this long glass case filled with gas engines and radio gear sprawled out before me.. It was sensory overload at it's finest I remember the shinny new cox carburetored 049 with it's cool bright red velocity stack drawing me in.. Closer.. Closer.. And wait what's that a dumas swamp boat? Does it work? Really? Yes the owner said and along with that 049 I was looking at and one of these 2ch AM radio system you can be on your way to becoming a RC addict! I was sold.. Now just convincing my parents to let me play with something that would have the potential to take off a finger much less springing for the set which was at the time around $120.00, a lot of money in those days.. TBC