Iron Modeler

Author: Iron Modeler

  • “I think that tree needs a friend…and here he is.”

    I don't recall the circumstances that led me to discover that there was more to PBS that "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Compnay", shows that I watched as a kid.  I was in my last year of college, and one Saturday I was up early–well, early for me at the time, as I had a bad head cold and the runny nose wouldn't let me sleep.  My roommate and I had a small TV, and the cable did work–but the same old lament, nothing good on.  I flipped through the channels (all ten or so that we got), and finally stopped on the local PBS station (WMFE, Channel 24 from Orlando, if you must know).  It was the top of the hour, and I was greeted by a man with a reddish-brown afro streaked with gray, a gnarly beard also streaked with gray, a huge paint palette with a few smears of oil paint, a canvas, and some brushes.  He spoke in a soft voice, and let me know that today he was going to paint a mountain. 

    The man, of course, was Bob Ross, the show was "The Joy of Painting", and paint a mountain he did.  I was mesmerized–he took a blank canvas, a handful of brushes, some oil paint, and a half hour and painted a landscape.  After that show, I was hooked.  I would tune in every week to watch as Bob would take that same old blank canvas and turn it into a nice little scene, all the while commenting on how "we need trees in our world where the critters can live" and "we don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents", always in that same soft voice.  Every now and then, he'd have one of his rescue critters on the show–a squirrel, or maybe a fox–and he'd tell us how he rescued them and was getting them ready to go back to their homes.  His son also painted, and every now and then he'd let Steve do a painting.  Of course, Bob Ross became an enterprise–he sells more books and painting supplies now that he's gone than he ever did while he was alive, I'm sure.  He has certified instructors that travel the country, teaching people how to use the "Bob Ross wet-on-wet method" to create their own masterpieces.

    Bob Ross' mentor, William Alexander, also had a painting show that would air during the week.  Perhaps the most interesting of the painting shows was the one featuring Gary and Kathwren Jenkins–Gary was a hoot.  I guess you have to have a shtick, and Gary certainly did–he and his wife would paint many different subjects, from landscapes to florals.  I must say, these were all very entertaining.

    As I watched more PBS, there were other shows–"This Old House" was nearing their 10th anniversary.  I remember watching them work on the Weatherbee Farm with a couple who's sweat equity didn't really seem to be making the cut.  Again, though, I was taken in by the craftsmanship of Norm Abram and the "Hey, can I do that?" interruptions from Bob Vila.  Through the years, the main host has changed a few times (Bob got fired, Steve Thomas took over and did a fairly decent job–he's since left and been replaced by Kevin O'Connor, a decent host in his own right), the projects have changed (they went big for quite a few years before going back to what made them great–renovation older houses with owner assistance), but the gist is still there–you can do this, and we'll show you how.  After a while, I also started to watch "Hometime", back when Dean and JoAnne Liebeler were playing like they were married.  Now, JoJo wasn't Dean's first partner–Peggy Knapp was, and I remember watching that first season and was amused when they changed co-hosts and the format following that season.

    In Ft. Lauderdale, we also had Chef Jean Pierre, he of the Left Bank bistro.  Another fun to watch chef, he taught us all what tomato concasse is, and there was always the mother of TV chefs, Julia Child.  I never tired of watching Julia cook–she was entertaining and funny.  There was also the "Great Chefs" series where you would hear about a few chefs and listen to them cook.  Nathalee Dupree was also on, cooking her Southern dishes…

    Along with the cooking and painting shows, every now and again you could catch an episode of "The Hobby Shop" and "Adventures in Scale Modeling". both produced by South Carolina ETV, and both hosted by Mike Lech.  Bless his little pea-pickin' heart, Mike tried.  His shows were fun to watch, because you never knew what that week's episode would bring.  The intros to "Adventures" were sometimes hilarious–"The F-14 Tomcat is the Navy's Top Gun.  Today we'll build a model of a 1969 Camaro…"–and the show itself had some moments, too.  Mike would enter the workshop by descending a staircase that, if you looked closely, ended at the studio ceiling.  He'd try the Bob Vila "Hey, can I try that" and meet with an epic fail on purpose so the guest would correct him and his technique.  In later years, the projects grew more ambitious–I recall Bruce Radebaugh's kitbashed B-25G–and the editing got better, but by that time the writing was on the wall. 

    But my favorite PBS show, by far, was "The Frugal Gourmet" with Jeff Smith.  I knew how to cook by the time I was 13, but I learned a lot about cooking and culture from watching Jeff.  I learned how to stir-fry, I learned about exotic (for the time-remember, this was 1987) spices and seasonings and how to use them.  I got to watch as he travelled the world, learned how different cultures ate, and then showed you how to cook the dishes.  He made me want to try his recipes.  I did, and they worked.  Unfortunately, the show met a very quick demise after molestation and sexual abuse charges were made against Mr. Smith–the cases were settled out of court, and he largely disappeared from the public eye.  His books have been out of print since then.  The shows have not been re-broadcast in any way, shape, or form.  I doubt that you'll ever see DVD boxed sets of the show  As another of my favorite TV chefs, Alton Brown, said about Smith:  "Unfortunately Smith became embroiled in a sex-abuse scandal in the mid-1990s involving young men who had worked for him. Not only did his career screech to a halt, but his earlier work was also tainted in the process. And that's a real shame, because were it not for Smith, I know of at least one would-be cook who'd still be on the sofa ordering takeout."  Amen.

    Most of those shows are gone.  These days, we'll still watch "This Old House".  Roy Underhill's "The Woodwright's Shop" is also a hoot–how he hasn't lost a limb by now amazes me.  "The New Yankee Workshop" was also a favorite, until the series ended last year.  There are some new PBS shows we watch, but it seems that the type of shows I liked are a dying breed, at least on PBS.  Wth the advent of satellite, digital, and cable TV with 600 channels, if you can't find it, it ain't there…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and, as The Frugal Gourmet would tell us, I bid you Peace.

     

  • 300 channels…nothing on

    Does anyone remember what "UHF" and "VHF" meant on a television set?  If not, you probably don't remember life without cable TV and/or MTV.  But I grew up in that generation of over-the-air, broadcast TV, where you got (if you were lucky) the three major networks and several local channels on the UHF dial.  In South Florida, Channel 4 was the CBS affiliate, Channel 7 had the peacock, and if you wanted to watch ABC you tuned to Cahnnel 10.  The UHF channels were 23 (which was the Univision channel), 33, 39, 45, and 51 (which handled the Telemundo duties).  The two we got best were 33 and 39, although when we first moved to Ft. Lauderdale, we would watch Channel 51 because that's where you could see Tarzan (the Ron Ely version), "Championship Wrestling from Florida" (loved Gordon Solie, the MC), and "Creature Feature".  Later on, we would also catch an episode of "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" or two…

    Sunday mornings were CBS mornings–one of the local TV celebrities was Chuck Zink, aka Skipper Chuck.  On Sundays, Skipper Chuck would read the funnies from the Miami Herald.  We didn't get the Herald, but the funnies in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel were the same funnies–that's when we learned what syndication was.

    During the week, we'd get to pick between reruns of "The Three Stooges", "Gilligan's Island", or "The Mickey Mouse Club".  A few years later, we'd get "Flipper" and "The New Mickey Mouse Club" to add to the playlist.  Lest you think we were children of the Idiot Box, we didn't watch too much afternoon TV–we had to do our homework and chores before we were allowed to watch any TV.  We also had a canal out back–part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' drainage projects in South Florida–an more often than not we'd go fishing in the canal.  Before the hydrilla got out of hand, there were a lot of fish in the canal–bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, and even cooters.  When we weren't fishing in the canal, we were riding bikes or paddling canoes up and down the canal.  After we were done, though, the TV would go on…

    Sunday evenings were always the same–We'd watch "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom".  That changed as we got older–we'd watch "60 Minutes", find something else to watch for an hour, and then it would be time to get ready for bed.  Of course, if it was football season, we'd watch the Miami Dolphins play…

    Funny thing, though–when I was a sophomore in high school, my father had to have back surgery.  The occupant of the other bed in his hospital room watched the soaps–so, as a result, so did Dad.  And, when he came home, he got the whole house hooked.  Funny thing about soaps–the last time I saw an episode of "Days of Our Lives" (about 1994), it was no different from what I saw in the 1980's.  

    When I was in college, we had our nightly rituals.  In particular, Tuesday nights were "The A-Team", "Riptide", and "Remington Steele"; Thurdays would find us watching "Magnum, P.I." (or "The Cosby Show" and "Family Ties"), "Simon and Simon" (or "Cheers" and "Night Court"), and "Hill Street Blues"; and Fridays playlist would be "Hunter" (or "Crime Story") and "Miami Vice".  Other favorites from the era include "Kate and Allie", "Newhart", "The Golden Girls", "Facts of Life", and the final seasons of "Quincy, M.E."–actually, "Quincy" was a favorite before I went to college…     

    Once cable came along, the options grew.  You could watch Morton Downey Jr. on WWOR from New Jersey.  You could watch more wrestling from Georgia on WTCG (later WTBS and "Superstation TBS").  And, after August 1981, MTV was there to bombard you with music videos.

    Since my college days, I have had very few "Must See" shows.  I would catch "Mystery Science Theater 3000" every Saturday, I very seldom missed an episode of "ER" (up until it became as much a soap opera as "Chicago Hope" had been).  The early years of "South Park" would find me on the couch, watching to see what trouble Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman would get into.  "Law & Order", too, was regularly watched–even reruns on A&E.  For some odd reason, I'd also stop at The TV Food Network.  Their early shows were fun–some intentionally, some not.

    Lately, though, I don't watch much network TV.  NBC's Thursday night lineup is a favorite (that would be "The Office", '30Rock", "Community" and "Parks and Recreation").  We'll also watch "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain" on Sunday nights to keep us up on the week in motorsports.  Other than that, we're pretty much surfing.  We'll find something we like, watch it until it goes back to reruns ("NCIS", "Bones", "Wings", "Major Dad")…

    Our most recent indulgence has been "The Smoking Gun Presents: The World's Dumbest…" on truTV.  Why?  I have no idea…TV has indeed become the "vast wasteland" that Newton Minnow warned us about…

    Next time, I'll tell you how I discovered PBS, Bob Ross, and "This Old House".  Until then, be good to one another.  I bid you Peace.

  • Budding historians–If you ever have a chance…

    We travelled a few hours up the road today to Mooresville, NC to the Memory Lane Museum to see the 5th Annual "Legends Helping Legends" event.  They've been doing this to help out some of the race drivers from back in the day that have fallen on hard times with medical issues and the like–this year, the proceeds went to Harold Elliot, who had a stroke recently.  If you don't know who Harold is, you've not been a NASCAR fan for very long–he built engines for the likes of Junior Johnson and Rusty Wallace.  His engines took Darrell Waltrip to his 1981 Winston Cup Championship and Rusty Wallace to his Cup Championship in 1989.

    In attendance today were drivers Ned Jarrett, Rex White, Donnie Allison, Harry Gant, Jim Vandiver, Jabe Thomas, Gene Hobby, Grey Smith, Brownie King, Lloyd Dane, Paul "Little Bud" Moore, and Elliot Forbes-Robinson; long-time Charlotte Observer reporter Tom Higgins; engine builders Waddell Wilson and Lou La Rosa; mechanics Paul Lewis, Slick Owens, and Don Johnson; and Mitze Moody, widow of Ralph Moody (the "Moody" part of "Holman/Moody"–if you ran Fords in the 1950s through the late 1960s, you ran HM equipment, period.), among others.  Speaking with each of them was an absolute hoot–more on that later.

    The thing that struck me was that these folks aren't getting any younger.  Little Bud and EFR were perhaps the youngest of the group.  These folks, like many war veterans, have stories to tell–historically important stories, and once they're gone, the stories are gone, too.  If I were able, I  would have sat down with guys like Grey Smith, Lloyd Dane, Brownie Smith, Jabe Robinson and talk racing for a while.  The spotlight all too often gets placed (and deservedly so, I'll add) guys like Gentleman Ned, Harry Gant, or Waddell Wilson while the guys who ran in other series or parts of the country (Lloyd Dane ran on the West coast in the 1950s and '60s) and are largely unknown or become footnotes to history.

    (A parallel to that for war veterans–Most people think World War Two consisted of Pearl Harbor, Midway, Normandy, and the Hiroshima attack.  The "Island-Hopping" campaign in the Pacific and the Mediterranean Theater are relatively unknown.  In World War I, the Western Front gets all the press, while Italy and the Middle East get ignored.  And so on…)

    So, if you have a chance to attend one of these events, do it.  Go, talk to these guys.  Most of them like telling stories as much as we love to hear them.

    Some anecdotes:

    Grey Smith–a Friday night short track and modified driver–had a selection of photos of the various machines he ran, you picked one and he signed it.  I chose a photo of him cleaning the car after a heat race.  He said "I liked to keep the equipment clean.  Racing was fun, and you liked to give the fans a show–but I wanted them to know who was putting on the show, too."  He went on to tell us that he would go to the track on Friday morning, run the heats and the features, then tow the car home (no hauler), then clean the car, tear down the motor, get a list of parts he needed to get, repair, or otherwise prepare, and he might get to sleep by Tuesday night.  He was his crew, engine builder, chassis man, you name it.

    Elliot Forbes-Robinson was very nice–he spoke with us for a little while, remarking how much he was enjoying himself.  As a road racer/sports car guy, I guess he doesn't often attend the events with the NASCAR oval track guys.  He was very much a gentleman.  I've been a fan of his for a long time, more so now.

    And, my favorite quote of the day–I told Ned Jarrett that we really missed listening to him call races these days (he was a booth commentator for years before the big TV deal in 2001).  He replied, "Well, thanks.  I enjoyed calling them but I let the young guys do that these days."

    The museum itself has a nice collection, including the 1968 Ford Torino driven by A.J Foyt, Richard Petty's 1969 Ford Torino Talladega, a few of Rusty Wallace's machines, Bill Elliott's 1982 Thunderbird, and a whole lot more.  The museum is about a mile west of I-77, Exit 36.  If you're in Charlotte, stop on in.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another.  I bid you Peace.

     

  • You can’t rush perfection

    Working on corporate jets is challenging in many ways.  An airplane on the ground does an operator no good, as it costs the owner money.  The airplane doesn't like sitting, either–when an airplane sits, stuff breaks due to lack of use.  But the biggest challenge is making the delivery date after a large maintenance event or modification.  You can only estimate things like that, for the most part.  Experience tells you how long that inspection should take if all goes well, and that same experience tells you how much additional time you need to add when a discrepancy comes to light.  When everything is being done in-house, it can be relatively easy.  But when you deal with outside vendors (Non-Destructive testing technicians, engine shops, interior shops, paint shops, etc.), you are sometimes left to their mercy–you can only tell them what your time line is, but you can't make their schedule for them, too.

    We're in the middle of a fairly large inspection at work, one that involves taking the airplane down to component parts, replacing worn and time-limited parts, inspecting and having the lot X-Rayed, etc.  We have a small crew, and only three of us have extensive experience on the make and model of airplane–the other full-time guy we have has very little experience on this type, and the three contractors we used had little to none as well.  So, the heavy lifting is being put on the shoulders of three people, and all in all, the entire crew is doing a fine job.  However, we have those outside forces at play–both engines needed heavy maintenance which required their removal, and the interior is likewise away getting refurbished.  Well, we're at that point where we need to get everything back in the same building and back on the airplane.  There's still plenty to do, yet some things are not going to get done until we get the other components.  Think of it this way–you've disassembled a puzzle that someone else put together, and then you have to put it all back together again–four weeks later.  You have to remember not only what you had for breakfast yesterday, but you have to know where that odd-shaped panel that only has a label reading "R/H LAV" on it actually fits.  Fun, yes?

    When a job gets this close to the end, the customers get antsy.  You can only tell them what's going on and hope they understand.  For instance, once we get this airplane back together, we have several days worth of functional tests and ground checks to do in order to make sure everything is working as it should be.  Then we have several known issues we need to troubleshoot and repair yet.  And, when you take an airplane apart this much, invariably other issues get introduced that need to be addressed, too.  Add to it that this particular inspection on this type of airplane requires not only a post-inspection test flight, but said flight must be done by a factory test pilot.  So, there's another scheduling kink to factor in–after all, you don't want to pay any contractor–let alone a factory pilot–to stand around and wait.  If you tell him the airplane will be ready on a given day, it had better be ready.  In the best scenario, the flight will go well and the airplane will be ready for final spiffing–clean the interior, touch up the paint, clean the airplane, and call the customer.  But sometimes small things are discovered during the flight–and they too will have to be addressed before we can put our stamp of approval on the airplane and send it out the door.

    The old saying, "We will sell no wine before its time" comes to mind at this point.  As much as we would love for the customer to come by, pay the bill, and fly away tomorrow, the fact remains that we will not release the airplane until we are satisfied that it is ready to be flown and delivered.  It will be ready when it is ready, all we can do is offer an estimated completion date.  I would hope the customer understands…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and, as always, I bid you Peace.

  • A few of my former charges

    Today, we'll look at a few airplanes I knew rather well.  The first is a Douglas C-118A (DC-6A), Constructor's Number 44625, Constructor's Serial Number 560, USAF S/N 53-3254, N614CA.  The company I worked for at the time acquired the aircraft to replace another C-118A we owned that was being withdrawn from use due to corrosion issues (coincidentally, the airplane she replaced was C/N 44624). 

      N614ca-fll90-1a

    There's nothing like the sound of four Pratt and Whitney R-2800's at full song. Four Charlie Alpha makes a low pass.
    N614ca-fll90-2a

    Alas, both the airplane and the FBO are now gone–Associated Air Center closed and was razed sometime around 1991–it is now where the "Green Belt" is on the south side of KFLL.

    Both of the above photos were taken at the Ft. Lauderdale Airshow in 1990, one of the few times Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has hosted such an event.  The pilot was chastised by the Air Boss that day–the pilot was told that he was never to fly a C-118 so low that the controller in the tower could get a clear view of the top of the airplane!

    This was a good airplane for us, she flew a lot of hours and performed as you would expect a Douglas product to perform.  I have approximately 10 hours of Flight Engineer training time in my long-lost logbook, and I believe that eight of those hours were in Four Charlie Alpha.

    Four Charlie Alpha met her demise in the mid-1990's.  She was down for a 'C' or 'D' check when one of the mechanics put his hand through one of the inspection holes in the wing and pulled out a handful of corrosion that was the wing spar cap.  I left the company at about that time, but this photo shows the airplane in a partial American Airlines "Thunderbolt" scheme with the outer wing panels and tail removed.  A sad end to a good ship…

    The next airplane was one of my favorites to work on, simply because she never broke–and when she did, the fixes were fast and easy.  Convair 440, Constructor's Number 391, N4826C, began life with Delta Airlines and ended it with Dodita Air Cargo.  During the time I worked on her, she was flying for Florida Air Transport, and had spent most of her post-Delta life with the company.  At the time, the company had a contract with Dow Jones to deliver "The Wall Street Journal" to several locations in the country.  At one time, the company owned a bunch of ex-DL Convair-liners based in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Riverside, and Ft. Lauderdale (by the time I got there, there were two airplanes in Riverside, two in OK City, and two in Ft. Lauderdale).  

    N4826-fll90-1a

    Not the greatest photo, I know, but it was taken sometime around 1989…

    N4826-fll90-2a
    A few things to note–look carefully at the nose of Two-Six Charlie, and you can see the ghost of the "Dow Jones and Company" logo.  Also, the C-118A (C/N 44597, S/N 501, AF 53-3226, N766WC) in the foreground has an interesting story that I might tell you some day…

      N4826-fll90-3a

    Two-Six Charlie at the 1990 KFLL Airshow

    N4826-fll90-4a

    Again, not the greatest quality, but in the background you can see another long-time resident of the south side's Corrosion Corner, Lockheed SP-2E (P2V-5) Neptune, BuNo 131410 N88487, one of the few Neptunes to escape the scrapper's torch.  I would eventually work on this airplane, too…

    The company sold Two-Six Charlie (along with another of our Convair-liners, N912AL) to Dodita right about the time I left the company in 1995.  Two-Six Charlie met her demise in 2004.  An engine caught fire and the crew ditched her 38 miles south of Beef Island in the British Virgin Islands.  The co-pilot escaped and was rescued, but the captain died when the airplane sank in some 1,000 feet of water.  She had 45,750 hours on the airframe when she went down.  Another good ship, I'm sorry to see that she took someone with her at the end.

    As I dig up more photos from my archives, I'll post them.  I hope you enjoyed them.

    Be good to one another.  I bid you Peace.

  • Spring is here…

    Back when I was a kid living in Florida, the arrival of spring went largely unnoticed.  Face it, when winter temperatures rarely duck below 40 degrees, there isn't that much difference between seasons.  You knew it was Spring when you woke up at 6AM to temperatures in the mid-80's (and humidity to match).  And sure, we lived in Ft. Lauderdale, so there was that big college crowd.  But as a kid, what did I know from Spring Break?  All we knew was that the beach was crowded with a bunch of semi-conscious and half drunk college kids, and a new batch arrived every week, and that went on for about a month and a half.

    Then I went to college in Daytona Beach. 

    Now, Embry-Riddle didn't do a Spring Break as such when I attended, but those of us who were wise would find a way to have our own version of Spring Break.  One year, I had my schedule planned out so that I was done with classes by 2PM every day.  That year saw an amazing stretch of clear, sunny days (from mid-January to nearly April), so that meant I was at the beach no later than 3PM every day…it didn't always work out that way every year, and after a while it got old, but it was fun while it lasted…

    Back in those days, Daytona Beach was a sleepy little Central Florida town most of the year.  Mid-January brought the race fans for the sports car race, the stock car races, and the motorcycle races.  The motorcycle races coincided with Bike Week, one of the largest East Coast gatherings of bikers.  As soon as Bike Week ended (usually early February), the college students began arriving, a new batch every Sunday, until late March or early April.  Towards the end of the college students' run of the town, families started arriving for their own Spring Break.  The town started to go back to normal until late May, when the summer crowd moved in.  And, in late August, the sidewalks were rolled up, the banners welcoming this week's tourist groups came down, and the town went back to sleep for the winter…

    I recall my first Spring Break in Daytona Beach.  My roommates in college at the time were from Panama and the Dominican Republic, and they wanted to see what it was all about.  So off to the beach we headed.  1983 was probably the start of the real big Spring Break festivities in Daytona, and you could tell.  It was a combination circus/party/trade show.  Want to test-drive a brand-new Dodge Shelby Daytona?  There you go–sign up and do it.  Free samples of the latest alcoholic beverage?  Are you 18?  Okay, then, here you go.  Tobacco?  Same deal–you had to be over 18, and they'd give you free samples.  Posters were everywhere, as was a whole bunch of other SWAG (as in Stuff We All Get)–painter's caps emblazoned with the logo of a local bar, sun visors, mugs, hats, you name it.  MTV was there, alerting everyone to their existence–they launched barely a year and a half earlier.  The movie production companies were there, too, advertising the next year's releases–that was  about the time that the movie "Spring Break" was opening in theaters (25 March 1983–the movie was shot on Ft. Lauderdale, and if you look, you'll see "Cobra Wrestling" t-shirts being waved in one of the bar scenes).  Yes, I did manage to get one of the movie posters…don't know what happened to it.

    There were the free concerts, too–Daytona Beach has a bandshell and numerous pool decks, an they got put to good use.  Some of the acts I got to see?  A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, The Fixx, Starship, Cheap Trick, Southside Johnny, Four-In-Legion, and Vixen.  (In addition, Embry-Riddle hosted free concerts featuring the likes of Missing Persons and Foghat).  Chances are, if they were popular, you could catch them in concert during Spring Break for free.

    Every year, Spring Break would bring something different.  In the mid-80's, the City Fathers in Ft. Lauderdale began to pass laws that, while not outright bans on Spring Break festivities, put a huge damper on the things that were going to be permitted–this after residents got fed up with the damage done by 'Breakers.  Of course, the city forgot that those two months or so of less-than-societal behaviour put a lot of money into the city's bank account.  Oh, well–their loss was Daytona Beach's gain. 

    In 1986, MTV began live broadcasts from Daytona Beach.  With MTV, Spring Break in Daytona Beach became a big deal.  As the years passed, more people came to town, things got rowdier, and similar to events in Ft. Lauderdale, students died when too much liquor met up with 12th floor balconies overlooking pools.  You know that Redneck joke, "Hey, hold my beer and watch this?"  It was happening more and more frequently.  As the popularity grew, the events drew more traffic, and some partiers died in traffic accidents.  By the mid-1990's, Daytona Beach followed Ft. Lauderdale's lead and passed city ordinances that pretty much put the kibosh on Spring Break.  No matter–new venues like Panama City Beach and South Padre Island, Texas were all too happy to take in the yearly masses of revellers.

    These days, Spring Break is still alive and well.  'Breakers are returning to Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona Beach, although not in the same numbers.  Most students, attracted by low "all-in-one" pricing, low airfares, and liberal drinking laws, are heading to the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Mexican beaches to do their partying.

    But I can say, "I was there when…"

    Oh, and an interesting footnote–for as rowdy as they are portrayed in films and TV, the bikers were actually more polite, more courteous, and friendlier than 99% of the Breakers.  They left the place cleaner, they weren't drunk in public (well, not that often), and they actually exercised self-control.  I guess that's one reason the city welcomes the bikers year after year.

    If you are heading out for Spring Break, enjoy yourself, but be smart.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

  • Modeling Regression (Or How I Cured AMS)

    Do you ever look back on things you did as a kid?  Do you ever wish you could have a "Do Over"? 

    The other day, my wife was surfing eBay, looking at older model kits.  I glanced over at the the screen and immediately recognized a snapshot of a box.  The more she looked, the more kits I saw that sent me in the Wayback Machine to the mid-1970's.  A while later, I went over to the Old Plastic Model Kits website and did some surfing of my own.  Those images kept me in the '70s for a while longer…

    The first thing I checked out was the MPC Profile Series kits.  MPC marketed the Airfix line of 1/72 scale kits in the States back in the day, and they came up with the idea of tying the kits to the contemporary monograph series of the same name.  The kits differed from the standard Airfix/MPC fare by offering several decal options with each kit.  The box top was plain white with color profiles of the aircraft featured on the decal sheet.  When I used to go to Lionel Playworld, I would see these kits all over–there must have been a full aisle dedicated to them.  They were a little rich for my blood, and by the time I appreciated them for what they were, I was firmly established as a 1/48 scale man.  Shame, too–some of those kits still hold up today.

    Staying with MPC for a while, does anyone remember the "Pirates of the Caribbean" tie-in with the Walt Disney attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World?  MPC did a series of seven "Pirates" kits as well as a series of four kits tied to "The Haunted Mansion".  I built one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" kits as a kid–I though that "Zap/Action!" feature was pretty neat…

    I was also good for a good number of the MPC car kits, AMT big rig kits (like the Kenworth W-925 Conventional from the TV series "Movin' On"), and a few Revell and Lindberg ships.  I recall building Revell's 1/426 scale USS Arizona a few times (and their 1/720 kit of the same ship once or twice, too), and Lindberg's 1/525 Essex-Class aircraft carrier, I believe in the USS Ticonderoga boxing.

    If you want to walk further into your youth, drive your browser over to Schiffer Publications and get copies of Remembering Revell Model Kits, Monogram Models, and Aurora Model Kits, all by Thomas Graham.  If those books don't stir up memories, nothing will.

    What is the purpose of this nostalgic walk in the park?  Just that–a refreshing trip down memory lane.  One of the comments I made to my wife–I think it was about an Aurora kit of the Piper Aztec C–was that back then, none of us (the kids on the block) really cared if the model was in some wierd off-scale.  None of us really cared if it was accurate.  All we knew is that it was kind of neat.  And we built them in the space of an afternoon, painted them, slapped the decals ("stickers" in those days) on, and if the model survived a week, we must not have been feeling well.  We played with them.  Only later did I become attuned to the research and historical aspects of modeling.  Those silly looking crosses, stars, bands, and circles actually meant something.  The colors the instruction sheet called out were done so in order for you to build a model of some famous pilot's airplane, or driver's race car.

    As I got older, the research aspect of a model became appealing.  I still like to do as much research as i can on any given subject before I build a model.  But I'm happy to say that I haven't fallen into the trap of being so wrapped up in minutiae that I don't build at all.  If I ever do, I have a sure-fire cure.  Read on… 

    If you happen to be one of those modelers who haven't touched a kit in months because you "can't find the reference on the color of the button fourth down from the right on the back-seater's left console", and are recognizing it for what it is (the dreaded Advanced Modeler's Syndrome, or AMS), here's a way to break the cycle–go to the local hobby shop (or even dig deep in your stash) and find one of those kits from your youth.  Build it.  Sure, you might be tempted to "bring it up to code", but don't.  Just build it.  Yes, you can fill seams, and airbrush the final color scheme.  Just don't get too wrapped around the axle about little things.

    I am thankful that Round Two Models has brought back the MPC, Polar Lights, and AMT kits (including the TV tie-ins); and J. Lloyd International has resurrected the Hawk Models line and revived the Lindberg line.  Moebius Models, too, has kept up with the Sci-Fi TV tie-ins from the '60s and '70s.  For as much as I enjoy building a good representation of an F-16 or Essex-Class aircraft carrier, I equally enjoy busting out the likes of a USNS Seaview from time to time, too…

    Whatever destination you seek, enjoy the journey.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

     

  • Finding time

    Lately, I've been waging a battle every day to eke out some time to do things that I haven't had a chance to for a while.  Work has been hectic of late, with several weeks of 7-day, 12 hours per non-stop action.  When I do get a "regular" week, by the time I get home I'm usually cooked–I'll grab a quick bite, check the e-mails, watch a show on TV, and whip up a quick blog post.  By that time, I'm about out.  But, in this economic climate–in any economic climate, for that matter–having a job is a good thing, and if it means that I have to go for a few months at full tilt, well, so be it. 

    I had time last year, but the circumstances were not ideal–I was working part-time after being laid off at my full time job the previous year.  The work was definitely less stressful–going from the rush-rush of corporate aviation to working a hobby shop did me some good, as I had time to decompress a bit–but even so, I was working six days a week, 10, sometimes 12 hours a day.  Prior to finding the hobby shop gig, I had all sorts of time on my hands–not working at all will do that–and I got a jump on several projects before I got hooked up with the hobby shop.  But hobby shop pay only goes so far, and soon enough I found myself back chasing sparks on corporate jets…

    So, what kind of things do I want to do?  Well, there's this list we have here at the house that needs to get pared down.  We're slowly working on it, but there's a lot left to do, including the construction of some bookshelves–which requires the purchase of some tooling first, buying a few items for the house (a chainsaw and gutters, for starters), re-landscaping the yard, and a few other things. 

    There is also some stuff we'd like to get so we can pursue some of our other hobbies, like building a reloading bench for our collection of World War Two battle rifles.  Sure, .30-06 is available commercially, but I wouldn't put modern loads through anything we have.  And then what do you do when you need .303 British?  Pay out the nose or roll yer own.  Same goes for 5.56 NATO.  Part of that list also included the technology upgrade we made a month or so ago when we took the advice of Margaret Easley and Kimberley Joseph and went to satellite Interwebs service.  So far, so good on that front…

    Then there's my model stuff–I have, by my count, six or seven projects going, and they all need to get done before I'm starting anything else.  There's a 1/48 scale Macchi C.200 that was sent to me for review back in 2005 (and I did get the in-box review done, but the full build has dragged on for various reasons) and is nearly ready for paint–has been since maybe last July; a 1/700 scale USS Cowpens (CVL-25) that I'm converting from Dragon's kit–and now they come out with the same ships in 1/350, sometimes there is no justice!; a 1/48 scale A-10A in the "Cool Snow Hog '82" winter camouflage scheme; a 1/35 StuG IV that is a group build for our AMPS Chapter and one which I'm still playing around with various methods to do scale zimmerit; a 1/72 scale Ki-100 that needs paint–a friend of mine did the hard part, he put the model together and all I need to do is finish it (but I'll need to find a tailwheel first–D'oh!); and a pair of 1/144 scale AAVP's that will eventually wind up in the cargo hold of a C-17A that is on the "when all else is done, start this" list.

    Then there are the long-term residents of the "to finish" pile:  a Monogram F-106A kit that has been under construction–and destruction–and rebuilding since at least 1996;  120mm resin figure of a U-2/SR-71/Space Shuttle pilot that has been in work nearly as long as the F-106; another 120mm resin figure of Neil Armstrong on the Moon; a 1/144 scale Minicraft Boeing 757-200 destined to wear Ethiopian Airlines' classic livery; and a 1/144 scale Minicraft Boeing 707-320 that wants to be a Braniff "Jelly Bean".  If I was into practice bleeding, I could continue on with my scratchbuilt 1/48 scale Pilatus Turbo Porter–but with Roden's kits available, why?  

    And finally, there are things I've said I want to do with this blog–scan my collection of various and sundry photographs, update more frequently, etc.

    All I need is a 32 hour day.  And an eight and a half day week…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace. 

  • Modeling Events

    Over the years, I've changed my take on modeling events.  At one time, I would attend every event I could, while these days I'll go to most of the events within a few hours' drive, but I don't feverishly plan my vacation time around the model calendar.  There are a few reasons behind that–first, I'm in an area where you have to travel further to go to most of the events, which tend to be one-day affairs rather than the weekend events I'm accustomed to; where I used to be very active with the local IPMS Chapter (I held office for nearly 8 years, 7 as Chapter President), I've just now started attending Chapter meetings here in South Carolina after a 10-year absence from the club scene; and, finally, my impression of what the events should be has changed.

    When I say "Modeling event", what comes to mind for you?  A contest?  Exhibition?  Both?  Neither?  Let's take a look at them and then you can decide.

    First, let's look at contests.  By definition, a contest is a competition between two or more individuals or teams for a prize or recognition.  That's Wikipedia's definition, by the way, but I'm sure Mr. Webster's is pretty much the same.  In any case, a model competition is where modelers bring their completed models, submit them for some sort of judging, and awards of some sort are given to the "best" models in attendance.  While I have no problem with this in theory, far too often I see bent feelings and heartache when someone toils for months to build a "Contest Winner" only to see it fall by the wayside.  I also don't see eye-to-eye with some of the organizations and the way they judge the models.  To understand, let's take a look at some of the various judging schemes in use…

    1.  People's Choice.  The easiest one to understand, everyone who attends the event–whether they are there as an entrant or just to look around–is given a ballot.  They are told to write down their favorite model (or models), and the model or models that get the highest number of votes wins.  The selection criteria is strictly by what the attendees like that day–usually the biggest, or most colorful model on the tables wins.  This is fine if all you want to do is have a winner in some way, shape, or form, but it generally comes down to a popularity contest.  Nothin' wrong with that, if that's what you want…

    2.  Tiered, aka "The IPMS/USA system", aka 1-2-3.  The models are divided into classes and categories, ie., Aircraft, 1/48-1/71 scale, Single Engine, Axis.  All models that fit this category are judged against a basic set of rules and against each other.  In short, the model with the fewest number of flaws (as defined by the judging guide) wins that category.  The winners from each category within a class are then judged in the same manner to arrive with a Class winner, then all of the class winners are again judged to arrive with a Best Of Show.  Each category usually sees a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes an Honorable Mention award.  Probably the best system to use with a large number of models–you can winnow the contenders down fairly quickly–the major issue I have with this system is that it offers little in the way of feedback to the modeler since, by the time he knows the results, the judges are long gone, or can't remember why his model placed where it did.  That being said, IPMS/USA has the system tweaked to where it runs like a well-oiled machine, especially at the National Convention level.

    3.  Open Judging, aka "The Chicago System", aka Gold-Silver-Bronze, aka "The AMPS system".  Under this scheme, each model is judged to a written standard–so many points for construction, so many points for finish, etc., etc.  Each model is judged to the same standard, and each model usually gets a written score sheet.  The scores get tallied up for each model, and the medals are awarded.  There is usually a minimum score required to medal–say something like 70-80 points earns a bronze medal, 81-90 gets a Silver, and 91-100 gets a Gold.  There are no limits as to how many of each medal are awarded.  I like this system simply because the judges tell you, via the score sheet, where you did well and where you need to improve your skills.  There has been much debate whether this system would work for a show that sees close to 1,000 entries…

    4.  Hybrids.  Some shows do the tiered judging as well as a People's Choice, and several organizations have used a modified Open system that combines the best of the Open and tiered  criteria.

    Is there a "right" judging system?  Well, sure.  Each and every one I've outlined are "right" for the organizations that use them.  Dead horses have been beaten unmercifully over judging systems and the benefits/drawbacks of same…

    Anyway, I used to compete, and I've won a few awards, but that's not why I entered.  I enter contests to support the group who spent lots of time and money to host the event.  I go with the idea that I'm showing off what I've built and if they happen to win a plaque, medal, or other trinket because someone else liked them, that's fine.  If they don't win anything, that's fine, too.

    Which brings me to the topic of exhibitions.  I'd be perfectly fine with a model exhibition, where you came, put the models on a table for people to look at for the day, then pack up and go home.  No judging, no bent feelings, none of that.  Problem is, most modelers–at keast those in the United States–won't do that.  If they don't stand a chance of winning something, they won't bother.  I don't understand that line of thought, because I've never been able to figure out what an award adds to the model.  I know when I've built a good model, and when I've built a clunker–I don't need a judge or a score sheet that tells me so.  I understand the line of thought that says you need to know where you stand as a modeler, but there is a group of modelers who sees competition as the end-all, be-all goal of modeling and get quite upset when the results don't fall in their favor.  That, more than anything, is why I tend to stay away from competition these days.  I've seen grown men throw tantrums when none of their 60+ entries didn't even place.  I've seen heated discussions degrade to where the "insulted party" nearly resorted to throwing punches.  Is it worth all that, really?  I guess if that's what you're all about, but I have enough drama in my day-to-day life without injecting more–especially over little plastic airplanes, tanks, cars, and ships.

    Famous quips that relate–From the movie Caddyshack:  

    Judge Smails: Ty, what did you shoot today?
    Ty Webb: Oh, Judge, I don't keep score.
    Smails: Then how do you measure yourself with other golfers?
    Ty: By height.

    And, from celebrated modeler Sheperd Paine: "If you want to compete, take up tennis.  This type of thing is just not something you need to compete with.  It's about having fun."

    I've told folks that I've retired from competition, which is largely true.  The main reason?  You might be surprised, as it has little to do with what I've outlined–I have such a full plate that my completion rate is way down from what it used to be when I would go to every contest I could.  So, why do I attend these events?  The same reasons I started attending them in the first place–I like to look at the craftsmanship on display.  I like to talk to friends–or make new ones.  I like to learn from other modelers.  And, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like wandering the vendor tables looking for stuff I "need"…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another.  I bid you Peace.

     

  • So, you want to open a hobby shop…

    I see it every now and then on the forums–"Since there are no hobby shops/no good hobby shops/no hobby shops that carry what I want in my area, I'm thinking of opening one myself."  To which I say, "Congratulations and good luck.  I hope you make a year."

    There's a saying among small business owners–"If you want to make a small fortune doing this, start with a large fortune."  And that's not too far from the truth, at least when a small business first starts up.  Many people forget that in addition to renting a space, paying the electric and water companies, and getting the Business license, you have to outlay more cash for store fixtures, display cases, cash registers/computerized POS systems, alarms, phones, waste disposal, high-speed Internet services, and that's all before you've spent one cent on product.  You'll have to pass several inspections–one for the local Fire Marshall, and usually one by the Insurance company.  Next comes the issue of finding people to work for you who have knowledge of your product.  This is especially important in the case of a technical product like RC cars, trucks, airplanes, and helicopters–of the people who buy these products, only a fraction can or will effect repairs themselves, everyone else brings them to the shop and pays you to fix them.  Time is money, as the saying goes, and the quicker you can cycle repairs through the store, the more repairs you can do in a day, the more money you can make.  A conservative estimate to open a small business these days is in the neighborhood of $500K–if you want to do it right.  You can do it on a shoestring, but your chances of success decline drastically.

    Now, I have never owned or started a small business–my experience comes from years working in the retail hobby industry as a worker bee/manager.  Here's a few things I'd do long before I made plans on what yacht to buy from the proceeds of my hobby shop (or other small, niche business):

    Location, location, location.  If you've lived in an area for any length of time, you know where the people shop–and if you do your research correctly, you should know where the kind of people you're looking to attract shop.  Once you've figured that out, start looking for stores for rent.  While you're doing so, make a mental note of how easy it is to get into and out of the store's parking lot.  Is the store in question tucked away in the back of the center?  If so, is the center equipped with clear signage directing traffic?  I've fielded many a phone call asking "Where are you?" because one of the shops I worked at was tucked behind a large restaurant among a few smaller shops. 

    Speaking of restaurants, don't assume that the dinner crowd draw will net you big money.  Sure, you'll get some business, but when dinner hour comes, people are window shopping while they wait for a table to open up or walking off that meal they just ate.  I've had customers break off a conversation in mid-word when that "Your Table is Ready" beeper went off.  Seriously.

    Are there similar stores in the area?  Unless you are 100% certain that you can outsell the established competition (not bloody likely), opening a store that's a block down the road from a similar store is financial suicide.  If you want to go ahead anyway and spend the money, write me a check for $500K you'll spend to start up your shop.  Either way, you'll be out the money, but by just giving it to me it will save you the stress, frustration, and anguish that you will be sure to suffer through that first year.

    So, you've found a location.  Good.  Now, think about what you want to stock.  A good hobby shop would normally stock plastic models, radio control, and model railroading, plus the tools and finishing supplies (read as paint, glue, coverings–all the stuff a hobbyist needs in addition to their kits/models/train sets).  Are there Boy Scouts or Awana and other Youth groups in the area?  You might want to find out when they hold their Pinewood Derbies and Raingutter Regattas, and stock the products they'll need.  Model rockets and kites are good bets, too.  Remember, though, for each product line, there are incidentals you'll need.  Take model rockets–you'll need to stock the starter sets, kits, launch pads and controllers, additional engines, wadding, igniters, plus the glues and paints one would need to complete the kits.  Remember also that the rocket engines qualify as Hazardous Materials when it comes to getting them shipped in.  Sometimes, the igniters and paints also qualify as HAZMAT, so be prepared for a higher than normal shipping charge.  Same goes for RC fuel, by the way–since the stuff is basically nitromethane fuel, the cheapest freight is by truck.  That will affect the when and why you order those items, too.

    In addition to the broad categories, you have to think about the items within those lines.  If there are no RC flying fields in the area, you can do one of two things–talk to the local RC pilots and see if you can assist in starting one, or carry a basic assortment of RC air products.  If the local plastic modelers all build cars with only a few airplanes, why stock up on all the 1/350 scale ship kits you can get?  Ask around, find out what the locals–the people you've decided you want as customers–are looking for.

    Oh, and let's not forget books and magazines.  Or maybe a smattering of toys if there isn't a good local toy shop.  Educational products–chemistry sets, microscopes, metal detectors?  Why not–you'd be surprised at the number of parents who choose to home-school their kids these days.  Then again, don't go overboard–getting a total restock of educational products in May might not be the best idea–wait until July, when the regular school year is about to begin.  Same goes for other products–why do a total restock on kites and rockets during the traditional rainy seasons?  Wait until just before the Spring and again in late summer…

    And finally, let's talk about the intangibles.  What do you mean?  Well, here are a few:

    1.  Discounts.  Will you offer discounts to loyal customers?  To local clubs?  To national organization members?  If so, how much?  If not, will you adopt some sort of perks plan, i.e., spend $100 and we'll give you $5 off your next purchase of $25 or over?  What about discounts to fellow merchants working in the same shopping center?  Military discounts?  It has been said that giving a discount is like taking that money right out of your pocket and giving it away.  Sure, that's one way to look at it.  But the other way to look at it is that if you don't give your loyal customers a discount, the other guys will.  And you'll lose that battle. 

    2.  Community service.  If the local Boy Scout Troop wants to hold a class for their Model Rocketry merit badge, can you help them by supplying kits and manpower?  Will you work with the local schools?  Are you willing to work with the local RC clubs to host a Fly-In or Race night?  Will you sponsor an awards package for the local plastic modeler's clubs?  Again, it might seem like you're pissing away money–but you are also building goodwill among the local groups, goodwill that should bring their smiling faces into you store more often.

    3.  The intangible intangibles.  Are you going to be one of those shop owners who is only interested in a customer if said customer buys something?  Or will you welcome people in whether they spend money or not.  That half hour you spend taking RC trucks with that couple might not yield a sale right then and there, but if you treat them right and know what you're talking about, you stand a good chance of making a sale in the future–and it might be in the not-too-distant future.  I've done it–I spent a half hour on the phone and another hour in person with a potential buyer of one of the more popular entry-level nitro RC buggies.  I went through the pros and cons, not only of that buggy compared to another brand, but also the pros and cons of nitro over electric.  Two days later, I spent another hour with him.  And, that Friday, he bought an electric RC truck that was one step down from top-of-the-line, far more than he was originally going to spend.  I could have spread the bullshit–"Sure, buddy, the buggy you want is the absolute best at what it says it will do, and you need to buy it today since they're in short supply."  I may have even sold him on that first day.  But sooner or later, he would have been back, an unhappy camper.  See, hobbyists talk to one another, and sooner or later this guy would have found out that he bought what was an above average starter buggy but not one that would do what he wanted to, and that met his level of experience and desire. 

    I've had another experience where I sold the customer exactly what he asked for–had to special order it–after giving the customer the full disclosure spiel about how we didn't;t normally stock and sell that particular brand, and therefore stocked none of the spare parts for it, since that brand had a reputation in the industry of being rather difficult to maintain.  Sure, it costs less than the brand we recommend, but if you can't gte parts in a timely fashion from the manufacturer, what good is it?  Nope, I want that one, says Mr. Customer.  After it broke on the first run, he called about parts.  "We'll have to order them, as I told you when you bought it."  How long will it take?  Well, try two weeks.  I don't believe he's been in the store since…

    That being said, remember too that some customers are never happy, no matter what.  Guess what?  That's part of doing business, too.  You just have to make sure that those who spread the good work outnumber those who badmouth you.  Also remember it takes one "Awwww, shit!" to erase twenty atta boys…and it will take another hundred atta boys to erase that one "Awwww, shit!".

    Will you mind if the locals use your store as a hangout?  You know, stop by, look at what's new, shoot the shit with you and their buddies?  If so, will you offer a coffee pot or sodas, either gratis or for a small contribution?  That goes a long way towards that all important goodwill.  If they ask and you have space, will you allow clubs to hols their meetings in the store without pulling some bullshit "I'll let you meet here but you have to buy all of your hobby stuff from me" attitude?

    Finally, here's my idea of what I'd do if I owned a shop.  First, I would open a true full line hobby shop, one that caters to the RC crowd–both air and surface, the model railroaders, the plastic modelers, and perhaps the gamers.  I'd let the locals know that I appreciated their business, and that I'm willing to work with them to get in the products they want.  Some of it might have to be on a special order basis–some of the pricier stuff where I think I'm likely to ever sell exactly one of something–and that is to the guy or gal asking me to get that product in the store.  Otherwise, my feeling is that I can sell one of anything.  I'd offer as comprehensive a selection of finishing materials as I was able.  I'd offer a "Good Customer" discount that would cover the clubs as well as those folks who came in frequently buy didn't do the club scene.  I'd support all the local hobby organizations, school, and youth groups, in the area as I was able.  There would be a small classroom where the staff could offer demonstrations and classes on the products we sold.  I'd hire the best people I could, and train them that attitude is what brings customers in, but knowledge and ability is what keeps them coming in.  Of course, the coffee pot would always be full and I'd do my best to offer sodas as close to free as I could.  I'd welcome people to come in, stay a while, and chat.  I'd try to cater to the locals the best I could as well as try to get the new products in as soon as they became available.  I'd have Customer Appreciation events from time to time.  Price matching?  That's kind of tough to do, but I'd stay competitive.

    And I'd be broke and out of business in a year.  Which is why I don't own a small business.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.