Age not a factor among radio-controlled vehicle enthusiasts
For a few in the area, a passion for radio-controlled aircraft and vehicles has turned into a livelihood.
One man owns a Bryan hobby shop, has his own line of products and has won national radio-controlled (RC) helicopter championships. Others build RC items and sell them to support their hobby, but most get into the pastime for fun, said Brazos Valley Radio Control Aircraft Club president Terry Hix.
Although most RC hobbyists don't get involved to make a living or compete at major races, they can spend thousands on one RC vehicle, plane or helicopter.
Curtis Youngblood opened Power RC Hobbies, 903 South Main St. in Bryan, about three years ago, store manager Robert "Rob" Sterling said. Power RC Hobbies sells radio-controlled helicopters, planes, cars and trucks that are ready to run or fly or kits to build them, and also parts. The store does repairs, too.
Youngblood has been flying and competing with radio-controlled helicopters since the early 1980s and has been world champion and 3D champion a number of times, according to his website, curtisyoungblood.com. He continues advancing his products and flying by competing in Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) competitions and 3D demonstrations around the world.
Youngblood created his own line of helicopters and helicopter parts, which are sold at hobby shops internationally. CJ Youngblood Enterprises started in 1993 with the original Muscle pipe muffler, according to his website, and it has grown to include many parts for the helicopter market.
Sterling said he was a customer at the store and had a love for the hobby before he began working there. Youngblood is often out, busy competing at major races, including the RC Helicopter Nationals in Muncie, Ind., from Aug. 7 to 11, Sterling said.
RC helicopters have always been popular in the area, Sterling said, but "the cars and trucks are making a comeback." That's because the shop is generating interest in the hobby by holding races for RC vehicles the first Saturday of each month at a race track at 2017 Fountain Ave. in Bryan, weather permitting, and sometimes more often at Sterling's discretion. He is also active with the Brazos Valley RC Club, and flies helicopters and planes with the shop's customers.
Customers can get a beginner-level RC airplane for around $100 or a beginner-level car for about $120, Sterling said. There are upgrades available for most units.
"You can spend as much as you want," he said.
Vehicles include rock crawlers that don't go fast, entry-level electric vehicles that travel 20 to 25 mph, two-wheel drive electric vehicles that go up to about 40 mph and level 3 electric vehicles that go over 60 mph. Nitro vehicles go around 45 mph, but have been clocked at 84 mph, Sterling said.
What customers should buy depends on their skill level: A 10-year-old, for example, wouldn't want to buy a car that goes 60 mph and is hard to control, but adults would want something fast enough that they wouldn't get bored quickly, he said.
Flying for fun
Hix, the Brazos Valley Radio Control Aircraft Club president, said he became interested in RC trucks after seeing others race them, then went to a now-closed hobby shop in Bryan to get more information. He began flying helicopters about a year later after meeting someone who flew RC aircraft.
He became involved with the Brazos Valley RC Club 18 years ago. Club members fly their planes and helicopters near Wixon Valley, about 4 miles east of Bryan. The 200- by 800-foot grass field is on F.M. 2776, less than a half mile off Texas 21. There is a helicopter pad on the side of the field.
Hix said he's seen the club grow over the past 10 years, as many retired men have gotten involved in the hobby.
"It just sparks a lot of interest with a lot of people," Hix said about the RC hobby.
The club normally meets the first Monday of every month at the field, and has a flight instruction program for new RC aircraft pilots. Five flight instructors, including Hix, are registered through the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), which provides insurance.
Those who wish to fly on the field must be AMA members unless they are using a buddy box with an AMA-certified instructor; two transmitters are linked together so that the instructor can take control of the aircraft at any time.
Hix suggested that new pilots get flight instructions. He said planes are more basic to fly, and helicopters are more complex.
"It's not something you can just go out and do," Hix said. "A lot of people think once you get up, it's easy, but it's a whole different ball game."
Some enthusiasts build aircraft and sell them to support their hobby, Hix said. He's is in the hobby mostly for fun, he said, although club members often bring him RC aircraft to fix, or if they buy something they want him to build, he will. A mechanic, Hix also sells aircraft he's built in his workshop in his backyard after getting tired of flying them, he said.
"Working with my hands got me started doing this ... I love building and watching that finished product," Hix said.
Hix said planes often cost about $250 to $300, but people can spend up to $20,000 on one, with upgrades such as bigger motors and more power. Helicopters are about the same price, he said.
The club flies at the field every weekend when the weather is nice, and often members are there during the week, he said. For more information, go out to the field, or visit the club's website, which also includes a list of upcoming local events.
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