“My love for flight began at 8 years old (now 46) when my dad let me fly his his Cox control line P51 mustang. This led to nitro RTF 40 airplanes which lead to building stick built planes with my brother. We both had AMA family plan… we flew at Lafayette TN airport. On the runway! With full permission. Always watchful of maned aircraft. This happen thru my college years. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering (love of building). I got a job as a photogrammetrist doing the two things I loved engineering and flying. This job lasted 9 years. During this time I ran the camera from the back seat of our. Twin engine Aztec plane. While doing this I became close friends with our pilot after he would call me up to the front right seat to “co-pilot”. This fueled the flame of flight for me even more. I then began to study for my private license. I was all but ready for the test and by had many hour bind the sticks of all 3 planes we had. I’ll never forget the call I received telling that Nathan our pilot had flown out to Colorado over the weekend to fly a kit built plan back to TN for the buyer. While on a test flight with the builder the plane lost its engine and tip stalled over the runway killing Nathan and the builder. This ended my pursuit of a private license, but my love for flight. I learned the safest way to fly was RC. Fast forward to 2016 I’m fly foam build micros in my side yard in the country until June when I sustained a traumatic brain injury. I lost a lot of thing some have never returned, but I lost the ability to fly line of site! To me it was over. The hobby I loved from a boy was gone. Then a friend from RC asked me to come by his house one day he had something to give me. When I got there hey had a OG babyhawk (the white one) it kinda made me mad. After all he new I could no longer fly. Then he said try on the goggles while I fly!!! Wow it was back!! No more loosing my way. FPV saved my hobby and much more. It saved my mind. I like many other have PTSD and I get away from it all and rise up above depression and anger. I fly fly quietly from my front porch all around the 293 acre farm that surrounds my home. Today I pastor a small church in KY. There I teach at risk teens and young adults STEM and RC flight. We build our own planes and quads and fly them on 8 acres the church owns also in the country. I’ve taught 12 young people to build and fly RC. One has got his private and another (my nephew) is in college in AL. for Aerospace engineering. Share this please there are many like me that FPV helped me through very dark and hard times. Watch my YouTube video on rising up with FPV. My channel is PhatPastor. Thank you and God bless.”