“HI, my name is Karl Dunn. I’ve been flying rc aircraft now for over 15 years. When i was little my dad always took us to Travis AFB to watch the air show every year since they started having them (1960s). Travis was a S.A.C base back then, and i fell in love with fighter jets. I loved the sound of all that power from those Pratt and Whitney motors, and i always put myself in the cockpit with the pilot and would dream its me up there. I’m 56 to this day, and i still put myself in the cockpit. I started working at Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) in 1983 as a pipefitter/brazer, then move up to hydro testing piping systems. In 1986 my leg fell through a raised foundation on new construction onboard the USN 663 submarine and gave me major damage to my back, right knee, both wrist when trying to stop my fall, and neck. I also have severe nerve damage. I now no longer work because of the day to day pain i go through. I became very depressed. All i could do most of the time was sit and watch my life go by. Then my wife being worried, was out one day, and saw a hobby shop and went in. When she got home she told me she had a surprized for me. Noing i love planes, she bought my first rc plane. A high wing trainer. After i built it i knew where a rc club was in my town and joined. Then i had a rude awakening. They dont favor african american people at all. Nick was my trainer and a very nice guy. Said he would talk to people during the next club meeting to be more excepting of new members no matter the race. It was nice of him it worked to a certain point. Some treated me just fine, others just wouldnt say anything to me, not even good morning. I told Nick about my accident at the shipyard and all the problems i was haveing, and him and a few other club members helped me out greatly. They would carry my plane to the starting pit and help me get my plane going. When i was ready to fly he always said, if your back starts giving out on you just call out for help. These few guys the 5 years i was with the club were outstanding and i could call my friends. Nick had told me most of the clubs in the area were very prejudise, he had belong to some of them, but him being Italian he said he could not take it anymore himself because of how bad they talked about black folks, that it had actually made him look at himself he said, that says alot. I had met a guy brian who was in the air force on the C5-Galaxy. He was a navigator, and said to me it was the same way in florida where hes from at their flying fields. Moving forward today i thank God for the quadcopter, as i dont need to be apart of any club membership or place that does not accept me because of my race. I can fly almost anywhere i what. This whole rc thing for me has been theraputic considering all that ive been through and still am going through. It gave me reason not to give up. I fly fpv, so now im that fighter pilot at the travis afb air show. Fpv gives me a since of freedom. It soothes my mind and soul. Its calming. I love remote control aircraft, and cringe at the thought of not being able to fly anymore because of these new regulations. I understand there are those that do not fly responsible, but they are few in numbers. In every thing there is always going to be those who dont follow the rules, laws, or regulation. Thats a giving. The majority i believe do fly responsible. As for the possibility of harming maned aircraft, i just do not see it a problem. Here in Northern California just in the past few months, small aircraft have crash in populated areas, and in some cases there was death no one says anything about that. I find that just odd. The size of those planes vs a quadcopter/drone if it crashed in a populated area people would go nuts because of what the media has done by putting fear in peoples mind. To sum up, I love this hobby, this sport and i hope and pray that it will last for many years without change. Its my life. Its a part of me. Please dont take that away from me. Thank you very kindly for listening too my story.”