“I have been an active aero modeler for the last 50 years. As a child i was influenced into the excitement of flight by my GrandMom’s stories of watching Glenn Curtiss test his designs on the Hempstead Plains Long Island NY. I grew up in a heavy industrialized defense plant town which was the home of Grumman Aerospace, the makers of the LEM Lunar Landers for the Saturn V Apollo program and F14, A6, X29 aircraft. These technicians and engineers were our neighbors who were also aero modelers / hobbyists. My experience with model aircraft led me to learn to fly full scale (aka real airplanes) at 16 years old and The skills I developed over the years in this model aircraft hobby range from working with materials including, wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber composites, various structural foams. Various electronic technologies which led to my gaining employment hand soldering medical power supplies which allowed me to purchase my first automobile. In time, my interests expanded into CAD/CAM industrial drawing, NASTRAN programing for aerodynamic flow simulation which led to employment within Control Data Corp, at 19 years old, as a data center manager, supporting Raytheon / Textron simulations for defense and various DARPA funded programs. I taught aero modeling in various flying clubs with the most new pilot activity occurred after the first invasion of Iraq in the early 1990’s. The veterans we taught found the hobby of flying radio controlled model aircraft satisfying, allowing them a break from PTSD and providing them with a place and purposeful solace. Now, As I am an older and now disabled person, my skills over the years allow me to find my continued sense of purpose and peace with my family as we continue to enjoy FPV (first person view) flying on our multirotor aircraft, traditional helicopters and aerobatic airplanes. Robert Sprague AMA 36848”