How it all started I really do not remember. We had purchased our home in Stoddard and I had always had an interest in planes and flying. At this point in my life I had a real pilots license and had owned 1/10th of a share in a very nice Cessna 172. Having moved from Minneapolis to La Crosse, and then to Stoddard I had given up my ownership and rarely flew rental planes so I guess my attention turned to a little less expensive hobby, "the RC Models." You will notice many of the pictures depict a wintery scene. Living as we did with the Mississippi at our back door provided one of the most wide open "runways" anyone could hope for. We had a restored "chicken coop" which we called "the hanger" that had two rooms, both nicely heated with a small wood stove. The boys, Scott and Bill, had one room and I the other, and build planes we did. Sure, we crashed a few too! I think the boys would agree that it was one of the highlights of growing up to have spent so many hours in "the hanger". I know I will never forget it.