| Information:
Hi, I'm Tom Minger and I've been building and flying
models ever since the third grade. From free flight
to control line to R/C it has always been a passion.
I started flying R/C back in the days of 67 volt
dry cell batteries and vacuum tube receivers. I
flew fixed wing pattern for a while then moved into
scale where I competed for many years. In the mid
1980's I discovered helicopters when I bought a
old Shuttle at a R/C auction. That was all it took.
While I still fly planks, helicopters remain my
first love. When I was learning to fly helis, I
lived very close to Helicopter World. Being a heli
beginner, I spent a lot of time in the store buying
replacement parts. I came to know Peter Chao very
well and we spent a lot of time talking helis. In
the early 1990's I began doing some engineering
work for Century, and when I retired from my last
position as Chief Design Engineer for the US Navy,
I moved into some major design efforts with Peter;
that is, when he could pry me away from the flying
field. For five seasons, starting in 1996, I flew
the "Airshark" for the San Jose Sharks
NHL hockey team. That is a 28 foot long blimp shaped
like a shark. That was a challenge, especially when
stepping out in front of 18000 people. My heli flying
skills are adequate, but not spectacular by any
stretch. Once I figured out how to be successful
with a helicopter, I began getting others interested
and teaching them to be successful. It remains my
biggest satisfaction is to see a newbie's look the
first time we get his machine airborne. |
