HUMBOLDT — Claiming no direct relation to aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur, David Wright of Chanute shares a passion for flying of a different sort.
“There might be some of their blood in me but I stay on the ground,” Wright said.
Flying remote control airplanes is a hobby Wright acquired in the 1980s from friend Roger Brooks.
“He went hog wild,” Brooks said of Wright’s enthusiasm.
That enthusiasm has escalated over the years. Today Wright has a collection of 15 of the “grown-up” toys that range between $250 to $1,500 or more.
“If you are talking about actual turbine jets you are looking at $5,000 for the engine alone,” Wright said.
All of Wright’s aircraft are equipped with either four-stroke and two-stroke engines and run on a mixture of nitro-methane and oil.
“These have the cams and valves in them just like a regular engine,” Wright said.
Wright admitted he probably does not need any new planes, however the temptation is strong. He said he purchases as many as his wife will allow him to buy. The high price tags demand some care in avoiding catastrophe.
“Hard landings are rough,” Wright said. “Before flying, you want to make sure your electrical systems are good, make sure you have good batteries and make sure the engines are tuned up.”
Still, accidents do happen and some of the models, including the first he ever purchased, have ended up on Wright’s wall of shame.
“When I crash one I just cut the front end off of it and I mount it” he said. “Some guys like to mount the heads off of deer, but I like to put airplanes up on the wall.”
Wright and Brooks show up annually to showcase their planes and give demonstrations along with other aviation hobbyists at Humboldt’s Fourth of July celebration.
“People like watching it,” Wright said. “I enjoy doing it.”
Taking to the skies in Humboldt
