The inspiration for my career came from the passion of my best friend, Justin.
I went to stay with him in Carlsbad, California, Which is on the coast in San Diego.
I always knew that he flew planes, but when he placed his large glider into my back seat with care, I realized I had never before experienced this hobby of his.
We walked along the cliffs, the sun shining with midday pride, and the breeze whipping our curls around our faces.
“The wind’s perfect,” he said, with gusto.
We shuffled towards a small group of elderly men, controlling planes of all makes and colors with oversized remotes. They all hollered Justin’s name as we approached; it turns out that he’s a celebrity amongst the RC plane pilots.
I stood and watched the men chuck their planes off the cliff, smoothly take up their remote, and toggle the controls as their heads moved in sync with the loops and swoops of the planes.
These pilots are wind-whisperers. They know which direction and speed is perfect for each particular plane, and as they fly they let their planes suspend in the air as if time were standing still, only to let it fall and catch it as if they control the breeze under its wings.
Justin has a permanent smile on his face as he propels his masterpiece through tunnel spins, large loops and stalls. As the planes pursue each other, I am reminded of kite-fighting that takes place in locations such as Kabul, Afghanistan, where hundreds of children gather to clip the wings of their opponents until they are the sole flier.
However, the men here laugh and smoke on their cigars as they fight their planes, running to retrieve their planes from the rocks along the cliff and hoping for little injuries.
“Want to meet Orin?” Says Justin, after effortlessly catching his plane that was just hurtling towards him.
Orin, another friend of Justin’s, had a home chock full with any plane or part that a pilot would need. He had copious projects in progress, and Justin roamed through the bins and around the shelves full of materials, conversing lightly with terminology that I couldn’t begin to explain.
As Orin spoke, he stood by a graveyard of parts including materials that must have accumulated both a large quantity and cost.
It was fascinating to listen to the pilots speak about their passion, and although I had far to go before understanding the terms and concepts of this vast hobby, I was inspired.
RC plane piloting requires profound talent and dedication. I realized on this summer day that there are incredible hobbies and passions on the planet- and even in our community- that are not recognized nor appreciated, and for this reason I want to dedicate my life and career to discovering these passions, and shedding light on their beauty and merit. No matter what a person is zealous about, I feel that if they choose to spend their time on this earth enjoying and exploring this passion, it should be recognized.
So thank you, Justin, for helping me discover what I want to do. Keep on flying.
The Stoked Daily. 
