Ep 176: Henry Rauhaus from the Toledo R/C Swap Meet & Expo

[00:00:05] Hello everyone, welcome to the RC Plane Lab podcast. I am Ron, I’m Tom, I’m dave hi and I’m hank. So today we have a cool guest, I think. Hank. Why thank you hank from the duet. Well, you can probably say his last name, or can you? Okay, sorry, henry row house, very nice. -Huh, I’m. I was trying to get away from it, but now that I know how to do it, I

[00:00:39] Don’t know. We practiced and practice, I know, I know, but still, practice doesn’t always make perfect for me, see. But anyway, henry from the Toledo R/C swap meet and expo. So before we get into it, I just want to say first off, thank you for putting this on. It’s a great event that we have had a lot.

[00:01:00] Of fun going to. Oh yeah, I appreciate you guys bringing me to this too. I remember the first time I saw your sign- I actually saw your registration. I’m like who the heck is that? So a lot of people are that way. I reverse, I reverse engineered it and I’m like hey.

[00:01:14] I appreciate you guys bringing me on. Thank you, no problem, excited to have you. So a little background from us before we get in to the conversation. So we first time tommy and I made it to the swap meet was in 2022 and we went just as normal people going to buy things with that. We decided that in when we came back the next year we’d have to have a table.

[00:01:40] Because it’s nice to have a spot to just kind of call home base. So we got tables in 2023. We sold a bunch of stuff and 2023 is also the first year, I think, dave, that you and daniel came right.

[00:01:54] Yes it would have been to the new format to the new format and we’ll talk about the old versus.

[00:01:58] New here. A little bit, we’ll get there. So 2024 also saw us selling a lot of stuff, except tommy was deployed for that year so he didn’t have a chance to make it. So he will be back this year. We all will be back this year. Three tables- thank you for your service, tommy appreciate it. Oh, you’re welcome, thank you. So three tables this year, yes, so we’re after. I like to hear by those tables upping it from two. So this all, I’m sure hank, takes a lot of work on your end of things, and

[00:02:31] You’re kind of the face like when we talk to people at the swap meet. When we need help with anything, you’re the, you’re the one that we go to. How hard is it to put it on? Well, I gotta be honest with.

[00:02:42] You. I am, I am the face b. I do a lot of the what you see. But it actually started with a group of three of us and we’re all still involved, and it started with a phone call from my buddy, dave monet. We were both swappers upstairs. They’re like, hey man, if seagate will talk to us about putting on a show, this is when the week singles decide to end their run. You think you do it with me. I’m like, well sure, because I’m thinking there’s no way seagate’s gonna deal with us, and this is our fifth year now, so we did all right, so it is. The amount of work has increased each

[00:03:14] Year. But I think that’s a good thing because the work is increasing, because it’s getting larger and larger. We’ve had- we’ve had steady growth of at least 12 in the last four years. The way numbers are coming in this year, with both swappers and new commercial vendors, the growth is probably gonna be more than that. So I’m pretty excited. I have a real small committee. I have my club members, my close friends, and the most important thing on my committee, of course, is my wife. Starting in about december, her and I do a lot of cleo talk and she’s on the couch about 10 feet.

[00:03:44] Awake to see me right now but I couldn’t do it without her because I’m always bouncing ideas off.

[00:03:50] And it doesn’t end I don’t want to say it takes over but it takes over and that’s okay that’s a good.

[00:03:55] Thing. Man, I’m just like you guys. I’m I’m looking for a place to go and it’s something I knew. I think I heard you guys. You talked about old news show. I started going to the three weeks and I was seven years old, my dad I’m 54, and when they announced that they were going to

[00:04:12] End their run. I’m thinking: what in the world am I going to do? First of april, it was on the list. I mean I had a room upstairs, we, we had. We had the room of 50 swap tables. I’d go in on a wednesday, get ready. One year I took six 26 foot trucks full of swapping treasures on. My goal is- everybody knew it- I’d have to sell everything and darn it. We would, but it is something. I guess I didn’t realize how important it was till it wasn’t. It’s just we’re one big family, we’re looking to do something and I love the vibe. I mean I go.

[00:04:44] To swaps all over the country. Now I’ve been all over and I think the vibe in toledo is one that smells of family friends telling stories. It’s laid back. It’s one of those swaps we get ready on a thursday shows, not till friday. I’m not the police, we’re there to do the same thing. I just love it. So it is a lot of work. I’m not gonna lie to you, and I start hating it about mid-march and starting to hate a little early. This year I’m already starting to stress out because we have more commercial vendors and I, I’ve, I’ve upped and we have a sponsorship program now.

[00:05:18] Which is because we needed funding and our vendors have really stepped up. But with that comes from other added treasures. Something we’re bringing this year too, is: we’re bringing an rc, rc oval track racing. We’re bringing cars. Because it is an rc show, we figured: why don’t have some service vehicles? So we’ll be sponsored races all week this or all weekend this year too. So that’s.

[00:05:38] Something cool that’s new. Yeah, I saw that. That’s. That’s really like peaking my interest. That’s going to be cool to see. So is this going to be open to people to just kind of practice for a while if they have something they bought there or if they have something they brought? That is a great.

[00:05:55] That is a great question. I’m very fortunate because I have a couple guys that have stepped up to help me. One gentleman I haven’t met you, I met him through a mutual friend. He’s kind of like the promoter of it, and what we decided to do is we wanted oval track racing, because oval track racing is something even I can handle. I’ve actually I’ve actually practiced a few times already and the nice thing is, horizon hobby came out with their low c nascar series. It was a huge hit and it’s out of the box racing. You buy the car, take it out of the box training some liquid in your. I think they’re.

[00:06:26] Called shocks and away your race, right, and it is oval racing. So I’m going to be honest, that means there’s one turn, one direction. So it’s it’s from that capacity where it’s for beginners, all the way up to. We do have some mod racing too, which is much faster. I had no idea how fast these cars were on carpet, oh yeah, until I started seeing a few races. Our goal this year is to have the race happen. We have some things in the works and we’ve already had. I’m really happy to see we have 18 registered drivers already, which isn’t too bad. My goal was 40, which might not seem like a lot.

[00:07:01] But this is a brand new- yeah, a brand new- venue of a brand new group, so it’s a. It’s a leap of faith for the drivers too. So it’s been pretty good feedback. I’m kind of like a fish out of water, because I’m not a surface guy. I will not be racing. A couple of my buddies will be and they have been practicing it’s. It’s been fun. I have a nascar- my low c nascar- right now, and I raced it at practice, but I’m not going to have time to race, but I’m pretty excited about it and, again, I just well, I’m going to give you the truth. The truth is this: I need to put people through the door and we have a huge 75 000.

[00:07:33] Square foot venue, that I don’t need open space and I need to fill it with something that’ll bring other people, and so that’s why we started with the car racing. Yeah, that’s, that’s what’s.

[00:07:44] Behind that sounds like a solid business decision to me yeah I’ll tell you I’ll tell.

[00:07:49] You august 4th or april 4th? If it was, yeah, yeah. So then okay, like going back, if, if we bring our own cars or something, I know there’s going to actually be sponsored races and all that, but is it going to be open for any amount of time for anybody, just to run what you brought? Yes, sir, that’s a great question.

[00:08:08] And I can’t give you the exact hours, but of course it’ll be. It’s on our facebook group page and I talked to, I talked to lee ray last night. From what is it? Rc podcast, rc. Yeah, thank you, and I’m- I’m not- I’m not a technology guru. I didn’t even know what facebook was two years ago, but I’m learning quickly and so we’re actually gonna. We have on our facebook group. We’ll have an event page for just the race and there’s practice every day and then, of course, there are scheduled races, but it is, it is. I want people to see the racing, but I also wanted anybody who has

[00:08:43] One of the cars and that’s why we made sure we had the low c stock car, because literally it’s a stock car out of the box, can race. And then there are qualifying runs and what they do is they run qualifying heats and that puts you in different mains, which is pretty cool. It’s actually really cool how they do that. So this all sounds great in theory. I’ve never participated in it, but in theory it looks fantastic. I’ve seen the nationals this year up in independence ohio- very impressive- and I mean I was just happy when we got the carpet from crc up in new york. That’s amazing. I gotta be.

[00:09:16] Honest, that is a gift that frank I can’t wait to meet. I mean, I met some of his workers up there because we drove up to new york with our truck and trailer and picked it all up, but to have that alone, because that is the premier carpet, oh for sure. How big is the track? As I found out, the track is 66 and a half by 44 feet. Okay, it’ll be an oval inside there, so it’s considered a short track, but it’s still a pretty good size track. I mean, that’s a yeah, yeah, that’s a. That’s a.

[00:09:42] Huge so I’m assuming that was donated by frank that’s huge frank donated it and I that carpet is.

[00:09:48] Not cheap. I know from my experience. I remember when my buddy came to me he’s like: you listen, it’s only about six, seven thousand dollars for a track. I said come again now. Yes, exactly. And but he made some calls and, very fortunate, his son was sponsored by frank, and awesome, yeah, it just. But that’s what makes this community so great. And again, it’s amazing to me because we’re all in this for the same reason and it’s to pass on what we do and my hope is that, hopefully, yeah, car racing.

[00:10:20] Just becomes another thing that we do because it’s radio control and there’s a lot of crossover. I mean, you guys were at the swap last year. I purposely went looking for cars and boats. I could. There’s tons of them. I had no idea until I was looking for them. Yeah, it’s out there. Yep, yeah.

[00:10:35] I was. I was impressed with the amount of boats that were there and, honestly, at that time last year I had never driven a boat, driven, piloted a boat- whatever you want to call it floated, floated about. I’ve never floated the boat until then but I since then have. So I will be kind of on the lookout for I don’t know what, because I don’t know boats, but for something that looks cool, just to have them play with. Well,

[00:10:56] Hank, we’re a few of us from here- are planning on bringing some cars at least to, because we haven’t like dave and I used to race quite a bit, so we were like really kind of intrigued by having a race.

[00:11:09] That’s fantastic, and my hope is like even I have commercial vendors who are selling airplane product up front. I’ve got a couple of them that are they’re going to be racing and they’re like that’s awesome. Is there a way we can squeeze in? I’m like, brother, we’ll find somebody to watch your booth. Yeah, we can squeeze it. I mean, they’re, that’s what it’s about and that’s again it’s back to that vibe, that good feel right. So I’m actually looking forward to it. To me, this is this first year, is a year that we can. My goal is to have a race track- they have racers- and to make it look like something. So when

[00:11:41] I take my pictures to advertise with it next year. It looks like something: yeah, fantastic, yeah, and we’re already. We’re halfway there, we have the track. I was gonna say it is something. It.

[00:11:51] Is very impressive just the space that we have seen let alone the new stuff for this year yeah.

[00:11:58] Well, I’ll tell you what- and it’s a big year for me because I was here in the beginning that first year- and nobody knows this but my crew and me the amount of true commercial vendors we have up front because I do such. I think we do a really good job of making it look like it’s all vendors. It’s not. But this year I actually have to start removing the wall in the second section because I don’t have enough room up front, which is fantastic. That’s excellent.

[00:12:29] That’s a good problem to have. We have. We have literally I can’t just say commercial vendors- we have right around 60 commercial vendors plus for another half a dozen professional organizations. To me that’s a huge thing. We got some big companies. I hate saying coming back, but I mean that’s the truth. Yeah, I’m really excited this year in toledo because I’m going to get to share the story about rc, the rc expo in toledo. Before the week signals actually had the week signals expo. They were always part of it. But through my travels, I, I’m a swapper by trade. I

[00:13:04] I picked up an estate from the joe david family and it turned out joe david was a huge name in the hobby industry in ohio and michigan and joe david is actually a founding father. He was a founding father at toledo week signals. Well, the cool thing is there was an expo up in the michigan area before the week signals had the expo and it was with the detroit club and then eventually that club dropped out. Toledo took it over. But I’m going to share that story. And so, with our static display, this year we had the joe david cup. It’s like our best of show and there’ll be a booth.

[00:13:35] Dedicated to that story and that’s the booth I’ll be in. This year. I’m trying to relinquish some of my micromanaging that I’m really- I try not to, but I do- and I’m going to rely a lot more on my, my team, and I’m going to stay in a booth and I’m going to share what I want to share. I’m going to be in a central location, which is a big change for me, but whether I like it or not, I am the face of the show. I’m not the best looking face, but it’ll do, and so I want to share that story because again, we’re finally past the old show stigma: right a dollar every time. Somebody said:

[00:14:08] Well, the week signals expo or this is. But last year was the first time people were comparing the Toledo R/C swap at expo and the toledo week signals expo. In the same breath of well, they did this better, but, and this was it, and it was really kind of cool because I think we’re, we’re okay and we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. I mean, people are like, well, they used to do that. Well, yeah, because it worked. I mean, and why, why reinvent the wheel? I, I love that show and I went through it, like I said, with my dad and I would have never.

[00:14:43] Never even thought of doing something like this the week single still had that venue. But times have changed, fellas. I mean here we are talking in different states right on a computer.

[00:14:54] That wouldn’t have happened five years ago. And here we are doing it, right, yeah, and it’s just, times change and things have to change. We’re in it for a different reason. My first reason, of course, because I’m a swapper of mine- said: I’m gonna make so much money. Well, I could promise you fellas, the days of that. I just don’t see happening now. It’s how many people came to the door at friday by noon because did we cover our budget? Right? That’s, that’s where it’s at and it’s, and then, as long as we do that, all’s good. Yeah, so you said you have been to

[00:15:27] The old show which I never have yeah never made it either that ended before dave did my time in the.

[00:15:34] Hobby every year for a long time yeah starting in the early to mid 90s yeah most years dave we.

[00:15:41] Ever at the arena or did you start at seagate it was always at seagate yeah the arena I think was 92.

[00:15:47] So yeah, it was probably 93, 94, yep, yep, and I hit most years. Every now and then we’d have a skip due to whatever, something, sure, sure, so well, I remember there was huge. What I’ve noticed over the years with toledo, the city itself. Back when I started going there, the downtown area where seagate was a little sketchy: a lot of homeless people. You had to be very careful not to step on a crack bile and slip and fall. And I’ve noticed that the city has really, really cleaned up the

[00:16:20] Downtown area and it’s really very nice and a pretty little city now look at look at the.

[00:16:27] Glass. Look at the glass city center alone. Now I think you guys said 23. Well, last year 22, I mean it’s the way it looked last year compared to 23. It was beautiful last year. And the hotel- if you haven’t stayed in the new the hotel, they used to be the park in with the old show, but it’s gorgeous now and then you got there, you got the arena and then you had the, you had the baseball stadium. The restaurants are coming back. I would agree. I think. I think it’s a hidden gem.

[00:16:53] That’s only getting better appears to be experiencing a renaissance downtown yes sir I would agree 100.

[00:16:58] Percent. Yeah, so this will be the first year tommy and I are actually staying on site. Yeah, so that forward to that, that should be nice, not to have a drive every morning, and well, I’ll tell you.

[00:17:08] What, and it’s funny because it’s a lot of times being a swapper mindset. I remember staying over on buck road. It was 27 bucks a night. And I’d tell my wife, honey, guess what we scored at 27 bucks a night? And she would say: don’t put the suitcases on the ground right, lock your doors and sleep with your gun. Yep, and I remember my first, the first time I stayed at the park, it was 110 bucks and I thought I hit the lottery. Yeah, you can get up and you don’t have to drive. And that was back in 2017. 2018, It’s 147 bucks. This year, I think, through the block we have.

[00:17:43] Reserved yeah it’s a little money but what is it worth not to have to drive that’s that’s where I was at.

[00:17:48] With that, yeah, just not having to do that drive and then just being so close like it’s a swap. You’re gonna buy stuff, so having a nice, kind of nice place to put the stuff, exactly yeah sir.

[00:18:00] Well, and see, we’re going- not, I mean we go because we enjoy it. We’re not going to sell things to make money and that kind of stuff. So it’s it’s, it’s a getaway for us, so it’s a nice long weekend of.

[00:18:10] Just cool stuff, hanging out with the guys. It ain’t just a getaway for you guys, because I’ve heard that for many, many, I mean even my crew. Now I’m very fortunate because my wife and one of my buddies wives. They run the raffle booth, so she comes up on thursday night and friday- I don’t I don’t the only time I see her- is in the capacity of what we have to do for the show. So she is my wife, but it’s a whole different atmosphere and I totally understand that idea of you’re there to hang out with your friends and have fun, which so friday, saturday night, if you guys are.

[00:18:44] Gonna be down in the restaurant bar area I’ll be there I’ll say hi okay yeah well that’s part of.

[00:18:48] That I mean we’ll be staying there may as well may as well yes sir partake of it yes sir have a cold.

[00:18:55] Snack a nightcap yes yeah so okay we missed one year then you said you restarted this in 2022 correct.

[00:19:05] 20. This is our fifth year, 2020. Yeah, we’ve been there 22, 23 and 24, 22, 23, 24. The way it worked was okay. So we remember yep, covet, covet happened, right, and everything was shut down. And then what happened? Was that following fall, that’s when the week signals were trying to drum up some interest for the show. But if you really track what was happening with the expo is there was less and less- I mean the last year- of commercial vendors. The swap meet was never on the floor, it was always upstairs.

[00:19:38] The swap meet was not where it is now. It was upstairs, that floor, if you can imagine, back in its heyday it was full of curtain booths, just like the front section, all vendors- it was amazing- and dozens and dozens of static models. And each year it got less and less to where the last year they had a show in toledo, the front section, that’s curtain now, was filled, and then about half of the second section, and then they brought in other things like drone racings. They brought those indoor, the indoor flying. That one year, the competition. It’s just because what?

[00:20:13] Made toledo so popular was the idea of people would unveil things and bring things. And when the internet came around, that stopped. I remember as a kid standing over in the arena. So this is in the mid to late 1980s, with my dad and we’d have to wait overnight to get into to get a table for the swap shop. We’d wait overnight to get a table into that swap shop. Imagine that, yeah, that’s crazy and did it and did it willingly. But with the, with the internet now it’s different. But I’m telling you- and I know you guys know this too- people always ask: hey man, how good is that swap?

[00:20:48] And I say I always have the same response: I can’t tell you because I’m not you. I mean, I don’t know what you’re looking for and you never, ever know what you want: to be at a five table slot swap or down in perry george, a thousand table swap, exactly, yep, and that’s what I don’t think a swap meet will ever lose. So when we, when we brought this back, we were with the swap meet first because I knew I could talk my friends into coming. I knew we’d get a couple hundred tables of swappers, worst case scenario. I didn’t know that the commercial vendors would start coming back, or our new vendors.

[00:21:22] Participating like they have- and of course things are different financially for them- and caught what it costs to come, because our goal is a little different to the weak singles. We want to wait, we want to make money. We just aren’t really good at it yet and we understand, we want, we want to put people there. Yeah, we want to keep it cost effective.

[00:21:42] And it’s been fantastic. Yeah, you bring up a really, really good point, hank- is that you can’t. You can’t get that experience, that swap experience, on the internet. You have to go and experience it.

[00:21:56] And that’s. That’s a really great point, just seeing that weird gizmo sitting on the couch, like what is that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I mean because if you don’t know it exists, you can’t go looking for it, right.

[00:22:07] Yeah, sometimes the joy is just walking around and seeing stuff like that and being able to identify it, and in a group of folks who are like: what the heck are you talking about? Yes, sir, I, I mean.

[00:22:19] That is, and that’s that. That’s what I have to, not begrudgingly, but I’m letting some of that go, because that’s what I’ve been about forever with this, sure, but I think my, my focus now has to be a little different, and I work really closely with the ama. They partner with us and become a fantastic partner, and they’ve really helped me. They’ve really helped me with the vision, with my vision, to make it into reality, and part of that vision, though, they say, is that I have to take.

[00:22:49] Out a little different role where I need to be available but to talk about putting out of fires. But I have to get better at letting other people put out the fires and they always know I’m going to be back in that corner swapping because that’s what I love. Yeah, but I got a team that can do that. I promised them this year once. Once it starts friday morning, I’m staying up front in my booth and I think that’s okay. It’s gonna be hard because I love swapping. Maybe that’s why I go to about 30 of them beforehand, but I think it’s okay and I’m looking for I love people, just like when I finally met you guys- I met whoever’s there last year- I finally said:

[00:23:24] Well, this is because I didn’t know you guys and it’s funny if you look around. If you look around, we had over 400 swap tables last year and I love all the signs that everybody brings who they are, what their little business is. That’s just fantastic. Yeah, I just love that part.

[00:23:40] So heck, because you have your finger on the, on the swap meet collective pulse, so to speak, and- and this might be a product of the internet right, and the information overload that’s out there. But to a guy like me, who I don’t go to like a lot of swap meets but like most of that is because I either don’t know about them or what have you- would you say that today there’s more swap meets that you can go to, or would you say that it’s about the same. It just happens that we know about.

[00:24:13] Them because of social media internet whatever yeah that’s a another really great.

[00:24:18] Question and I can only talk regionally. Sure, I remember going to some of the swap meets I go to today when I was a kid. Okay, 30, 40, 50 years ago. Well, not 50, 30, 40 years ago. Yeah, don’t date yourself, I don’t want to be that old but, believe it or not, we’re very fortunate here in the midwestern states and I didn’t realize how fortunate we were until I started the facebook group. Yeah, because the swaps that we have around us in ohio, michigan, illinois, indiana, pennsylvania, wisconsin and west virginia

[00:24:49] Wisconsin, right, minnesota, there’s, there’s a lot of swaps, big ones. Go down south perry, georgia. You want to see a thousand table swap. It’s perry, georgia. I was there three years in a row. I’m not going this year because we’re taking our team to joan all this year. So I can’t, I can’t. Nice, we’ll see you there. Well, hey, another episode I’ll be there. I’m really excited because we will have a. We’re the only, we’re the only vendor that really doesn’t sell anything, but we’ll have our vendor booth. You’re selling yourself, we’re there to advertise and I have some clever ideas and

[00:25:21] It’s cool because I’m gonna be down there helping charlie from tgk connectors, one of my favorite vendors at our show. He needed help, so I’ve helped him a couple times, but again, that’s what it’s about. We help each other out. Yeah, but perry georgia- if you talk to the guys in perry georgia, one of the reasons that swap meet is so fantastic- which it is- they don’t have a lot of little swaps.

[00:25:42] Like we have they don’t oh they’re not there yeah I see where you’re going with that yep it’s.

[00:25:47] It’s not there and I mean it’s. So I’ve enjoyed the facebook group because you get to hear about swaps around the country and then I’m like man, we are spoiled because our problem is man, we got two swaps on one day. They’re both within our drive range five hours. Yeah, what are we gonna do? Yeah, right, divide and conquer, that’s what you do. Yeah, like it’s funny, you said wisconsin, there’s that huge auction up in minnesota and we have one of our buddies. He comes to toledo every year and he helps us. He’s one of my, one of my workers, and we’re man. Do we go up to minnesota?

[00:26:18] Because I’d love to see that auction. So we’re very fortunate here in the midwest. Yeah, and I don’t. I don’t, I don’t have the exact answer, but I think swap swaps are fine. I think they’re, they’re well and we’re seeing some younger people, but they’re still dominating. The average age of our hobby right now is a little. I’m a youngin. Yeah, I said I’m a youngin. I’m 54 and I

[00:26:42] Think I bring, I skew that girl, this guy, yeah, yeah, thanks, thanks, Ron, shut up, gosh, I’m getting chastised. Geez, wow, I didn’t say you guys were raising that average. Oh my, I mean you may as well have no. No, that’s not what I mean. You were looking right at me. Well, I have to look at somebody.

[00:27:04] Well, have you, have you guys? Have you guys ever done the flight fest? No, we have not. We have not made it to that. Yeah, okay, yeah, that’s one. Yeah, I, that’s flight testing, and I did it last year again. I went with charlie. You need help with tvk. That’s another unique experience. I’ve heard a lot.

[00:27:19] Of good things yeah there’s a lot of events that we that we have not gone to that we want to it just.

[00:27:23] Well the problem is we have so many that we’ve gone to that we like so much that we continue to go.

[00:27:28] To right that you don’t or you feel loyal to go to. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah, we do that. I’m a. I can’t help it, I’m, I’m a loyal guy. Yeah, which is interesting right now because, like even in toledo, we have like gator rc, gator rc’s coming this year and ready-made rc. Those are, those are staples from the toledo weeks, the old show, and it’s interesting because everybody wants to be in a certain area. But what everybody knows about hank is the people with me on year one, once you’re with I, my center aisle might not be all the large vendors, but they’re the.

[00:28:02] Large vendors. To me they’re the ones that were there in the beginning for us, sure, and that’s how it stays. So we make it all work. But loyalty is important too. So it’s okay, you go to your favorite loyal swaps. We’re doing that. This weekend we have one we go to. We know it’s going to be a smaller swap, but what? I don’t know what’s there yet, that’s right. One year, one year, I went there and bought two byron jets and f-16 and the elusive f-18. If you don’t think about byron originals, the f-18 is one of the unicorns I didn’t even know. Right a little. Yeah, it was. Yeah, that’s, it is a.

[00:28:33] Unicorn it. It will live with me for a while. One of these days I might sell it, but then you only have money. You don’t have the f-18. But I’ll tell you what. There it was in this little swap.

[00:28:43] What I mean? Just the 20 table swap there it was yeah, yeah, yeah, you just never know, nope, and I think that’s part of the, the mystique of going to a swap and the and the excitement and the travels getting there, because you just, like you said, you just you never know what’s gonna be there, have you?

[00:28:59] Guys, ever seen the, the guys that actually bring out a list of what they’re looking for in the swap shop? They have a piece of paper and on the piece of paper they have a list of the things they want to buy. I’ve seen a couple times. I’m like wow, yeah, I mean, I know that for new stuff, but I never thought.

[00:29:13] I’d see that for swapping but I’ve seen it well when you have a big enough venue like yours well yeah.

[00:29:17] Yeah, odds are you can fill that list. Yeah, I mean, I have a small mental list of stuff that I would like to find what I mean, but I don’t have a list written out. That’s that’s like.

[00:29:27] Next level swapping. Yeah, I just had a guy in the facebook group, but I’m a sucker. I like stories and older gentleman doesn’t get out. Much is looking for a hangar nine laser 200 tail section. I finally did it. I said I’ll tell you what man, if I find one, I’ll let, and I will. So now I’m gonna start looking for that. I have a list of probably three dozen things I’m always looking for because you can’t find them anywhere like that. That airplane has been made in 20 years, right so, but what? How cool it would be if I can find I can ship it to that dude. That is cool.

[00:29:59] And I would say that the likelihood of you finding that, based on the number of swaps that you and your team go to, I’d say they’re pretty good, pretty good chance, probably better than most. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[00:30:10] That’s awesome so what’s the strangest thing you’ve seen in a swap yeah that’s what’s the.

[00:30:14] Strangest thing up for sale? Yeah, strangest, oh boy, I mean I’m sure you’ve seen some stuff, but I have remember. I remember that family friendly conversation, I think. Well, like last weekend. So I go to a swap last weekend and one of my favorite purchases was this little old lady had homemade jam and let me tell you something, oh man, it was absolutely fantastic, it was so good. I actually posted on my facebook group of pictures of the airplane and there’s the jam I like.

[00:30:46] When I see things that aren’t supposed to be at a swap. At a swap? Oh, I don’t, that’s a tough question. Yeah, yeah, like, like my wife just reminded me, paul binkley and his wife, she, she crochets towels and darn it, she’s been with us for five years. I was thinking that there they are, yep, red, red baron hobbies up front, unbelievable wing bags. I love red baron hobbies, all in-house, all main america. I he joked with me last year, tim the owner, because his wife sold jewelry and I think I supplied.

[00:31:16] Half of his wife’s finances that weekend with my daughter. By the eight joke he says, I think my wife made more money than me. And even at our event we have leaf folder, which is a gutter company. They’ve been with us from year one. They’re coming back this year and they’re always welcome until they don’t want to come anymore. But as far as like modeling stuff, I don’t know man, I bought some, I have a pension. I love things that aren’t ours. I love things that are kit built different canards, things that are weird. I like that weird is cool. Yeah, that’s what we. Well, if you guys

[00:31:50] Ever come to valley city, ohio, you come in my hangar I’ll show you some of the strangest looking airplanes. Heck, you’ll see some on the static tables. That’s another reason I love this show is because when you run the show, is it what comes down to the static model competition? You put your own stuff there and that’s what I did last year. I mean, I had that 10 foot lazy bee that had four 70 millimeter edf engines and it lights up for night flying. I remember that one yep that happened one night over about six or seven cokes with some buddies. We talked about, yeah, we put up. We talked about putting

[00:32:22] A edf on a lazy bee and I said, how am I making a 20 goes ain’t nothing, let’s do four. I’m like, yeah, that’s so fantastic. I’m like I thought it never happened, but oh, it did. Oh, that’s awesome. I wish I’d have seen that. Yeah, yeah, it was on one of the tables there that you missed. Yeah, well, because me I’m worried, so I brought some of my own things, hoping, well, the worst case scenario, I’ll have five, five models on the airplane for the static display. But it turned out okay. We had a good, a good selection. Hopefully we’ll have more this year. You.

[00:32:53] Know, I think we had. We had a video last year, a drone flyover video, and that really, really helped us, because I think people didn’t realize that, because it is every. A lot of people remember the week singles event and we’re not them. We aren’t striving to be them, we’re trying to be the Toledo R/C swap at expo. It’s a little different, but when they saw that, my golly, it’s actually an event I mean we have. Last year we had over 700 tables. I ran out of tables. That’s why you.

[00:33:23] Around tables saturday morning you were scavenging tables well right I mean if you went in all our.

[00:33:29] Rooms where we had, like the ama had their meeting. Heck, I only left was this thing you could talk from when on podiums everything else was gone. I knew the tables strip it down. Gotta do what you gotta do. Yeah well, the fire marshal and I every year we’ve had conversations because they tell me where I can’t put tables. Let me tell you this: last year, in the back of that swab section says: no matter what, do not put tables down the middle. But we had the static on the middle. Then we went about 30 swap tables down the middle. But he’s been pretty fantastic. But so I’m hoping one more year where

[00:34:00] All right, like I we’re getting. I mean, like I said, the front section moved back. We’re trying to keep the swappers all in the back section, but we’ll see. That’s all right. Growth is good, that’s right, yeah.

[00:34:10] So when you’re talking front, middle back, there was the three rooms. Last year the very back room was used for a open fly, like an indoor fly, yes, sir, and then also for the trailer parking.

[00:34:25] You want to hear an interesting story about that mess? Absolutely, yes. Well, I had a feeling they weren’t going to let us park trailers in there so I figured I’m never going to directly ask. So instead of asking, hey, can we park trailers back there? And about a dozen emails to my contact at seagate center- I kind of slipped it in somewhere in the bottom front bidding- I made it very clear that we were going to park trailers back there. So kid you not. Thursday about 11 am, here comes the fire marshal, my contact at. I said seagate in a class city center like you, you can’t have trailers in.

[00:34:58] Here, and I mean I had it right on my phone like sir, here we go. And he looked at me, smile and said okay, okay, okay, this your trailers can be here, but not next year, so there won’t be any trailers. But

[00:35:08] That was going to be my question because I absolutely loved having a trailer parked inside.

[00:35:12] Well, here’s the here and what it’s actually there. I’m trying to make it, make you speak. I don’t. I don’t know if you remember last year I, my wife, was worried I was gonna have a heart attack, looking for people who own those vehicles. Yes, I do remember.

[00:35:29] That because you couldn’t. You couldn’t open the doors until all the actual vehicles were out of the building. Trailers you were okay with, but running vehicles it was mayhem. So we have a. We, we have a.

[00:35:41] Way to fix that. This year I’ll roll out everybody will get to see it, but the reason we did it that way is because we own. I mean, we paid for the space, even with the racetrack. This year divide that last section where the trailers were in half. We’re gonna have the racetrack on one side and then we’re gonna still have open flying on the other side. Because what I found out was: these guys are good pilots. They could fly in the trailer, they don’t, right? Yeah, they don’t need 25 000 square feet. They’re amazing, yeah, and then, like, we have some demos this year.

[00:36:12] Some of our vendors wanted to demo things like the mbs model supply. I had to be honest, I don’t know what he sells, but I do know he’s part of ama’s control line group and they’re going to do electric control line in there. I gotta be honest, that intrigues me. Yeah, that’s different, I would watch. Yeah, I didn’t even know it existed. He’s like: can we do it? I’m like, well sure, I can’t wait to see, because I didn’t know it was such a thing. Yeah, definitely not going anywhere right now. We’re still going to be able to bring vehicles in and unload. As far as trailer parking, if you are a

[00:36:42] Commercial vendor and you have to keep your stock in that, like aj aircraft, they’re used big stuff, buddy rc, they have a lot of big stuff balls, usa, we, we let them park around the docks and then we have a. We have an outdoor parking facility, two, two blocks away, and it’s the same. Once the week signals used for, oh kind of like year before last, yeah, okay, yeah, so that’s, that’s what it’ll look like and then even it’s even us, like my partner used to keep his big trailer.

[00:37:14] In the back corner. Well, I can tell you this, there won’t be any trailers because they may really clear that’s a big no-no. So I wonder why, sir? Honestly, that and fuel I found out, I we got we have rich’s brew is there. And then we had one of my buddies, another swapper was selling a cool power and I’m like, yeah, I don’t see why you can’t sell it. Well, I then discovered that the way we, we can only have rich’s brew. That’s in a contract, and when rich’s brew is gone, they don’t want any more fuel. And it’s not it and it’s not supposed to be in the convention hall. But we my

[00:37:48] Buddy had his on the dock too, and it was too much. So the fire marshal- we talked about that too. Him and I got really close last year. It was really nice time. Sounds like it was a very nice time. Yeah it.

[00:37:58] Was fantastic so you mentioned well first off how far away do you live from toledo I live in valley.

[00:38:06] City, ohio. Just a real quick little history of me I was. I was a very fortunate kid growing up because my dad had a mom and pop hobby shop and it was started in our house. Yep, it started in our house. My dad had a 30 acre farm and so I remember guys coming to the hobby shop which was our house. They go downstairs, they go to the shop and then eventually on my dad built a hangar. Because my dad was a private pilot, he kept his airplane in the hangar, he made a little part for the outdoor shop and our flying field for the rama club was right on property and there’s a full-scale runway. So

[00:38:38] Very lucky. That’s awesome. So I got my private pod slices. I used my own. My dad’s field was really cool. And then in 2017, I moved back up here to valley sea valley city. It’s about 26 miles south west of cleveland, ohio, and I took the hobby shop over. I said: dad, let me help you. And in 2017, my dad’s- my dad- was great plains. His main distributor was great plains, and he literally would still use paper pencil and fill out the little forms of what he wanted to buy.

[00:39:09] And then he would call them in and then great plains went bankrupt and then horizon bought great plains. I’m like dad: if we don’t, if we don’t try to get horizon, your fun is over. My dad had the shop. He was a businessman like myself. He loved the hobby, loved people, didn’t make any money, but golly, it was fun and that’s what pops did. So I took the shop over for over for my dad and then I ran it for a couple years and it got. It was excellent, it was fantastic. I mean, you have a shop on a runway. Can you ask for anything more? No, but the problem was I, I’m a, I’m a full-time teacher.

[00:39:43] And I have a family and I couldn’t do both. It was two full-time jobs. So the shop is now closed, except for my club people. I know what I mean. Local stuff, sure? So valley sea is about two hours from toledo, okay. So we’re about two hours away, not bad. And you’re right up to the turnpike and over we go, which is good, because I’ve already made four runs up there. I’m measuring things and, yeah, taking care of some things. I got a couple more before toledo, but we get up to toledo.

[00:40:13] This year I’ll be up there tuesday night just to get ready, because there’s so many extra things we have to do, so that makes for a long weekend. Yeah, it does. And my, my one of my best friends, who actually everybody gets to meet, he’s jimmy. He works the docs for us, he’s the guy that gets people in and out. We usually stay saturday night together then and we hang out one last night because we’re exhausted. Yeah, you want to debrief and the funny thing is it’s it’s weird, because we talked about at the beginning of your show how we’re there to meet, to hang out with our friends. Well, I still get to do that with my

[00:40:46] Friends, but it’s different now, like even with my wife. It’s we’re there for. We have a purpose. What I mean? Yep, and so that saturday night we get to hang out a little bit. We do hang out some, but we’re hustling. We have a skeleton crew running that. I mean guys, we put almost 3 000 people through the door last year. I mean that’s a lot of people, that’s a lot of people, yeah, and we needed 2200 people through the door last year just to make sure my credit cards don’t get maxed out to pay for the glass city center. Right, so that was good and we hope, which is why we put the car track and we need people through the door.

[00:41:20] Yeah, and because I don’t want to raise prices. I’m I don’t. I want to make it affordable for everybody. So we’re doing everything we can to minimize cost, to maximize exposure.

[00:41:32] And you’re doing a good job so far like I said I appreciate that it has grown a lot since the first.

[00:41:37] Time we were there. Yeah, I, I didn’t even. I didn’t even realize it myself till I was going through old documents and I remember my very first quote-unquote vendor list that we pass out if people want to find a better location. How it’s changed. Yeah, it’s fantastic, what’s it is so.

[00:41:57] What’s the? If I can steal Ron’s thunder from his notes over here, I was going to ask this question anyway. So, like I know you said your, your goal every year is to pay the bills and to be able to put it on the following year. Do you have like a? Like every business right, you’ve got a five-year plan, a 10-year plan like? What does your five-year plan look like? Or do you have one, did you?

[00:42:18] Say: what is your two-year plan? Look like- I’m sorry I misunderstood- oh, like a five-year plan and a 10-year plan? I’m kidding, oh, I got you, okay, yeah.

[00:42:30] I’m trying to put this in a way that doesn’t make us sound like a bunch of wild, wild, wild west business partners. Okay, our, our plant, I’m. I’m just going to be straight up and honest with you, and I mean I tell other people this: each year we are trying to be sustainable. I use the word sustainable, and last year we thought we hit the jackpot because what, fellows, last year, after all the bills were paid, we then could pay for our hotel rooms, for our personal workers and some of the food, what I mean. And then we forgot that we owe five thousand bucks.

[00:43:06] Down payment for the next year. So there that goes. So I mean we have, we have, yes, we have a plan, but I hate. But because there are only three revenue sources okay for this event. One is sales to the door right, swapping tables, commercial vendor booths and, believe it or not, the raffle is another source of revenue. The raffle brings us pretty good money. Thank you to all our

[00:43:38] Sponsors who are there, people who aren’t there that do things for us. That’s where our money comes from, and so the only way to increase revenue is you have to make it more appealing to other people, which, believe it or not. A podcast like this can help with that. Doing a facebook group is hopefully will help with that. We finally, after five years, got an article in the ama that will help with that. We had to get the toledo week single stigma away from us, which makes me really sad, but there were. There were weeks still, guys that really didn’t like hank and I knew all

[00:44:09] These guys, what I mean, and we didn’t start this to cause a problem with anybody. We started this because we had nothing to do in april, right, yeah, and it’s. It’s super cool now. It’s super cool now because some of those guys are coming back, what I mean? And like the guy that some of the guys that put on the old show, they’re back. And like tim jetski- I love the jetski family. Tim and linda jetski are two of the nicest people, and their son, andrew. They’re a wonderful family, but

[00:44:39] Tim jetski was in a tough position because he’s president of the week singles right now and he came the first couple years and we talked year three. He’s like: I understand, here, I’m with you, and when tim started coming, I think that made a huge difference. And tim doesn’t just come with tim, he brings linda, but they bring andrew, and andrew jetski is one of the best pilots in the world. Yeah, I mean that, that’s no. I mean that’s no, that’s not an exaggeration. Yeah, and the thing that is amazing to me is andrew jetski and tim jetski.

[00:45:10] Found important enough to spend time with us, and that, and if you ever talk to tim, it’s the same thing. It’s isn’t it? Just like we are? He’s just like one of us. It’s all about that fellowship and something to do, and that’s so important. I hear these stories over and I love watching some of these small businesses grow with toledo. I mean, you have, there’s a company called wind catcher rc. Lee is a he’s a great guy and him and his wife are full-time doing that business. Now, it wasn’t that way five years ago but, as he says, toledo put them on the map.

[00:45:45] That’s. That’s amazing to me, man. Yeah, yeah, that’s a feather in your cap. Yeah, so my five-year plan is: we have things we want to do. How about this? Each year we focus on something new, like this year, we worked a little extra on the static models and I didn’t realize how important static models were to people till last year, when, I mean, some people spent a lot of time looking at those airplanes and then I, of course, being nosy because I had some of them on the table too, I sat and listened because I wanted to hear what they had to say, and it was sure it was actually

[00:46:15] Really cool. It was really nice. Yeah, the gentleman that brought the sail plan up, he came up from carolina and I talked to him ahead of time. I thought that was fantastic. So we try to grow things like you guys. I’m keith shaw. He’s been a main, he was a. He’s a fantastic builder, even a better flyer up in the michigan area, and I’ve sent him a couple emails. I’d love for keith to let me know he’s bringing an airplane and then, the minute he does, I’m gonna say: hey, keith, can I let everybody else know, because he’s that, he’s that, he’s that type of guy. Yeah, so

[00:46:50] Yeah, our plan is what we’ll talk. I’ll sit down and talk with you guys saturday morning and let how next year looks. We’ll know by then. Okay, because if we don’t, if we don’t have an idea by saturday morning, that isn’t a good thing and I mean. But, like I said, trends all look good. It’s early april, that’s a key. It can’t be later because of the weather. Everything’s looking good and toledo’s not the way it used to be, which sounds weird, but it’s true. I think when people notice toledo is on an uptick also, that helps. Sure it does. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re not.

[00:47:22] Scared to go there so yeah less reluctant I don’t want to think quite like that but correct.

[00:47:26] Yeah my dad would always hold my hand I’m like dad I’m 12 years old all right man that’s all right.

[00:47:33] So we keep talking about the weak signal show and what like I don’t know what year did that end when.

[00:47:41] Was the last time they had that, but it was 2019 was there? They had a. That was when covet hit and everything, everything shut down and fall of 2019. They were still trying to get vendors for.

[00:47:58] 2020, And they were struggling, which, come on, everybody was struggling, yeah, and I’m sure there were a lot of other decisions, and the thing is, you understand why the weak signals had to do what they had to do? Because their whole idea is they put a product on the table that nobody else had, nothing like it, and their fear was, little by little, it was being eaten away, and sometimes the best thing to do to memorialize something wonderful is you end it. What I mean? Yeah, you’re not wrong, and it and now and that’s, and- and I think one of my goals this year is to

[00:48:34] Try to. When I talk to people about, about the whole thing. It’s too, it’s to time the gap has been bridged. It is there’s been a show in toledo for 70 years, or in that area, what I mean.

[00:48:49] Yeah, I guess I didn’t realize it was that close, like there was never a year that was missed. Like when we know, when you hear like the goal there was a year missed, 2019 was okay, so nothing.

[00:49:01] Happened in 2019. You’re gonna laugh, man, it’s march, I’m buying like a fool going, they’re gonna have it, they’re gonna have it. They didn’t have it. Like, oh my god, what am I gonna do? I get a 40 by 60 hangar packed full with goodness. Oh, so we’re doing everybody’s spot. Would do we start building, flying it? Yeah, right, yeah, yeah. That’s, and the interesting thing was we didn’t make a decision in 2020 to do it, and what happened was the dayton monorama, so the dayton club.

[00:49:33] They have a huge swap down there to another swap but you guys never been to they got.

[00:49:38] A great swap 350 tables yeah we went last year for the first time tommy and I did yep all right we were.

[00:49:44] There too, front and center, right. Yeah, I got my 20 tables down there. Yeah, we were in the same. We were in the different building, yeah, but yeah, and the thing with the dayton swap is they were going to try to fill the hole that toledo had left, so they were doing their show in 2020 and they did do a marketing approach to vendors and things. But the one problem with the dayton show- nothing with the show itself- it’s not toledo. What I mean. In order for the toledo show to work, it’s got to be in toledo and it’s got to be the first couple weeks of april, but it has to be. Yeah, like I would never change that. That’s why I drive two hours to go to the venue.

[00:50:19] Yeah, we considered it and I’m like that’d be suicide. Yeah, so we stay in. We stayed in toledo and I called paul stimmel, who puts the date in my ram on. I introduced myself. I’m like, hey man, are you guys doing your show? I remember, I remember this. He’s like, yeah, he’s telling me about. I said, cool man, we’re gonna do our show too. And that’s when paul found out that, hey, there’s some group of misfits that decided to try to do something in toledo and I, I’m, I’m.

[00:50:51] Sure they were. They were the amount of time they put into trying to market to other vendors, and so I sure took a little wind out of their sales. But you’re gonna learn something about me and my crew: we, we love all swap guys. They’re all the same to us. We’re in this together and so we did the first show and I’ll never forget it. I mean, I, I was a mess. I’m not gonna lie to you, I was, it was, it was an emotional, it was tough and then it was all over.

[00:51:22] And I remember the looks on people’s faces and when people are genuine, how they say thank you, what I mean? You say it sometimes you’re like thank you, but the it’s like, yeah, okay, but I mean it was. It was heartwarming and it was actually during that first year. We signed a five-year contract with seagate and, oh, did I learned something about that? But we signed a contract because I thought when you sign a contract, things can’t be changed. Oh, what was I thinking? But we signed that contract. It was a big deal. And then here we are, five years later.

[00:51:56] Yeah so that would be this is the last year for that contract this is well we.

[00:52:04] Well you remember that part where he said he thought it was written it was not you.

[00:52:10] Know, yeah, if you look at any good, if you look at any good contract right towards that last page, I will promise you it’s going to say something that any time either party come back to the table, yeah. So yes, I think what up the first, the five-year contract, was kind of like a good faith commitment that we were interested. But each year we have to, let’s just say we renegotiate. But I think sometimes it’s tough fellas that the seagate center is a twenty thousand dollar.

[00:52:45] Center. That’s what we pay for that. Yeah, twenty thousand dollars, think of that. Yeah, that’s a lot of money, yeah, yeah, thank god, we had a great november, right, we had a good push in the beginning, and I’m only telling you that because I’m an open book. I mean, we, we aren’t getting rich, but it’s not about that. It’s bigger than that and but that’s a lot of money and that’s why we need as big as that show was last year. We needed it. What I mean we’re needed again this year. Well,

[00:53:18] And I can imagine that the seagate center is probably not getting cheaper I didn’t.

[00:53:23] I didn’t realize that they counted people in and they used to ask for estimates. I give them estimates of how many people came and they were a little off by, let’s say, a thousand people. And then last year they asked how many people came through? I’m like, I don’t know a couple thousand. I said, yeah, yep, 3041. I’m like, oh, they’re keeping track. Yeah, yeah, yes, yeah, so they know this. Oh, yeah, yeah, and we just, but they’re, they’ve been very good to us, but each year there’s a new cost. Sure, like, like putting up tables. We have a choice to make.

[00:53:56] Either we put up 400 tables or we pay them to do it. Well, I don’t know if you saw me, fellas, but I’m I’m not the most physically fit cat and my crew I mean, they’re better than me, but I ain’t seen a lot. So there’s a cost there. Sure? That’s like before we even opened up the portal to get registration. This year we’re four thousand bucks more than last year, just on increase in cost of the glass city center, and the table cost four thousand. Yeah, right off the bat. So everything that profit, if you want that we had last year, it, but we’re okay all.

[00:54:28] Gonna be good. Yeah, it’s gonna be the biggest show yet. It’s gonna be for sure. I, I, I, I would be shocked if it weren’t very excited. This is an exciting year. I think I say that every year. Well, but I’m really.

[00:54:40] It out excites the last year yeah right exactly well this year when people come through.

[00:54:46] The doors there’s gonna be and even when people, when people walk the conclave to the doors, it’s. I’m super excited because this year we offered sponsorship packages where commercial vendors could sign up for a certain level package and with that package there came perks and so we’re going to have column banners and the and all those monitors now will be for specific reasons and when you go into the arena you’ll see floor logos with booth locations and different things that we did.

[00:55:16] To help bring money into us, but to make our vendors feel important. So I’m pretty excited about the signage, just because we haven’t had it before and it’s gonna look awesome. Yeah, I, I really I’m pretty excited about that. And I’m excited too because I know I’m very lucky. I’m the only person that knows what, how many spots were actually filled in that front section year one and how we- you guys- are that game. We have three shells. You hide the ball or shell, just keep moving. That’s about what we were doing, but this year we don’t have to do it anymore. That’s I, I, I’m, I’m just.

[00:55:51] So I’m excited for the people to come this year because it’s so. It’s it’s so much different than last year. It’s there’s so many more vendors. The swapping numbers are through the roof already. I mean we’re 25 percent farther along right now than we’re last year with swap tables. That’s awesome. Yeah, so what I just told you about trailers and park in the back section, that’s if I mean we have it. We have a game plan. If we can’t, if we have too many tables, the first 20 tables will be mine. We won’t put them up, I’ll give them away and then I’ll put my tables in the

[00:56:22] Third section. Who knows? But we gotta do what we gotta do, because I will tell you one thing: we aren’t saying no to anybody’s 25 dollars. They’re like: you still have tables on, we’ll have.

[00:56:33] Tables forever man that’s right yeah we’ll set you up on the docks if we gotta that’s that’s.

[00:56:39] Actually not a bad idea might be a little extra for that outdoor view good thinking a little colder.

[00:56:44] Out there, but that’s all right, that’s all right, just dress more layers. Like I said, we have. We’ve seen the growth and that has, I mean, it’s become a yearly tradition for us guys to go when we.

[00:56:55] Can yeah it’s one of the only things I really look forward to in the spring early spring.

[00:56:59] I mean, I really appreciate that fellas, and this is I appreciate you guys contacting me to do this and I just appreciated meeting you last year because, like I said, it’s so funny to see all those signs that pop up because we all do something. The heck are those guys. Yeah right, that’s what it was. Until last year, I never did one of these little podcasts and I’ve done a couple. Now I got a couple more in it. It’s what’s my first. That’s what it was. What’s interesting, I always have trouble with my microphone on every podcast I think I’ve ever done. I like this one.

[00:57:32] Better too, because, like I said, I’m not the best looking cat in the world. So this is my kind of podcast where, where I have that soothing radio voice, they could sit back and go. Man, he must be good looking man, this guy face for radio, that’s right. Little do they know. It’s kind of like catfish. And they come to philio immediately like, oh yeah, we’re all the same way. That’s why it’s all yeah, yeah, nobody.

[00:57:53] Wants to look at this either. So I sound fantastic. Absolutely, that’s funny. So you obviously have flown for quite a while. What so? I have two questions. One: you kind of hit on early with the, the unicorn, with the f-18, with everything that you’ve seen. Is there still a certain airplane you want that, if you ever find that it will go home with you and not get sold again? Yes,

[00:58:26] And if you don’t want to say what it is for fear of some other swapper buying it yeah that’s fine.

[00:58:31] It’s funny you spent. There’s not a chance I’m going to tell you what it is, but I will tell you early on in my swap days. There was a time you, we, we made some really decent money selling used airplanes. If we bought in balkanuf and I would travel all over. And I got a huge collection with some beautiful big electrics and there were a couple that were kit built. I’m a huge kit built guy. Most of my stuff is kit built. Now I don’t build them. I have a builder I pay to build because I’m terrible and I can afford to do that a little better than I could. As a kid my dad made me

[00:59:05] Build and I didn’t enjoy it. But there are- yes, yes, and I’m I, yes, they will come home with me- a group of them, a group he’s got a group. Yeah, there is, there’s, yeah, and I, the minute I sold it, I regretted it. But oh, you had one once and I had four once, okay, and I had them. When you own something, you’re all excited, but then you’re like god, it’s worth a lot of money. It kind of.

[00:59:32] Happened yes I needed the money yes I needed exactly what that feels I needed the money.

[00:59:36] But, like I said, in all seriousness, I also have a builder now. So when I was growing up as a kid I’d see all these cool things in the hobby shop. But my mom and dad were school teachers. They didn’t have a lot of expendable cash and I mean I got things for free from the hobby shop but it was what my dad gave me, what I mean it was. It was never what I wanted. It’s hey, here we’re.

[00:59:57] Gonna build a falcon 56 again because it’s been on the shelf for six months all right all right you.

[01:00:03] Know, and so right off the bat I wanted a balsa usa quarter scale. Aronca, aronca c3. Aronca the bathtub- yeah, I have one. I had it built. I wanted a dr1 quarter scale. I have. When I had it built I just I finally landed a gb, the 120 size, great plains, gb lord, have mercy. I saw it fly once. Yeah, I’m gonna sell that one, but I had it. Not so much, I had it, I got a world, a world.

[01:00:34] Champion pilot fly. He comes down and we put a demon cortex gyro in it. I had a innovative designs power system. It was a rocket ship. It comes down. He said that it just something ain’t right. That just ain’t right and I’m like that’s why it’s getting sold. So it’s gonna go with me to saint charles. We’re gonna let that one go. I’ll tell you one that I will want. I want a stuka. I sold a stuka too. It wasn’t quite the personal connection, but I sold a stuka. I should know. So if I ever come across a big quarter scale kit belt stuka- probably a zoroli- I’d love a stuka there you.

[01:01:07] Go just thought of that because you guys are costing me money and I’m sitting here on my couch thanks.

[01:01:11] Right, right next to the wife. Yeah, yeah, right, exactly. No, my, my wife fell asleep. Talk a little more about money. Nice, we have that effect on people. It’s funny. So if you hear me say something like god, she’s fantastic what that means. Yeah, she’s like woke up. Yeah, you got there right. Yep track. I’m just kidding, I couldn’t do this on my wife. My wife puts up with me gone a lot. Yeah, because my thought is, if I want you to come to my show, I have to go to your show, and I’m not gonna lie, I love it, guys, I love it. I think I love it. I do. I love the swapping which

[01:01:45] This year is gonna be tough on me. I’m gonna not gonna lie to you. Yeah, you’re not gonna remember. I said friday morning. I don’t know if you caught that part. Friday morning, when the show opens and we have paid attendees, I’ll be up front, but thursday I’ll be on the prowl. There you go. Thursday’s the fun day. Well, this is that. It’s interesting because we’re one of those odd swaps. I don’t know if you guys ever were in the swat at the old week single swap, something that was interesting as they didn’t want a selling product on thursday. Okay, well, when I’m getting

[01:02:16] A 50 table room and I’m paying two grand for the room. I’m, I’m selling whatever I want whenever I want. I got to, yeah, and so they. They used to always tell us when they get mad at me because I was always I hated paying the money. I paid for tables. They charged me full amount: 50 tables. I paid 25 bucks a table. Or I was there on sundays when nobody else was there. They’d come up and collect my money and it, it, it really kind of drove me nuts that part. But they wouldn’t want to sell anything early. Well, I’m gonna be honest, fellas, the way I look at this show, it’s a three-day swap.

[01:02:49] Yeah, bonus day: thursday. And the funny thing is, if you’re there all three days, you realize how many guys have extra stuff in their trucks. Trailers go, oh, yeah, for sure. Last year I think we had more on saturday. We had on friday and on thursday, because guys just kept bringing stuff. Yeah, I that again. That’s awesome. Another fun fact: last year I wish my wife was awake. One of her big things is she saw somebody sign in and his last name was monk m-o-n-k. Like the like. What was his name? M-u-n-c-h. We just got done talking. How wonderful you are, my wife. It was monk and it was.

[01:03:29] The famous painter. There’s a painter, I guess, and, and his grandson, right man, his nephew was at our swap. And so I finally went over the guy. I’m like, listen, my wife’s gonna make me ask you this question. I’m so sorry, but are you related to this guy? Yeah, I’m his nephew. I’m like, are you kidding me? And he really was. And he had the accent german, right skin something, I mean european. He was at our swap. It is the nephew of a famous artist. That’s awesome. And he had turbine jets, didn’t sell one, he’s.

[01:04:01] Like I’m coming back. I’ll try again next year. I’m thinking you sat here for three days. He must love it. Yeah, he’s coming back. Yeah, but where has that effect on people? Yeah, so it was. It was actually fast and I’m like I was so I don’t want to say embarrassed- like this guy’s gonna punch me in the head- at least he said I’m his nephew, but he gets out his phone, he shows me pictures like: oh my god, he really is. So then I had to bring my wife over, because she is the most wonderful swapper wife ever, and so what kind of planes do you like to fly? Gosh, well, when I was, when I was younger, I

[01:04:41] Was I. I used to race quickie 500s and I thought it was a fantastic raker here racer here locally. I had my rossi 40. We were all excited and then I went out to the ma nationals and we had five airplanes. I think I had one that made it in the air for one lap and the other four were destroyed on takeoff. That was into my quickie 500 career and then I’ve dabbled. I’ve been helping people fly since about seven, seven, eight years old because my dad was one of the main flight instructors.

[01:05:13] And he had no temperament so he’d let the kid do it. That was back in the 72 megahertz day where you’re passing transmitters back and forth- the good old days, yeah, yeah. So I’ve done a lot of that they. My nickname at my own club is called high wing hank because if it has a high wing I could fly it. But now I love, I love edf jets. I’m looking at getting a turbine because I want to go faster.

[01:05:36] And, believe it or not, this is going to sound kind of corny maybe, but I love night flying, either with a real small group or alone- it’s just my time to breathe, yeah- or going over at my- remember I didn’t tell you this part- my dad’s property is 30 acres. In 2017, I actually built a house on his property, so my dad’s house and my house were there about 400 feet of each other. So I’m right by the flying field. So I love going over the flying field at dusk with either the bigger ronka, where I have a quarter scale pete and paul- just do touch and goes, touch and goes, touch and goes. I love.

[01:06:07] That too, that’s the best, I guess. Yeah, that’s awesome. I, I, I love that. I love night flying too. I thought my big lazy bee would be fun to fly. But a four, a four motor edf lazy bee that weighs 21 pounds, yeah, it’s not much fun, yeah, but I bet I do like that. It. Oh, it looked really cool, but yeah, that’s, and I like help. I like I liked helping people fly when I had a shot, but if you could believe it, it got to be too much. One summer I helped 112 pilots solo. Wow, and that’s.

[01:06:40] When I learned the power of safe, because if I didn’t have horizon hobby, or if I didn’t have horizon and they didn’t have their safe, I could have never done that. You can’t do that, yeah, and that’s something I know. A lot of the older, some of the older club members, really get angry about this phone stuff with these gyros. I think that could save the hobby. I mean, in a way, it’s really helped build a high because those gyros and drones are in helicopters. I mean, I remember building an airplane all winter, going out, flying at once and destroying it. Boy, I can’t wait for my summer to be over. That was really fun, yeah, yeah. So I like to fly a lot of stuff and.

[01:07:16] The weird thing is- and you’ll get to see this up at toledo- I mentioned the joe david. We actually I sold his collection but when I started realizing how, what a connection I had to joe david because of the, he did an early toledo expo and I loved his family, we kept a lot of them. Then we converted everything to electric so we’re gonna bring him to the show with us- cool, and we have some of the pictures with him and his airplanes and we’re starting to take airplanes that we buy in estates and fly them like. I had a last drive for an uproar 40. I don’t know if what. That is just a profile, a little mid-wing plan. We had a wankle- yeah, os wankle 30 on.

[01:07:52] It. That’s rotary 30. Yeah, yeah, I always wanted was a kid, we couldn’t afford it. My buddy’s like: let’s fly it. I’m not kidding you. I think we didn’t take the fuel, I think it had fuel in it. We fired that thing up. It was unbelievable, I mean just fantastic. So that’s I guess. I fly everything. I’m not picky.

[01:08:12] Yeah, you, you brought up night flying, and it’s actually kind of funny because we had really never done that until I think it was two years ago at toledo, something like that. Yeah, one of the guys that was there was selling a shiny- and it was it’s flight works- made it. I don’t even know what it.

[01:08:31] Was several years ago. And wait a minute, wait a minute. Is this a glider? Yeah, well, it’s like a walk glider. It’s white. Yeah, it kind of looks like it, but it’s very shiny because we made fun of the name. I got one. Seriously, okay, yeah, so light up how to go sold it. Yes, I got a shiny. I love those, so okay.

[01:08:50] So funny story then. So that was the first time I had bought- and really I think any of us had bought- an internally illuminated airplane for night flying. I like the, the look of it. Dave, couldn’t stand the look of it because of the, the design or whatever that’s on it. I can’t stand the camera.

[01:09:08] I walked past that thing twice going oh my god that’s the thing I’ve ever seen in like light blue.

[01:09:14] And green it was. Yes, I know it well. So I got that. Like I said, I fell in love with it. It’s it’s one of those planes that I wanted to make sure I never had to worry about losing. So I looked all over for a second one and I could not find one. Tommy wanted one too. We could not find a second one anywhere. So, long story short, we ended up building electrostreaks and stuff, because they’re kind of close. Love the.

[01:09:38] Electro streak right did you see horizon’s new release today yeah I know I’m sorry I’m digressing.

[01:09:46] No, that’s okay. I was excited about that too. That’s a good looking airplane, yes, sir, and 130 miles an hour on for stock prop. Yeah on that, but I too am digressing anyway. So I finally- one of my friends that lives up in wisconsin, oddly enough- saw a listing on facebook for a guy that was selling a bunch of airplanes. He was selling an estate and he had just- and I don’t even know how the guy

[01:10:17] That sent it to me, saw it because it was just. You had to zoom in on this picture to see a box that said shiny on the side. So, long story short, a new one, yeah, brand new. One box never been put together, yeah. So long story short. I ended up getting in touch with the guy. He lived- I think it was about two hours away from us to the to the east of here, went and picked it up, ended up buying almost all the planes that he had- most were new in box- and sold those at toledo in 23, 2023. Yeah, and used a.

[01:10:50] Lot of that money to fund my recent jet purchase of getting into turbines but oh we need to talk.

[01:10:58] Oh there it’s yeah Ron and I both have been bitten by the bug as my buddy says why do I swap he.

[01:11:05] Always says jets are expensive yeah yes they are yes they are damn they’re fun they’re like oh it’s.

[01:11:11] It’s addicting, yeah, anyway, circling back, because I got way off topic, going back to the, the shiny was our first night flyer and that has really opened up. Like we love flying at night too, yeah, and we have all got airplanes now just for the sole fact of flying at night. Yeah, and it’s so relaxing, so it’s a blast.

[01:11:31] And the shiny fly is so good and sometimes that’s the best part of the day serious if you guys want.

[01:11:36] Another shiny. I know a guy has got one to sell just saying, of course you do, why wouldn’t what? You’re gonna sit on the table too, and it’s gonna have your name on it, so we’ll see what we and what we do is. I have that builder so he puts lights and everything. But if you like your turbine, I’m gonna give you. I’m gonna give you something really cool. Take an edf. Last year our night flyer was a viper, 70 millimeter viper- oh, that’s one. There is nothing more fun than.

[01:12:07] An edf at night. This year I got a 90 millimeter viper, and charlie from tgk connectors put the lights on it for me and that’ll be my night flyer- not my only night flyer, but right, let me tell you something. You do a split s at about 130 mile an hour with an edf in the middle of the night and for about three seconds you lose the color. What a rush. It’s a blood pumping, doesn’t it? Right, that’s, it does. Well, I’m, I’m actually started doing we. We landed with the gears up, no gears down, we just

[01:12:37] Landed on the belly, oh, because it’s a little hard to judge at night with those and I don’t want to rip them off. But yeah, yeah, I’m doing the 90 this year. That’s actually well and that’s the nice thing.

[01:12:46] About the shiny, though obviously no gear, but it illuminates the ground so much you can see how high you are off the ground. But, and speaking of viper 90s, I actually have one that I well, let’s just say I flew too long and ran out of battery and so it’s no longer pretty, which made it much of a glider. I know they’re not, but anyway so it. It gave me an extra one that I wasn’t.

[01:13:11] What I was okay messing around with and I’m not done with it yet, but I actually have floats on it and I’m hoping to fly that at joan all. Do you float fly? That’s awesome and joan all? Yes, I love.

[01:13:23] Float flying. Yeah, I, we, we float fly also. So I have. Last year- I don’t know if you saw it on the table- I had that swift. It was a real nice 1930s blown up. It was blue and yellow and beautiful floats. Looked like a racer- that was mine and we took an a10 and put it on floats. Let me tell you something. I’m I’m gonna tell you. It’s got some unique flying characters. At least the 80, the 80, the a10 did so. I love your thing. See what this is: a bunch of geniuses sitting around talking. I know.

[01:13:55] Right stuff right there I love when I hear guys do things like us because I don’t feel so.

[01:14:00] Out of place. That’s part of the fun of the hobby, though. Just doing dumb things, that makes you smile. Yeah, and that’s yeah. That’s what I love about it. So, yeah, and cool that you’re going to joan all. Are you going to be selling airplanes there? Are you taking anything or not? All right, since, since you

[01:14:18] Know what I’ll. Might as well announce this on the podcast. It’ll be fun. Yay, sweet, I’m doing, I’m doing. Well, I have 1.3 Things in the works. Number one: I will have a, I will have a vendor space and I’ll be advertising on the joan all page. I’m going to sell consignment for guys because, if anything about joan, all their airplanes for sale everywhere, everywhere, oh yeah, which makes it difficult because they’re everywhere. Yes, and what I had friends there last year asking and they said people would bring them up to the vendor tent area. Once they got up there they sold right away. So my thought:

[01:14:49] Was. I will take some on consignment- nothing crazy, pay for my spot. And then I am contacting joan all. I’d love to do a midweek swap. There’d be no cost to anybody at joan all. There’d be no cost I. It’s not for profit for me, I would just need space to do it. So hopefully we can do something, because I think these guys, all of us that stick around for a week, it’d be awesome to have a swap right in the middle of it. That for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s, that’s that’s what I would like to do.

[01:15:18] Yeah maybe on tuesday or even wednesday something like that exactly right before everything gets.

[01:15:23] Too crazy. Yeah, because my thursday, friday, saturday, with charlie and I mean I’ll be working. My wife’s actually coming down to help charlie work too, because I know he’s going to be swamped. Are you guys staying on site? Oh yeah, I, we’re taking down. We have a monaco diplomat, nice, yeah, yep, so pretty excited about. I was with, I was at joan all once before my dad, who was a pilot. He had a, he had an iraqa, the c7 iraqa, the yellow with the orange trim on the belly, and one of the one of the board of directors at joan all, at triple tree, purchased that airplane from my dad and was it was.

[01:15:58] Within a month for joan all. So he actually took the iraqa, he put it in the hanger down at joan all, put the third scale iraqa next to it and then he brought us all down. That’s awesome. Yeah, that was my first time. That was fantastic. We’re, we’re- we’re kind of like a misfit because we always do vendor rows and we’re not really a vendor, but we, we, we blend in. Well, yeah, you make it work, it works. Yeah, well, I think we’re at the point where, if we really want to sustain, we have to go to some of the larger events, and that is the large event. Yeah, right, so, yep, yeah, because this, I think this.

[01:16:30] Will be our third year tommy going right yeah so this will be our third year yeah where do you guys.

[01:16:34] Camp at. We’re at the new, the new campground: crater, crater. Yeah, that was new, for last year they had cleared a spot and it’s by the pond. Yeah, yeah, I what I, I was, I was, I was, I’m kicking.

[01:16:48] Around bringing down my 10 foot lazy bee night flyer because I know they night fly down there oh.

[01:16:53] Man oh yeah there’s there’s literally flying going on 24 hours a day yeah but now that another.

[01:16:57] You guys would be at the pond I might bring a water plane down there if you can there you go.

[01:17:01] For sure I got some really cool water planes that’s probably where we spend most of our time.

[01:17:05] Honestly, at least the first year it was for sure: yeah, that, and the e-line, yeah, but electric mostly, I would say probably on the on the pond. Yep, it’s sweet, it’s just such a laid-back atmosphere.

[01:17:15] There that it’s so nice. Yeah, it’s amazing. What’s amazing is you have the 50 foamy that it’s been wrecked 400 times and then you go up on the main flight line. There’s a.

[01:17:25] Thirty thousand dollar turbine sitting there yeah oh yeah that’s awesome it’s yeah it’s a weird.

[01:17:31] Juxtaposition. But it’s also awesome, yeah, and then you go down to the free line and you have to sign a waiver for your life. Yeah, so right, I’ll be spending some time down there because I have. Actually, we are the only swap meet that I know of that has a sponsored pilot. Nice, yep, one of the- actually our laser was sitting on the show table last year, green and white laser with our, with our labels on it. And it’s another. It’s a kid I met when he was 16. He’s 23 now, so and he’s good, he’s really good. So I bought him the plane, said: go make me look good. And that’s what he does. That’s awesome, so it’s.

[01:18:05] Fantastic. Except he told me just the other day he goes- hank, I’m gonna need another one go. Why he goes. I’m gonna wreck this one this year. I’m like, all right, I am glad that we had this conversation. Yeah, well, at least he’s honest. Nice to know, because I’m like a real sponsor. I have to. I don’t have any connections, I gotta buy one. So right, but yeah, it’s pretty cool. Do you want to shout out his name or say, yeah, his name is joe graber. Actually he lives up in minnesota. He’s got a fantastic job. He works at a military museum up there. They’re the largest restorer of p51 mustangs in the world.

[01:18:39] In his shop there are racks of wings of p51s. Now they restore everything else and then they fly him around the country. A lot of world war ii stuff. But I mean we get videos from him every other day of things he’s working on. That’s cool, yeah. So he’s a good kid. He’s a fantastic pilot. He’s one of those that he can. He cannot fly for six months and what he does with that airplane is terrifying, but you get used to it. But if you’re gonna go to the 3d line, you gotta be.

[01:19:04] Terrifying that’s true yeah I will I will never have the skills to fly there but I sure.

[01:19:09] Like watching. Well, see, that’s, that’s the thing. I’m like, god, I’d love to go to these events, but I’m already not a real vendor. I know, get a guy that can fly. So we wanted to bring in, we wanted it, we wanted to get some 3d and so because, like we have, get rc, we have, we have aj aircraft, yeah, I’m like. So we started going to some 3d events just to promote the hobby.

[01:19:32] And the show sure yeah just got to keep getting that name out there and push and push.

[01:19:37] And push. That’s right. Yeah, that’s awesome. Well, the week, the week signals did a fantastic job for 60 some years. Yeah, getting the name of toleo out there. Yeah, because we still have, and I used to explain. I’d spend time and explain. There’s no explanation. Like I just had somebody, I posted the event on facebook. Hey, you’re going down to two days this year. I’m like, yep me, why? Why go through the explanation? So, that’s all right. So did the week signals used to be three days then? Or because the week should? Yep, the week signals were friday, saturday.

[01:20:07] Sunday, but I’m gonna be honest with you: sunday was more like a throw-in day. The swap meet went from like imagine the swap a normal swap, and then go down to about 10 tables. That’s what it was. Yeah, take the swap, you our swap, our swap on the floor last year was bigger than what they had upstairs. They still had a great swap, but there literally was 10- 12 tables left. There was nothing left on sunday, though, and that’s when my dad and I would. We would go down to the main floor and we walked through once, so I could spend time with my dad doing that, to see, to see what was.

[01:20:38] Down there, but yeah, it used to be three days. They’re big days, just like ours is friday. It’s weird, yeah, because I would think saturday would be the big day, but it is not. I would have thought the same thing. But yeah, friday is huge and if you, I mean, and the other swaps, I know like you guys have been to parry right.

[01:20:52] No we haven’t done that one yet that’s bucket list yes all right well when you go to parry.

[01:20:58] We’ll talk and I’ll give you some hitters. But here’s the thing I mean. The first day I was told I have to get in line at 5: 30 by six, and I was. I was probably 30 cars back at 5: 30 in the morning. They don’t let you in until eight by six o’clock. I couldn’t see the end of the line. No, that’s for real. But then here’s the here’s the kicker. It’s at a state fairground and inside the fairground they had campsites. If you spend 55 bucks and get yourself a campsite, you go in whenever you want. So you get.

[01:21:29] Inside. But yep, 5: 30 is how you have now friday, it’s like that. So saturday we thought, oh my god, get up at 5: 30, kid you not. We got woken up about eight because we fell asleep. We’re the only car in line, there’s nobody around, it’s like a ghost town. So parry’s, parry’s crazy friday. Saturday not at all. That’s weird, which, if you look at, the one thing was wild last year with toledo is our numbers were much closer. There were still more on friday than saturday, but they were closer, and saturday’s crowds stuck around all day, they just didn’t leave, which was awesome. Yeah, because this year

[01:22:02] We extended saturday till five o’clock. I pulled my vendors and I mean it was over 90 percent that said please. So I threw it up on facebook. That was almost 100. So we’re gonna try it till five o’clock and then I think there’ll be a point where we’re gonna let people come in free sometime, two o’clock probably, what I mean? Yeah, just to get them there, get the hook in, right, exactly, set the hook. Yep, that’s a good idea, though this guy I hate giving up that ten dollar entry fee, but there’s a point where I guess it, with couple hours left, I can, yeah, yeah.

[01:22:36] Yeah you still want people to come in and get the exposure and like you said set the hook so.

[01:22:40] Well to be honest by that time a lot of the desirable stuff has been sold so it’s interesting.

[01:22:47] I don’t know how many swaps you guys sell. At our best selling is the last half hour, any swap, because usually people start packing up and you gotta understand. People go to swap with money and it ain’t to buy cupcakes. What I’m saying: yeah, they’re there to buy. Yeah, and our best and we, at any swap we go to, we get eight to twelve tables minimum, right, and our best time is the last half hour because people want to spend money and we’re there to help them.

[01:23:15] We’re doing our service. Yeah, you’re there to facilitate. We don’t want to take it home, you do? Nope, we’ll take the cash. So we do and, like this year, we’re playing a little game because we know we are going to flight fest again as both the vendor, even though we’re not, but we are. They don’t know this yet, I’m not. I don’t know if I’m gonna tell josh, and I think I’m just gonna organically- you have pop-up things. I’m gonna have a pop-up swap shop on one of the days where I’m gonna post it everywhere and not officially ask and just have it happen. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission, yes, because yes. Then I’m gonna say: oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know we couldn’t do that at.

[01:23:49] Some point the name henry rauhaus and toledo swap meet are sort of synonymous. Yes, so right, at some point people just sort of have to expect: if you’re at their event, yeah, probably gonna be a swap, probably gonna be selling something. Yeah, that’s funny, I hope.

[01:24:07] Joe and all sees it that way but yeah so that’s that’s what I’m gonna do yeah and I.

[01:24:13] Know there’s not much going on other than just flying and people just kind of well and.

[01:24:17] I’m gonna play, I’m gonna play on the heartstrings, but I believe this. Like you said, a tuesday or wednesday it’s not torrential rains and it could be an announcement, but I’m telling you would have a pretty good setup, I think. I think you have a lot of people go to a central location and my crew would run it. My crew at that point, be myself and my wife- she doesn’t know that yet- it’s a small crew going to joe and all well, that’s the a team? Yeah, that’s, that is the a team, but it is why I couldn’t you. You go to these swaps and there are things, people.

[01:24:52] Won’t buy right the. I can’t sell some of these profile foamers, these real beat-up airplanes. Well, when you go to flight fest, let me tell you something: there is nothing more fun than selling that garbage- I mean that quality stuff at flight test for pretty good money and then go watch them destroy it. Yeah, and literally I had a buddy and laugh while they’re doing it, having a good time. We laugh, and then they would come back. We’d take a picture of the wrecked airplane, but we had so much fun watching them destroy this stuff. I mean, we, I took, I literally cleaned out my hangar last year.

[01:25:27] With whatever I had left. It was gone. Wednesday when I got down there I called my buddy. I’m like, start grabbing the stuff. Whatever we had, we sold everything, yeah, and it was so much fun. But this year we’re we’ve been collecting 40 size balsa trainers. That’s gonna be our combat plane. So every combat we’re putting a balsa trainer in it because we can use it, because we can use the same power system. What I mean? Yeah, yeah, it’s gonna be electric though. Oh, it’ll be electric. Oh, yeah, everything’s electric. Yep, so those things, if you’re not having fun, there’s no sense in doing.

[01:25:59] It that’s right that’s that’s actually a really good idea actually yeah you just got rid of yours last.

[01:26:05] Weekend you should have kept now oh don’t worry any swap has about four or five hundred of them yeah.

[01:26:10] Yeah for sure you pick those things up for 20 or go on marketplace you can always pick a trainer for.

[01:26:14] Let’s say 200 300 bucks or less yeah depending yeah cool so how many planes do you have in your.

[01:26:21] Collection well it fluctuates I bet I know I know it fluctuates but just to let my wife is.

[01:26:27] Awake right now. Well then, so it’s three, three number, and then say it’s something else. Yes, now how many planes do I have for sale at any given time? I don’t know: 50, 60, maybe more, it just depends. I say I’ve seen my own personal. I will not sell it. Well, I can’t say that, even voiceover saying she’ll sell it here, it’s terrible. Well, go in the other room. Yeah, it’s like you need a drink, don’t you? Yeah, I

[01:26:59] Probably have. I’d say three dozen, that I would not, that I mean I’m hanging on to yeah, but I mean we’re trying to get rid of yeah right now, as bad as I thought, oh well, let me finish that 40 by 60 hanger right now. You gotta understand, though, that it’s kind of an unf it, because at any given time, I can have a couple airframes back there. I probably have a hundred foamies going to flight fest already, because what we do is, at these swaps, when it gets towards in and people want to dump, we’re there for them, yeah, yeah, and we just go pick up what nobody else wants, and we probably couldn’t resell it at a swap meet, but at flight fest they’re gold man, yeah, so that’s what we do.

[01:27:35] But no, I mean the most airplanes I’ve ever had in a hanger. At one time I had about 400 on my last year in toledo when I had to take the six 26 foot u-haul trucks- that was my biggest collection smokes. And then what happens? Like I was really proud because two years of I got down to like 20 and then it was a bad summer and so and it’s really bad right now. So, yeah, I have a lot, it just depends. But jets are expensive, so I’m gonna have to make that’s right, see, yeah.

[01:28:07] Exactly like I just picked up. I. I just picked up an elusive stagger, wing stagger, wing r5. Great planes, the big 120 size. Should I keep it flight or just sell it? Well, jets are expensive. It’s gonna be sold up in saint charles. It is I, I, yes, I. It’s got the robart, oh, it’s got a beautiful four stroke. It’s gonna bring good money up in saint charles. So there you go, she’s getting sold. I just bought a. I bought a legend hobby stucat or, excuse me, sky raider. And all the way home I’m telling.

[01:28:39] My buddies, guys, I’m gonna fly this one. They’re like: no, you won’t, you’ll sell it. Well, jets are expensive, so it’s getting sold. Saint charles too, yeah, yeah, you got to do what you got to do.

[01:28:50] Yeah priorities yeah it’s a fun hobby and jets you will enjoy so I can’t wait yeah and you got.

[01:28:58] The perfect I’ve flown a couple yeah I’ve just flown around to make sure I but it’s time.

[01:29:04] Yeah, that’s what I thought too, and they’re not to derail the conversation, but jets have finally, finally sort of gotten within reach of the average modeler price-wise. What I’m saying.

[01:29:15] Yeah, well, I mean, they’re still expensive, but, but, but, in all seriousness, I’m gonna give you two scenarios. Horizon hobby, that plug and play one they have is under four grand. Yeah, all right. Yeah, I don’t. You guys know who full throttle rc is. Chris barton. Full throttle rc, he’s the one that he is. Yeah, he has something. He’s in florida now he just moved from. Yeah, he, he’s the one that assembles our big, whatever aj aircraft is this year, which says we’re going to be giving away 103 inch laser z200 this year with a 123 cc gp engine, just saying: and then something different, we’re doing toledo this.

[01:29:50] Year we’re giving away a big 100 inch something on friday also I don’t know what, yet it hasn’t been donated. Yeah, well, what? Yeah, yeah, I was just plugging it there, but yeah, well, we found out. My wife cracks raffle tickets and on friday after the full crowd, we’re talking almost 2 000 people. I had 34 tickets purchased for the or the 93 inch raven last year and, and I don’t think people buy, even though we say we’ll deliver certain parts, they just don’t want. They want to be.

[01:30:22] There, because the next day we sold over 400 tickets, mm-hmm. So that told me I have to give one away on friday too. Yeah, but anyway, chris barton, you want a turnkey, a turnkey ranger jet, which is there, when a boomerang jet turnkey means he’ll literally that’s what tommy just bought. Yeah, the ranger, oh, yeah, I love it. Well, I don’t, I don’t. I don’t know what the cost of it is, but he puts it at your door, he’ll come and then you get your. He’ll give your license at 7 500 bucks. Sounds like a lot of money and it is, but it’s done. Yeah, it comes complete, it comes to your door, they get you.

[01:30:57] Trained, training, if you have that kind of expendable cash. Now I’m on a little different pattern, me too. I, I, I was all excited because I got a buddy who’s gonna sell me a turbinator- the original, yeah, the 80 inch turbinator, mm-hmm, I’ve heard that for a while. Beautiful, oh, yeah, good. He’s like 900 bucks. I’m like holy heaven, that is a cheap way to get into turbo. Let me finish the story. Oh, okay, he says because I need the turbine for it. I’m like son of a gun, yeah, but yeah, so I’m. And the thing is:

[01:31:31] Those turbines, as I’m sure you guys know now they- that was those. There is no cheap used turbine. They, they hold their value, yeah, yeah, they do, almost to the point where to save a couple hundred bucks.

[01:31:41] You might as well get the warranty with it, exactly, well, and it has to be sent in after 25 hours. So by the time you get around a little bit, you got to consider 250 bucks to get that.

[01:31:53] Yep, did you put a new ranger together or I did buy a used one? No, I bought, I bought. So I’ll try to make a short story long. I bought, I bought the last wood, the built-up ranger that they sold. They’ve gone to all composite now, so I have the last built-up wings, stab and vertical. Was it heavily discounted? It was well, I don’t know if I’d say heavily, but it was discounted. That’s all right. It got to a point where I could afford it and, yeah, I picked it up at joe null from dan landis last year.

[01:32:28] Well, that’s so cool. Yeah, yeah, so yeah, it’s a beautiful airplane. Yeah, well, I think boomerang. All of a sudden, holy mf-16s- wow. But that’s another reason I want to go to. Joe, null is what you just said. I want to meet these people, yeah, because I’m I’m running out of. I’ve done everything I can to get vendors to come to the show. It’s time for me to go meet them. Like, yes, like grc mike and his daughter ashley, I can’t wait to meet him. He’s like you are so persistent. It was five years.

[01:32:58] In a row. You’ve contacted us. I’m like why, thank you. Yeah, persistence paid off. Yep, real excited. Mike mulberry from high tech: I’ve been trying to get high tech to donate servos for our big giveaway, because I have a hobby shop so I get them at cost, but I’m trying to eliminate us spending. Yeah, well, this year, I mean he, he’s given us a full boat, almost two thousand bucks for the servers. Are you kidding me? That’s awesome. Oh, this is excellent.

[01:33:25] Man I cannot wait for this year I can’t wait to go now I mean oh there’s some there’s some other.

[01:33:29] Our raffle this year. I’m I’m not tooting my horn, but I will. It’s fantastic. I mean, last year’s raffle was fantastic, but I put in place a way where part of our sponsor packages for my vendors are they can. They can- donate and also get some of the perks. Man, why didn’t I do this five years ago? Well, maybe because it’s me doing it and I had. I had so many other things. But I’m telling you, the raffle this year is going to be sick. I just can’t wait for people to come in friday morning to see two big

[01:34:01] Hundred inch airplanes sitting there on the table. That’s going to be amazing, and I don’t I. I can’t talk about what the second one is, but I can tell you that Tom, over at valley of urc, you talk about a cool cat. I’m like, hey, Tom, would you mind? He donates an engine to the raffle every year. I’m like, hey, would you mind donating energy? He goes, yeah, he goes. Keep it under 150 cc. Like, okay, yeah, all right, I mean I’m gonna try to, but we’re gonna give away what? What? The giveaway on friday will be more civilian, like.

[01:34:34] Something that might be friendly to everybody. 3D airplanes are 3d airplanes, but exactly like joe lewis, aviator plus or gp engines, joe lewis, another giving guy, I mean the. There are so many fantastic people in this hobby that donate and their time and their energy and their product, I mean that’s, I couldn’t do without them. I, I really couldn’t. Yeah, I just, I just, I love it. I can’t wait to say it’s, it’s so great to have boss usa and national balsa. They’re both donating big kits. Boss usa last year, I, I, I’m starting to know them a.

[01:35:10] Better and I feel like it. They just cut your, they give you the payment. I’m like, hey guys, now you signed up, listen, we got a raffle. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, we’ll give you something. I’m like, golly, what’s gonna be? Well, I didn’t know it was gonna be a 700 kit last year. No, and then that was good, we’re gonna do something bigger this year. I’m like, hey, what I’m not gonna say, no, fellas, yeah, yeah, right. And so even horizon, horizon is my unicorn for this. I have contacted- I think I’m on their do not talk to list on to the point- my wife.

[01:35:44] Wouldn’t let me do it, but I was just going to drive out there and sit at the executive office until somebody will see me and I don’t know why they don’t want to get involved, but they have donated. So I don’t, I don’t want to say like that, ally machini, he’s, he’s gotten some really nice radios the last couple years and servos probably about six, seven hundred bucks worth. But everybody always asks: is horizon coming? The answer is no and I don’t know how to change that. So I think I’m going to move on from that, because the vendors we have the same type of product. They have what I mean, yeah, yeah, and they are the. They are, I guess, if you want to.

[01:36:17] Say, the biggest distributor. But I can tell you one thing: the vendors I have at this event have the best customer service out there. All of them, and even vendors that have just donated- man, they may be.

[01:36:27] The biggest distributor, but they’re not the only distributor. That is correct. So no, agreed, agree, agree. Totally. Yeah, it’s gonna be a fantastic show and I, I, I just can’t wait to go. It’s coming.

[01:36:38] Soon it’s coming. I know I can’t, I’m not counting 60, 60 days, but hey, that is, it’s 60 days today. I watch that every day. I’m ahead of last year’s schedule because I have so much more to do. But yeah, I’m excited too and I’ll go through the where I hate it and then I’ll unhate it, yep. But to be honest, I’m looking forward to friday where I have all the right people in all the right places running the different things and I can- just, I could just- take it all in with everybody else. And it’s hard for me to do that because I’m- I am a- I just I’m a swapper man. And my wife just said:

[01:37:15] Control freak, I don’t know about that, but this year I want to take it in. I want to meet the people. I want to tell the story. I want to. I want to bridge everything together so people understand the expo’s been in there for a long time and, yeah, how important the week singles were. But even before the week singles- think of that- before the week singles, they partnered with somebody else, which is so cool. Yeah, so that’s what I plan to do, fellas, that is awesome and, like I said,

[01:37:42] We are very much looking forward to seeing you again in april yep yes sir that time cannot come.

[01:37:48] Fast enough that’s right highlight about you actually right now it’s okay we’re okay it doesn’t have.

[01:37:54] To come too fast. Right, I get it. Yeah, dave said that’s the highlight of his year and actually we at the end of every year- beginning part depending on when it falls- we do like a yearly recap of what we’ve done and what we’ve enjoyed and that kind of stuff. And last year dave said the top.

[01:38:12] Of his list was toledo well toledo is always a highlight it’s always a highlight and it’s hard to pick.

[01:38:18] That I know it’s not for hank, but for me. It’s a relaxing weekend with the guys. Right for sure, I don’t have to wear anything. I get away from my wife, yeah. All the other stuff that goes along with it, yeah, no, that’s true, the one hank’s working his ass off- yeah, that, but the

[01:38:37] Thing is the one that wasn’t me. I know I know, right gosh, I’m in teacher mode. The one thing that I wish- and it’s gonna- it might sound corny- as I wish my dad was around for some of this. Yeah, my dad actually was an ama carl goldberg recipient, award winner. No, no, kidding, I wish I wish my dad could see it, because I think it’s a big deal for him too, and I know he’s looking down from heaven watching it, but this was something we did together and he probably thinks you’re crazy.

[01:39:10] Yeah, yeah, he would not be able to do this, this podcast, because he doesn’t have teacher filter, even though he was a teacher for 40 years. He didn’t have a teacher filter, but he- I think this would be something he’d be like, man you did okay. So I’m not saying that’s a driving force, but I do think about that a lot, absolutely, because he was even my dad. My dad eventually had to have a leg removed because of diabetes and but he came the last couple years. I remember I got him a motorized scooter and he was so mad at me, but I mean to go around the floor one last time.

[01:39:42] I just that’s cool stuff. Yeah, he died during covet so I guess that was probably it was. I mean, he was almost 90, but so I wish that was happy. But everything else is good and I know I. Everything I say about how much I get crazy and I get mad is tongue-in-cheek, because I do, but it’s because of the love and I want everything to be perfect for everybody else. Yeah, and this year, as aaron dobbs just told me, you need to just sit back and smell the cough. Sit back, enjoy yourself, let your team do it. You put a good team in place, they’ll let it happen. So yeah, I’m excited.

[01:40:17] Even I hate talking on that- that I always announce the vendors and I know it’s important, but we’re looping everything. This year it’ll be done beforehand. It was funny: I’m the only guy in the world who, what it cost you. I got this guy a nice rc car I found because he wanted to chase his dog around. So I’m swapping a car and he’s putting all my loops together so I don’t have to say a word: live, it’ll all be done. I’m thinking, man, this is the way it should be. Yeah, that’s nice, that’s cool. Yeah, yeah, like the, the drone, the drone, the kid who did the drone video last year.

[01:40:48] He’s not charging us anything this year because he’s going to get a booth and I’m going to help promote his business because it was fantastic. He’s like: you think you think pods would like to have a drone follow? I’m like: are you kidding me? Yeah, yeah, you see it all the time on youtube. Yeah, and he’s. He’s, this kid is fantastic. Yeah, yeah, cool, so that’s gonna be a good time. Yep, before we get off here, what, what do you teach? I am a six, seventh and eighth grade science teacher. I’ve been in education for over 30 years all over. I’ve taught a rural district. I went down and taught in a very

[01:41:24] Affluent suburban district. And then when I came up here, I tried to get a job as a teacher but shockingly, when you have 25 years experience, nobody’s going to pay. They don’t hire for that. So I had to cross over into the other side. That was an administrator for a couple years. And well, hank, I’m a swapper as a teacher. I’m a teacher, I administration was just not for me. I love, I love teaching and I mean I. It’s kind of funny because you ever google.

[01:41:55] Big hank 13 on rc groups, you’ll see some of the stuff I’ve done with the students. I mean, I’ve had clothes my whole life and I’m really excited. I just got awarded a four thousand dollar grant up in cleveland. So I’m going to plant the seed this year and my goal is next year I’ll be bringing some of my sixth and seventh and eighth grade students from cleveland up to the show on friday. Nice cool. And my hope is I want to help the ama revitalize the education component, because I know there are

[01:42:31] Some things, but I think boots on the ground teacher can really help. So everything I do I’m going to look like but I mean we’re gonna do nothing. But we’re gonna do nothing but flight and I’m hoping that again that’s something I can, I can do with to help the ama, because if we don’t get kids involved,

[01:42:53] Man, yeah, well, yeah, I mean that’s. That’s very timely, because in the last issue of model aviation they’re talking about the future of clubs and one of the things they talk about is getting the youth involved, because without getting the youth involved, there is no future.

[01:43:08] Yeah, yeah, and that’s. It was a little scary at flight fest last year, which I know it’s a little different, a different organization, but their numbers were down 20 and that was their 10th year anniversary. Scary, right, yeah, because they’re usually in the younger crowd and it was the younger crowd was there. I mean, I hope, I, I hope of all hope that someday the ama and flight test can play nice again together, because I think they both have things the other organization would benefit from.

[01:43:40] Yeah, greatly. And if you really are all about the hobby, let’s be all about the hobby. So that’s my political, that no more politics. Thanks, that’s how I really feel. Yeah, so we got to get kids involved, or like we got to get the average age under 62- yeah, somehow, well, and

[01:44:02] The reason I ask about what you taught and stuff is: I kind of come from a family of educators too. My aunt was a teacher, my uncle was a teacher, my mom ran a before and after school care program and my dad was a high school math and science teacher and he taught for 40 some odd years. His whole thing is before he retired he wanted to be able to say he taught in five decades, which he did. So it takes a special kind of person to be a teacher. I could, I also. I want to teach. I want to teach also.

[01:44:33] In 35 years? Yes, sir, because that’s where I maxed out my retirement. So there you go now. And how did you? How did you escape the education bug? I don’t have the patience that.

[01:44:46] They do for other people like that I don’t know I just it never was anything that was in me.

[01:44:53] Yeah, no it, it, definitely, it definitely. Yeah, I hear you, man, that’s cool. Well, as long as you find whatever’s passion, that’s all anybody could ask for. I had a similar family. My whole family taught and I’m like, whatever I do, I’m not going to teach, so I go. And I got into business. I took statistics. I’m like, forget this, I got it. I got. I took an elementary education math class. Like that’s what I’m talking about. Yeah, wow, yep, yep. And then, and then I met my wife and well, that was the

[01:45:19] End of that. So I went into education. Oh, that’s awesome. Well, I don’t know if there’s anything else we want to cover, but I think we’ve. We’ve covered quite a bit tonight, yeah, I think, oh.

[01:45:30] Man, I didn’t, I didn’t know we’re going to talk so long, but I- I gotta be honest- I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Yeah, me too. Yeah, I appreciate that. We never. It warms my heart, man, I sound like a gay school girl, but I’m serious. In your wildest dreams, did you ever think you’d be the?

[01:45:47] Face of the toledo show yeah that’s that’s a good question no I’m gonna try to shave this year.

[01:45:52] Though for that reason- and I sometimes actually feel guilty because there are some other people that are involved, but they’re involved in different capacities. One is almost like a silent partner, money guy, he’s there, and the other one is just he had a stroke, good friend of mine and he, it changed a lot of things. Yeah, but saying that I’m finally think I’m I, I’m finally ready to embrace that fact, because until this year I don’t I always talk about everybody else.

[01:46:28] Even in my letters- you look at my emails I send out to everybody- it’s we, we, we, and this year it’s I. It has to be because people know I can say we, but I. That’s how it is. So, yes, I’m embracing it and I, in a bit I’m gonna put on my big boy pants, and this hobby has done.

[01:46:48] So many wonderful things for me and opened up so many doors that it’s time that this is- I don’t want to say legacy, because it’s not yet, but I’ll tell you what. If I can, if I can, if, if my team we can keep this going for another, whatever man, that’d be awesome. And then it becomes something like that and that’s my goal. Yeah, but, like I tell, I’m on it with this guys, I tell everybody I meet. The show is great, it is, but you have to understand something: the only reason the show is

[01:47:18] Great is because everybody who’s there, the people that come to the door, the swappers, the vendors, everybody- because I can’t do without you. I can’t. That’s why I appreciate you guys- and I know I joke about that 25, but it was only a half joke- because I love the extra money from the table. But I do, I truly appreciate you guys and this, this podcast stuff is going to be because I’m a little older, but you just, you guys sound like you just have fun, that’s. And

[01:47:47] That’s what it’s all about yeah and that’s it if you’re not having fun it’s not worth doing.

[01:47:51] Right and we can’t forget that. So I truly appreciate you. I can’t wait to hear the finished product with this. I really can’t, and I hope when it’s over I can, whatever you guys do, I can get a file that thrown in the group. Oh, absolutely, yeah, yeah, because it’s been it. I had no idea what it’s gonna be like and I have to admit your email was so darn. Where wrote that you was that you Ron? Yeah, that was sorry about that. Holy moly, I almost thought I was gonna have to sign a waiver.

[01:48:20] I’m like, lord, what the heck did you send him I? I like to be thorough so that everybody knows what to expect. Oh, so you were thorough, sir. That’s the first time I actually read it. It’s like, oh my gosh.

[01:48:34] Yeah, that’s funny. I gotta read this thing. The thing is, though, when you get down to it, it really feels like we’re just four guys sitting around a fire talking. That’s right, well, and that’s what it is, and I guess that’s the goal of these. It was fantastic, absolutely, and that’s the thing. Like the.

[01:48:49] The email well I guess it might sound a little stuck up not even stuck up no I guess.

[01:48:56] If I didn’t know you were a swapper guy I would have been well it’s I like to cover my bases so.

[01:49:04] Because a lot of people. Okay, let’s be honest, sitting around talking into a microphone is not an easy thing to do if you’re not used to doing it. So I like to try and cover all the questions somebody might have and make sure everything is laid out. So nothing is unknown, except for the time. We had a problem with the time today, but that’s okay, we got it figured out. My bad, yeah, I’m not good.

[01:49:31] That I run into that all the time I get confused well so thank you for thank you for your clarity.

[01:49:37] You texted me and you’re like so that’s 5 15 my time and I’m like I don’t know where you are.

[01:49:42] No and that’s well yes I’m aware of that now that might not have been very clear but yes.

[01:49:50] And so then you sent: like: in five hours I’m sitting on my on my fingers going: okay, so it’s 11, yep as well. I’m like 7, 15 got it. That’s perfect, we’re good. I mean, you could have just said you:

[01:50:01] Know 6 15 central I did say that yeah but that’s so technical after that big email I’d.

[01:50:06] Expect that from. Well, that’s true, yeah, yeah. Well then, that’s the other thing I realized. I told you two different times, one was 6: 15 and one was 6: 30, so I’m like, oh that’s, that’s terrible, but we

[01:50:15] Survived. My takeaways are as follows. You verify with me one last time: jets are expensive and I wasn’t gonna bring it, but that shiny, it’ll be on my table. Dang it okay. And as a and as a true swapper, I’m gonna have that battery plugged in. She’ll be lit up. Hello kitten, there we go. I cannot.

[01:50:35] Wait. Well, that will certainly get my attention. The one thing you, you, you, left out of the, the kind of wrap up, is that jets, while they are expensive, are worthwhile. So just remember that, yeah, they’re.

[01:50:46] Expensive but worth the expense. Well, hey, you’ll get to see the viper down it. You’ll, I’ll have my, my, my night viper down there, so you’ll get to see that actually is fun. That’s, that’s you guys. Already there. You got them on floats. The next thing is night flying them. Exactly what else?

[01:51:01] You do maybe yeah maybe I’m floats yeah maybe I’ll put lights on my 70s wait a minute night flying.

[01:51:07] Floats that is fantastic we’re getting there we got ideas right on okay well hank thank you very much.

[01:51:15] I greatly appreciate you coming on. We’ll keep in touch and, for sure, if you ever have anything exciting to share, let us know and we’ll help you put it on the podcast. Excellent, well, thank you so.

[01:51:25] Nice talking you guys I’m looking forward to meeting you again in person in april yeah we’ll be here.

[01:51:30] Before it: yeah, I can’t wait quit saying that, all right. Well, thank you everybody for listening, until next time. I’m Ron, I’m Tom, I’m dave, I’m hank. Goodbye, good night, guys, take care, we hope you.

[01:51:44] Enjoyed this episode of the RC Plane Lab podcast. For topic suggestions, to ask questions or to give any feedback, connect with us at rcplanelab.com or email us direct at either Ron at rcplanelab.com or Tom at rcplanelab.com. You can also text us or leave us a voicemail at 818-351-9846. Please subscribe, rate and review us on your favorite podcast app. Until next time. May your landings be gentle.