Show Update

I got home from the show LATE Sunday Night, to find half of So Cal on fire, and many of my family friends being evacuated. The good news is that they have all been able to go back to their homes. I felt good knowing everyone was safe. Of course that can’t be said for so many people who are not able to go back to their houses or don’t even know if they have a house to go back to! The devastation and loss has left me speechless. How do you console someone who lost their house and now some people have lost their lives. It’s horrible. The good news is the weather will change, the fires will slow, and then the firefighters will be able to get in front of it all. There is, of course, hope.

 In a day or two, I’ll be caught up a little at work, the heat will have decreased which will mean I can sleep well again, and once we get to that point, I will get some pics and info about what we did at the show.

 For the moment, I’d just like to say we met so many great people. From famous national champion competitors to local modelers who just love the hobby, from great friends to hobby shop owners from all over the country who work every day to bring you the items you need when you’re pursuing this great hobby, we talked to a LOT of people about all of the products we showed.

They all clearly showed us what products were hot, what products they liked or didn’t, and shared with us their latest projects.

So, please let me get up some posts and fun stuff in the next day or two and then please, if you have any comments, questions, etc. send me some comments!

 The Chicago Ihobbyexpo show this year was the best experience at this show we’ve had in a long time. A great event for me personally AND for Global/Airtronics!

 To all of your modelers, enthusiasts, and hobby shops, thank you for coming to see us! We really enjoyed talking about the hobby with you!

 Mike

IHOBBYEXPO.COM (Chicago ’07)

The IHOBBYEXPO show in Chicago is this week. Some of the guys here have already left for Chicago to setup the booth. I leave tomorrow.

This is the first time we have represented Airtronics at the show and also the first time Global Hobby has exhibited at the show in several years. Frankly, it feels good to be back. I’ve been attending this show since 1989. Most of the big names in the hobby will be there.

However, what I personally most look forward to is seeing so many people. Customers, fellow modelers, and industry friends and aquaintances I normally only get to email or talk to on the phone. Modeling is as much social as it is creative, and this show is a time to be social while we all take in the creativity that is modeling. One walk around the train layouts shows just how cool modeling is in all its categories.

Anyway, I’ll bring back pictures to post here of course. We’re showing new stuff of course and I’m sure there’s tons of other cool stuff to photograph. PLEASE, if you’re in the Chicago area this weekend, come to the show, stop by the Global/Airtronics/XTM booth, say “Hi!”. I’ll be around until Sunday afternoon.

 I look forward to seeing you there.

 Mike

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B36

UK ASM agent really likes BIG planes! They have contracted the ASM factory to help them build a 23 foot wingspan B36! It’s HUGE!!! The picture shows the framework for the prototype wing. If it comes out nice, they are building 2 for display in a couple of Hobby People stores. IF it comes out under 100 pounds rtf (let’s hope), I will get one for demonstration flying in the USA. Will post more as the pictures come through!

Cool stuff in Beijing

OK, Beijing is a GIANT city (more of its own state really..) But, each year we go to a tradeshow there for the hobby. (http://www.cmexpo.com.cn/index_e.asp)And, so I thought it would be fun to share a fun place or event from this great city! Most likely I’ll post stuff over time from the other cities I visit too. This job has me traveling a lot and frankly, it’s pretty fun!

OK, so my tip for today is about a really cool little restaurant. (OK, little makes it bigger than just about any restaurant in the USA, but small to medium sized by Chinese standards…)

It’s called:

Mansion Restaurant (Always such original names when translated to English!)

Tel: 88356687

http://www.bjdazhaimen.com

The restaurant has great food from Chinese food Westerners will like to real Chinese delicacies only the most experience Chinese palate can appreciate.

The COOL part about it is the live show that goes on while you eat. Contortionists, Martial Arts Demo’s, Traditional Chinese Music, Dance, Beijing Opera samplings, and more are all part of the act. And you don’t have to speak a word of Chinese to enjoy the entertainment.

We eat there at least once everytime we attend the show. It’s fun, exciting, the food is good, the service is good, and the show is great. Westerners, don’t be intimidated. You will be able to order without problem and on most nights, there’s at least one English speaker on the floor.

I love traveling to China (I’ve been doing so since 1998) and this restaurant is one of my all-time favorites!

My First Real Post

(I’m the guy 2nd from the left…)

It’s a monumental event! I’ve actually created my first “real” post to my personal Blog that I established recently (recently…not really…. I actually signed up months and months ago.. but I wouldn’t want to rush into anything…)

The thing is being one of the R&D guys at Hobby Shack/Hobby People/Global/Airtronics USA has kept me pretty busy since then. Tradeshows from Toledo to California, and even in Shanghai and Beijing, China have made it seem like I’m never home. My kids hardly remember my name (luckily I bring them the odd-present or two which helps jog their memory.)

I would say my work here at the ‘Shack is pretty darn exciting. Well exciting for me since I’ve been into R/C hobbies since I was born. I’m a 2nd generation flyer. But enough about me.

Tons of GREAT stuff is happening in the hobby. I see a lot of it pretty early on and think maybe other R/C Pilots might enjoy seeing some of this stuff too.

For example. At the end of August I flew the first 2.4GHz Sanwa/Airtronics airplane radio every made. It was a hand-made sample built from an RD8000. Today, we have the first production quality samples of the transmitter (receiver case is not quite done yet) already! I’ve sent some out to some of our pilots for testing at some of the most interference ridden flying fields in the USA. Everyone wants 2.4GHz radios from Airtronics RIGHT NOW! But, we’re not releasing a thing until the factory engineers, our flight team, and ME agree that the radio is performing flawlessly. So, extensive testing is being done all across the country.

I get the fun job of not only trying one myself, but Sanwa/Airtronics extensively test the radio with our team all across the country! Fun stuff.

Anyway, I’m not sure where all this blogging stuff will go, but I think it will be fun to show off some of the fun hobby stuff I’ve been doing and get connected with all you modelers blogging out there (well, when you’re not at the flying flield!)

I do requests to so if anyone has any R/C Related Hobby questions/comments/concerns/requests, feel free to let me know. I’ll do everything I can to help you out.

Later all!

MIKE

-Dedicated to the true champions, those who fly for fun!!!!