Art Hernden was 15 and conspicuously open to suggestion. Oh, sure, like most of his peers growing up within the penumbra of Detroit astride the World War II globe, his imagination was powered by the internal combustion engine and all that could be linked to it. ...more

March 15, 2009

In spite of the chilly weather, the recent grand opening celebration for Conner Preserve in Land O' Lakes went ahead with area schools and some residents attending to get a look at the conservation lands. ...more

January 28, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - As model airplanes buzzed overhead, a hundred or so people braved the blustery wind blowing from the north Friday afternoon to celebrate the opening of Conner Preserve, the newest addition to Pasco County's roster of public lands. ...more

January 17, 2009

"He's a jewel," is how Jim Welborn describes Sebring resident Jim Messer. ...more

August 18, 2008

LAKE PLACID –– Irv Barber was 10 years old when he built his first model airplane from sticks. It was a simple rubber band-powered plane. Now 75 and a retired homebuilder/developer, his enthusiasm for planes has never wavered. In high school he built and flew U-control planes. With two wires and a handle, they're flown in circles, loops and rolls. He continually advanced to radio-controlled planes in the '60s. Although most people buy their planes already manufactured, Barber has been an exact builder for quite a few years. ...more

December 3, 2007

SEBRING –– Whether it's flying his remote model airplane or cruising around the Heartland on his motorcycle, Frank Duplessie has a need for speed. The 90-year-old Duplessie, who seems to have boundless energy, celebrated his birthday recently with other members of the Highlands Radio Control Club off of Arbuckle Creek Road. Duplessie, who flew full scale single-engine airplanes in the past, has been flying remote controlled airplanes for 18 years. "I love flying planes," he said. "There is nothing like the feeling you get when you're flying. "It's total freedom from everything around you." The other members of the Highlands Radio Control Club, which was founded in the 1980s, gathered for their regular monthly meeting recently, and ended the affair by honoring Duplessie with a birthday cake. ...more

November 20, 2007

BROOKSVILLE — Just because an airplane is a "mini" doesn't mean it can't hold its own. ...more

November 13, 2007