I was always fascinated with planes, and I always wanted to become a pilot, but I never had a chance to. So the next best thing to flying a real jet was flying a model one.

I started with little model planes that you build and you put the little motors on. I went from that to building an actual airplane to scale size and putting a propeller on it, and then I became acquainted with the clubs. And it took me about 20 years to find out there is clubs! I just never knew...in the neighborhoods, you don't know nothing about it, unless you do the investigation; and I kept on going till I found something, and when I did find it, I was happy from then!

Right now I have two jets, I've owned about four, and I crashed one, which was a $10,000 pop. Actually, it took me two years to find out why I had crashed, 'cause I never knew why. Where we fuel the airplane there's a plug that you put into the line, and that stops any air from going through. My mistake was using a screw, thinking the threads would be a good seal, with layers where air couldn't go through, but actually air did go through. It sucked air in, and while I was flying, the motor went out completely, and I couldn't bring the plane back in and it ended up in the water. And it took me two and a half years to build it.

I've built every single one of my planes, with a blueprint, and pieces of wood and plans. That's it. And there's a lot, a lot of maintenance. Every time, before you fly it, you routinely check it; there's too many things in there to go wrong, that could cause you to lose your airplane.

I've seen plenty of crashes. It's really sad for the person who owns it, because that's $13, $14 $15,000 right there in one pop. It's really devastating. Your head hurts for days over it. Because it's years of building, and then just boom! But it does happen, so the biggest thing with these jets is maintenance, inside and out. There's no room for error.

The thrill is flying an aircraft, of having full control over it and not being in it.You're actually flying something in the sky, and landing and everything. And its beauty. It's very addictive! Once you fly one...it's over! That's what we tell anybody that tries it: once you get involved with it, it's very, very addictive.