Building planes easy part, says retiree

Flyer: Cliff Palmer says his piloting skills have improved. Photo/Ben Fraser

When Cliff Palmer retired house renovations were on his mind but that project quickly took a backseat when he rediscovered model aeroplanes.

The 76-year-old says he built them as a teenager and dabbled a bit after getting married but radio-controlled models were never in his sphere.

By his own admission his first inaugural flight was a big disaster, but it sparked an association with the Rotorua Model Aircraft Club that has spanned more than a decade.

"I hadn't done radio-controlled airplanes before. However, I thought I'd just get one of these things and go out to the field and fly it. But that didn't happen. I crashed it, so I joined the club and they gave me instructions."

Frustrating and challenging are the words he uses to portray model aeroplanes and laughs, blaming his age because "young people seem to pick it up a lot quicker but as an older person it is difficult and you need good eyesight, I think".

He points to a yellow aircraft in his shed with a broken wing and says one is under repair after it hit a tree.

Cliff says building the mainly sports models was the easy part and his skills as a pilot definitely improved.

But the most important aspect to him was flying twice a week, the camaraderie in the club and the fact "you feel part of it actually, once you get the hang of it".

For more information on the Rotorua Model Aircraft Club visit
www.rotoruamodelaircraftclub.weebly.com