Amy Philbrick, who enjoys flying her Eindecker,
is wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Women Fly Too.”
Photo by John W. Philbrick.
Amelia Arroyo is shown at a school competition.
She enjoys rubber band-powered airplane
building and flying. Photo by David Hasegawa.
“It’s all about having fun, making new friends,
being thankful for friends who have turned
into family, and just flying your heart out,”
said Courtney, shown here after her noon
demonstration flight at the 2015 Orlando Heli
Blowout. Photo by Jennifer Alderman.
Female RC pilots
When I tell people that I fly RC aircraft, it often generates a lot of interest. After all, it’s a
unique hobby, not to mention one that
has predominantly male participation.
I chose to focus on female RC pilots
for this month’s column. These talented
ladies fly a range of aircraft and have
varying levels of involvement.
Amy Philbrick
Amy Philbrick, from Tennessee, is no
stranger to flying Giant Scale airplanes,
including a Sig Manufacturing 1/2-scale
Piper J- 3 Cub that she turned into a
Navy NE- 1. She also has a Fairchild PT-
19 and a Balsa USA Fokker Eindecker.
She became involved in aeromodeling
while dating her now-husband, Whitney,
in the early 2000s. Upon discovering the
wonder of flight at the Warbirds Over
Delaware event, the Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome’s RC Jamboree, and the
Connecticut Multi-Wing Fly-In, she
became hooked.
“I get nothing but respect at the
events we have been to. It’s a hobby
filled with great people,” Amy said.
Amelia Arroyo
Another one who enjoys
flying is 17-year-old Amelia
Arroyo, a California resident
who explained that her
father named her after none
other than Amelia Earhart.
She grew up immersed in
the hobby, having always
been intrigued by her dad’s
involvement in building
rubber band-powered model
airplanes.
Although today she
primarily flies nitro-powered aircraft
that she hasn’t left her
love of rubber band-powered flight behind.
She’s a participant on
her school’s Science
Olympiad team, where
she’s been recognized for
her rubber band-powered
airplane building and
flying abilities.
“People are thrilled
that I fly model
aircraft,” she told me.
“The reason I enjoy
flying is because of how
fun it is, as well as how
the activity reminds me
of my dad, whom I’m
very close to.”
Courtney
Another woman whose love
of flying has its ties to her father
is Courtney, who lives in Florida.
Courtney’s father passed away in
2010, but memories of him teaching
her how to fly in the late 1970s lingered
with her. “I wanted to do something to
reconnect with some of the fun times
we had together and immediately
thought of RC planes,” she told me.
She’s now an active participant in
several events, clubs, and organizations,
where she demonstrates her skills and
99 Model Aviation JUNE 2016 www.ModelAviation.com
SKY’S THE LIMIT
