SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — If you’ve never heard of a control line plane, you’re not alone. It’s a hobby that’s been flying under the radar for quite a while.
In San Diego, Stewart Mossman and Scott Harris say they only know about 10 people who fly them.
It’s a sport that first took off in the 1930s, gained national recognition by the ’40s, and peaked in popularity in the 1950s and ’60s with events like stunt, speed, racing and combat, that test pilot skill and precision.
For these men, it started as a childhood passion, and somehow, years later, it brought them back together.
“Two years ago this month, my wife and I were riding our bikes through here and we ran into Stewart and some of the other guys flying this and I was like 'Wow, someone's doing this!'”
Now, the small group meets every week around San Diego, perfecting the skills they’ve spent years mastering.
"You have pretty good hand-eye coordination, you could probably do a bit better, but everybody's different," Mossman said.
"When we fly these fast planes, it's an adrenaline rush because these planes are going about 90 miles an hour," Harris said.
There may only be a handful of people flying these in San Diego, but the group is hoping to inspire a few more to join.
"A lot of people come by and go, 'Hey, when I was a kid, I flew a miniature version of this.' They go, 'I remember this as a kid!' So a lot of people remember it, but they didn't know that this was still going on. Maybe some of them will come out and go, 'Hey, I'd like to try this again!'"
If you are interested in meeting up with the group, click here to join their Facebook group.
