I've been a fan of R/C aviation all my life.  A section of my garage is dedicated to crashed airplanes and failed attempts.  This week I finally passed over the threshold of becoming a competent radio control pilot.  

This past May at Maker Faire Bay Area, for the fifth year I had my compressed air rockets out in the back parking lot.  I struck up a friendship with fellow maker and MAKE author Breck Baldwin.  Breck designed the flying "Towel" for the past issue of MAKE #30 (see cover story: makezine.com/30/)  While traveling with my family around the US this summer we scheduled a build session with Breck in his Brooklyn studio (brooklynaerodrome.com/) with my kids where we built two flying wings known as the Towel.  We trekked them back to California and for the past two weeks I have flown them daily at my local park.  These things are a blast to make and a blast to fly.  We've had some tumbles, but the joy of having built my own plane from scratch combined with it's durability and incredible response pushed me out of the beginners circle.  Next up... towing banners, night flying and aerial photography...