Aimee Olson, an accomplished CL Combat pilot, discusses her experience as a woman in the hobby of model aviation.
To read “Model Aviation: A Hobby For All,” in which Aimee is featured, visit the July 2024 issue of Model Aviation magazine.
Clarissa Poston: Tell me a bit about your model aviation background!
Aimee Olson: I have been flying for as long as I can remember. My family tells me that I started flying as a little girl held in my dad’s arms. Growing up, I flew in all of the F-M Skylarks annual summer contests and many more in the Midwest region. I flew a bit of Racing, Stunt, and Jet Speed, but Control Line (CL) Combat soon became my favorite. The fast-paced, adrenaline-filled event was what kept me flying year after year.
My dad (Mike Olson) and his dad (Seymour Olson) flew Jet Speed as their main event for many years. They were actually the first people to figure out how to run a jet on a pressurized tank, increasing the speed of the event significantly and holding the national record back in the 1970s. My mom (Bonnie Olson) even flew some Jet Speed back in the day.
In my teenage years (1980s), we traveled as a family to many of the Nats—Lincoln, Reno, Chicopee, and Lake Charles. We also attended many of the Sig Manufacturing contests in Montezuma, Iowa. We would pull a small trailer behind our conversion van, filled to the brim with Combat planes. My two younger sisters also flew for a while. Just think of how many airplanes we needed with three girls flying Combat along with my dad! The most airplanes that we ever shoved in the trailer was just over 100 for a Nats competition. We definitely didn’t come home with nearly that many—ha!—making the trailer much easier to pack on the way back!
1. Aimee Olson and her dad, Mike Olson, practice at their home field in Fargo ND, back in the 1980s.
CP: How did you first get interested in model aviation? What inspired you to pursue the hobby?
AO: At first, Dad just said, “Here you go, we are flying.” But shortly thereafter, I really began to enjoy the hobby. I know Dad had hoped for a son to share his many hobbies with, but I really liked flying, even though there weren’t really any girls in the sport. Maybe it had something to do with all the cute boys flying when I was a teenager … ha!
It was really fun to do something with my dad that we could work on together. I got to know him much better and learnt to love something that he was passionate about. We made a pretty good team out there on the Combat field.
2. Aimee and her dad, Mike, check out an old Flight Streak that had an unfortunate mid-air collision during a little Combat.
CP: What are some of your biggest accomplishments within the hobby?
AO: My sisters and I started competing more in the 1980s, going to multiple Nats competitions and other contests in the Midwest. Back then, you could go to a contest almost every weekend. The contests became what I looked forward to every summer—competing with my dad and seeing friends from all over the country. The cool thing about the sport is that many of those friendships that started when I was a teenager have continued my whole life, so many of the people that I fly with today are friends that I had back in the ‘80s too. The Combat world is like a big family, until you get in the circle!
My sisters ended up stopping flying after high school. I took a break, but about 15 years ago, I got back into the hobby. My dad passed away 12 years ago and, at that time, my friends persuaded me to get back into competing. With their help, I have become involved in F2D Combat. It has been so exciting to feel the adrenaline rush come back after a good match, the excitement, and an occasional win! The airplanes are faster and more maneuverable now, 30 years from when I used to fly, but they’re still so much fun. I can’t believe how many of the same people are still flying and enjoying the hobby.
3. Lifelong friends are constantly made in the hobby. Here, Aimee is pictured with her friends (L-R) Steven Wilk, Dave, and Jeff Johnson.
Beginning to compete again has been a blast. I went to my first Nats many years back in 2015. It was like walking back in time—so much fun to see everyone and feel the excitement of competition.
Being a part of the sport again has helped me to feel closer to my dad after his passing. I’m sure he’s sitting up in heaven with some of the other old Combat greats, watching all of us run around participating in this crazy event. I can just hear them critiquing our flying and laughing at our mistakes, all the while being proud that we are still involved.
With the help of my dear friends Steve Wilk, Dave Fischer, and Jeff Johnson, I have been fortunate enough to begin to be competitive again. In 2019, I made an alternate spot on the F2D national team to compete in Poland. Unfortunately, due to COVID, that didn’t happen. However, I did secure a spot on this year’s national team for F2D, being selected as the woman to represent the US. I am thrilled to be given the chance to compete with the greats and learn more about the sport. I have a great pit crew, Dave Fischer and Jeff Johnson, who have been helping me get ready. I couldn’t ask for better friends and support.
4. The 2024 USA F2D team (L-R): Ausin Minor (Junior), Aimee, Andrey Nadein, Mark Rudner, Cary Minor, and Sam Londke (Junior alternate). Aimee was chosen to represent the US as the team’s female competitor!
CP: How has model aviation positively impacted your life?
AO: For one thing, it allowed me to do things with my dad while growing up. We got to spend quality time together building, practicing, and competing. Working on models with my dad also taught me about so many tools and how to use them. Learning all of these skills has been extremely important for me throughout my life. It’s awesome to feel confident in doing house projects that require tools, knowing that I can do it.
CP: Tell me a bit about your experience as a woman in the male-dominated hobby of model aviation!
AO: As a teenager, there were lots of cute boys … lol. Seriously, it was empowering to work alongside my dad, to compete against men and be able to hold my own in a sport in which there are almost no women. I continue to find it thrilling to be able to compete in a male-dominated sport and actually be competitive. It takes physical strength and emotional strength to be able to hold my own on the Combat field. These strengths and experiences have helped me in many areas of my life, not just on the Combat field.
5. Aimee’s mom, Bonnie Olson, and her dad, Mike, with their Jet Speed airplanes more than 50 years ago at one of the old Navy Nats.
CP: What are some of the ways that you feel women impact the hobby of model aviation in a positive manner?
AO: I think that many women have supported their spouses by becoming involved in the hobby, even if they don’t actually fly models. So many of the wives have helped judge events and support their spouses. These women play critical roles in the hobby to keep it going. Without them, our hobby wouldn’t survive. Plus, it takes a pretty special lady to join their spouse on a Combat field, listening to loud engines and sweating for days in the sun! If we want the hobby to survive, we need spouses to support it.
CP: What advice would you give to young women trying to become involved in the hobby of model aviation?
AO: Don’t be tentative just because there aren’t many women in the hobby. It’s a great way to learn about building things, using tools, working with people, competing, losing, winning, working hard, etc. Give it a shot, find a person to help you learn, and ask questions.
CP: What resources, if any, do you recommend for beginners looking to become part of the hobby?
AO: Find a mentor—it’s a difficult sport to be a part of without someone to help you.
6. Aimee and her friend, Dave Fischer, fly some 1/2A Combat in Fargo ND.
CP: As a female model aviator, have you faced any challenges or stereotypes? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?
AO: I think that some men are surprised when women can actually be competitive, especially in a more physical event like Combat. However, everyone has been very nice and respectful to me, along with always being ready to help.
CP: What specific aspects of model aviation do you find most exciting or rewarding?
AO: To me, the best parts of being involved in model aviation are the people that you meet. I have lifelong friends that I literally grew up with who I am still flying with today. Those relationships are what make this hobby special to me. It’s like an extended family that you see a few times per summer that has been a part of your life for years.
For example, the club I grew up in, the F-M Skylarks in Fargo, North Dakota, just held it’s 66th Annual CL event last summer. It is one of the longest running events in the US. Back in the day, we had 50 to 60 competitors flying multiple events, ranging from Carrier to Racing to Stunt and Combat. It was my favorite weekend of every summer. So many stories were made and so many friendships were started. The club continues the contest yearly to keep the tradition going.
CP: Are there any particular models or types of aircraft that you’re passionate about? When did you initially get involved with that specific type of model/aircraft?
AO: I love Jet Speed because my dad flew the event. The noise is amazing. Watching the jets is such a thrill. However, CL Combat is my favorite. The physical strength and agility that you need to be able to compete, along with the close contact with the other pilot in a match and the way that you and your pit crew need to work together, is so much fun. It truly is a team sport with many nuances that influence the outcome of each match. It is truly an adrenaline rush—I can’t seem to get enough of it.
CP: What positive changes have you witnessed in the hobby of model aviation throughout the years?
AO: There have been many safety features that have been added as rules to keep pilots and pit crews safe during the matches.
CP: Have you noticed a change in the way that women within the hobby are viewed/treated?
AO: Not really; I think most of the pilots appreciate all of the help that they can get to keep the sport going.
CP: Have you had the opportunity to share your love of model aviation with others? How so?
AO: It has been a challenge to try to bring in young people. We, as a club in North Dakota, have struggled with that. Unless you have the full support of a parent, young people just don’t seem to be interested.
We did do a special event when the [U.S. Navy’s] Blue Angels came to town in Fargo a few years ago. The F-M Skylarks built a trainer airplane and I helped about 50 children fly over the weekend. It was a blast; the kids loved it. We had flyers set up with everything a person would need to start flying—product numbers, etc., all from the Brodak Manufacturing website, to purchase everything that they would need. I’m not sure how many of those kids and families pursued buying their own airplane, but it was sure fun to help those little kids fly.
7. When the Blue Angels came to Fargo ND, a few years back, Aimee, along with the F-M Skylarks, helped more than 50 little kids fly models. Aimee stated that it was lots of fun and the children’s smiles were great!
CP: Is there anything else that you’d like to discuss regarding bringing more women and/or beginner aviators into the hobby of model aviation?
AO: Overall, CL model airplanes have been an important hobby to me for many years. Modeling has brought me deep friendships and many life skills in relating to people and working with tools. It has taught me to troubleshoot and work to achieve a goal. Competing has also shown me how to handle defeat gracefully and how to win with humility. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without my experiences in this amazing sport.[dingbat]
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