Stan Alexander



Stan’s column runs bi-monthly and can be read in the February, April, June, August, October, and December issues of Model Aviation. His email address is [email protected]. 		Nashville, Tennessee, has been my home for almost my entire life. I started flying model airplanes at about the age of 8. Most of my early efforts were Sterling kits; some were Scale and others were Stunt models.
I got involved in Boy Scouts, and really learned to fly CL with a Cox PT-19 at the church where the troop met in the Una community. I went on to finish scouts as a Eagle, and eventually Scout Master. During this time, I built most models with Ambroid glue and dope.
After high school and college, I got the modeling bug again and built another CL biplane. Then for Christmas one year, Santa sent me a Pica Rapier, K&B 40, and an old Futaba tan box six-channel radio. After that I was hooked, and Scale is all I’ve wanted to do since learning to fly RC. I started the Volunteer State Scale Meet here in the middle Tennessee area and it flourished for several years.
I served as chief judge at seven Scale world championships, judged many Nationals, Scale Masters, Top Gun Invitationals, and one European championship. I have served as NASA (National Association of Scale Aeromodelers) newsletter editor, vice president, and president, as well as the FAI CIAM (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale International Aeromodeling Committee) F4 Scale representative from the US.
I compete at the Nationals as well as the Mint Julep Scale Contest when I’m not judging. The project on the workbench now is a 1/4-scale Pietenpol Air Camper; after that I’m looking at other projects. I like building from plans or kits from different designers.
One of my biggest joys at this point is to see my grandson learning how to build and fly models and his interest in tools of all sorts. I also have to commend my wife for her support and encouragement throughout the years for modeling and all other aspects of our lives.
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