Flights of Fancy
Sarah surprises Judgee with a new RC jet
A few miles from the town of Oton is an open field of dirt strip where a lot of different planes take off and land anytime of the day. This is one aviation field where there is no arrival and departure stations, no baggage claims and no limo services. Any one can just taxi off their collections of planes anytime they please with Sunday as the busiest.
Yes Virginia, I am talking about the Iloilo Modelers Club, an exclusive mix of young guys, serious professionals and hobbyists having fun. They collect different remote controlled "toys" -- airplanes, helicopters, air boats, race cars and dune buggy. These people are called RC (Remote Control) Pilots.
With each model costing thousands not including accessories, maintenance and fuel, it just simply means one has to have a bagful of money to keep up with this kind of hobby. Some buy them to show; others fly them for the thrill.
Judgee in his hobby room
One well known avid collector is Judgee Lopez-Pena, grandson of the late Vice President of the Philippines, Fernando H. Lopez and a semi-retired sugar baron who started his RC collections 25 years ago with only four airplanes. At present, he is considered as one of Western Visayas' biggest RC models collector with 46 airplanes, 26 helicopters, 12 race cars and two air boats. Two maintenance men are on hand to ensure that all these models are in top shape and ready any time depending upon the owner's mood to fly. Repairs, retouches and so with electronic and electrical problems are all done in Judgee's air conditioned hobby room.
Asked about his collection and the high cost of having such a hobby, Judgee is quick to answer, "It's just like other people's diversion -- golf, cock fighting and mahjong. Mine is collecting RC models and I play it with passion. I fly them almost everyday depending on the weather and if my schedule permits. In fact, my daughters Rita, Risa and Rica would sometime update me with the latest models they've seen when they go shopping in Manila. My wife Sarah gave me a RC plane as a gift during my last birthday. My latest RC aircraft is a PT 47 War Bird Thunderbolt powered by Nitromethane fuel. I am proud of my toys."
Maintenance men with Judgee's planes
After all the years of Judgee's management in their vast hacienda in Negros behind him now, he has all the time in the world to play with his multi-million-peso collection and maybe add some more. You'll never know!