Over the course of 43 years, the Hobby Lobby International team has earned their reputation for developing and selling "the best stuff" to the RC hobby community. We are the people you rely on for solid advice, a fair price and technical (sometimes emotional) support after the sale.

As the new owner of Hobby Lobby, I'm often asked, "what is it about this business that made you want to buy it?" The answer has a lot to do with the P-51 Mustang my younger brother Kurt got for his birthday. We each had several control line airplanes at the time, but THIS one flew great - it was THE BOMB! We flew for countless hours in our empty grade school playground. We would spin in tight circles, then fight over who got to fly last before the fuel ran out. When the dizziness wore off, we were excited to rebuild our planes (when we crashed it was always Kurt's fault – but I don't think he remembers it that way). We dreamed about cutting the strings and flying free with radio control. Our dad was a private pilot and he loved the radio control stuff too. But like many of you, they just cost too much at that time, so we never did get one.

I followed the controls with my father on countless take-offs and landings. He flew N9755W, a Piper Cherokee 160. I will always remember that amazing dialog between dad and the tower. He wanted us to love the experience of flight. When it was my turn to sit in the co-pilot seat, and on the rare occasion it was a sunny blue sky in Oregon, he would say, "take the yoke" and for a brief period of time, I was the pilot of "November, Nine, Seven, Five, Five, Whisky". Later, dad got his IFR rating and he stepped up to a T-tail, turbo charged, oxygen equipped Piper Lance with variable pitch propeller - a stallion that flew my family to Disneyland. Fast-forward to this moment and it all makes sense...

So, I'm the new owner of Hobby Lobby International and "I don't know Jack" about radio control. But I'm going to learn to fly. I'll start with a Flight Simulator. My team (they really do know Jack) confidently pointed me to a Wing Dragon HL as the perfect trainer for anyone. Next, I will get my daughters outside, involved in real flight and off that darn XBox. I look forward to the day when I can fly one of our F-18 Ducted Fan Jets and go from there...

Watching some of our customers fly, I'm amazed at how smooth and effortless these pilots make every maneuver look. I know, with the support of Hobby Lobby and some practice, I can do that too. I can't wait!

One day soon, I can say, "I know Jack" because I personally will share the customer experience and great tradition at Hobby Lobby for world-class customer service.

If there is anything we can do to make your experience better, please feel free to drop me a line at feedback@hobby-lobby.com with any questions or suggestions.

Our products are made all over the world, but it's still important to support your local hobby shop and to buy on the web from American companies like Hobby Lobby International – doing business with people you can count on.

Mark A. Cleveland