It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman

Remote control airplanes date back to 1938 with the Big Guff built by Walt & Bill Good. Two brothers pioneering the radio control world. The Big Guff was flown for over ten years with over 1,000 flights. You can now find it residing in the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum of Washington DC. Walt was known as the “Father of the Modern Radio Control Model Aircraft." Walt passed away in 2002, and Bill just one year later. They truly believed the best was yet to come, and boy were they right. RC planes have taken flight- literally!

Academy of Model Aeronautics Information

Our shop has plenty of models in stock, or available to order. Shop RC planes HERE. The latest and greatest from Horizon Hobby the E-flite Beechcraft can be pre ordered NOW. 

What you need to know as a RC plane flyer from Horizon Hobby:

What you should know to fly safely and legally?

The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, is the government agency responsible for regulating all civil (non-military) aviation. Its oversight includes RC hobbyists who fly radio-controlled model aircraft for fun.

RC hobbyists are considered “recreational users” by the FAA. Specific rules apply to us, intended to ensure public safety in the increasingly busy skies. For example, RC hobby aircraft are not allowed near airports, over stadiums and sporting events, and in security-sensitive areas.

We're also required to have an FAA registration number that goes on any models we fly weighing over 0.55 pounds (250 grams). Not all RC aircraft available from Horizon Hobby need that number on them to fly legally. E-flite® UMX™ micro aircraft are among those that are exempt due to their low weight.

Even unintentionally violating FAA regulations can put an RC hobbyist at risk for criminal and civil penalties — so please be sure to read and understand the rules before going out to enjoy your models.

Horizon Hobby has an entire site dedicated to all the ins and outs of flying aircraft known as Horizon Hobby Flight School.

What's the difference between a RC plane and a drone? A drone is considered an unmanned aircraft systems and has an entirely separate set of regulations and rules to consider. Note all of these regulations vary state to state. For PA you can reference this page: Drones in PA.

Still not sure where to start? There are a bunch of local clubs you can contact to become a member of or just get some general education.