Corkscrew’s Thing

While www.RCPhilippines.com was originally conceived as a website for Filipinos at home or abroad (including alien residents in the Philippines), “Corkscrew’s Thing” is in turn is my own little haven… Welcome!

Several sport flyers & fellow hobbyists have asked me why I chose the handle “Corkscrew”. It has gone to the point wherein some jokingly surmise that this has something to do with some secret sexual technique (which I find to be rather amusing). The truth is that my preference for this handle has nothing to do with radio control sport flying. It comes from my other passion: martial arts. It is an abbreviation for “corkscrew punch”.

Let me introduce myself, I am Juancho Victor Lazatin Moreno. I’m originally from Angeles City. Currently, I am a resident of Antipolo City, Rizal - so named after the now hard-to-find “Tipolo” tree. In a manner of speaking, I’ve been into flying as far as my first memories go. Who wouldn’t be? I spent the first seven years of my life in Angeles where American fighter planes, cargo transports and helicopters zoomed overhead as a daily occurence. These aircraft were either landing or taking-off from the nearby Clark Airbase. Even if you weren’t too steeped into aircraft, it’s hard to ignore the thundering roar of a low flying jet which just broke the sound barrier. So, you can say that since childhood - I’ve been hooked.

My first encounter with the modeling aspect of the hobby came when my father, the late Juanito “Johnny” Llorca Moreno - decided to rehash on his building skills. He had been into it since his early twenties. So when I was seven years old - my father invited me to join him in building. He was deeply involved with balsa boats & free flight planes. Yes, you can say that I inherited the hobby aspect from my father. But there were hardly any remote control equipment available at that time. It was not til much later, during highschool - that I had my first real taste of it. It was a wonderful Christmas when I received my first RC car… an electric Tamiya Hornet. I recall having spent hundreds of hours enjoying myself with that car. I loved every moment… but I felt, there was more to enjoy and experience.

It was not until February 1997 when I finally managed the resources enough to purchase my very first radio control set suitable for fixed wing models. At that time, I started off with two balsa kits - a Skeeter and a Prophet, both RC gliders. Under the guidance of a host of teachers - generous people really: Obi Mapua, Anthony Ballesteros, Joel Paje, Robert Mamonluk, Jimmy Dim, Larry Favis and Louie Gamboa… I learned to FLY.

My first love as far as Sport Flying goes - is with Soaring. And I stuck to it almost exclusively til July 2005. At which time, something happened… a newly met friend Erwin Felisarta suggested that I take a look at a website www.3DBatix.com and view the videos shown therein. What I saw swept me off my feet. And thereon, I decided that I wanted to learn how to fly just like that (if not better). I’m far from that goal still… but I am enjoying every moment in my journey to get there. Herein are some memories, thoughts and ramblings of my adventures with radio control.