Academy of Model Aeronautics · National Model Aviation Museum
The people, clubs and companies that built model aviation, in their own words.
Search 1,062 biographies of modelers, designers and contest fliers, plus the histories of 62 clubs and 26 companies, preserved by the AMA History Project.
- Histories
- 1,150
- Pages
- 4,653
- Earliest birth
- 1850
People under O
1–6 of 6 entries ·
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3 pages
Brian O'Meara
Biography
I Am the AMA Brian O’Meara, Warbirds Over The Rockies organizer Jay Smith: How did you get involved with model aviation? Brian O’Meara: I have been in love forever with anything that flies. I started building balsa models in 1953, when I was five. I have a picture of myself after my first building contest, wearing my Hopalong Cassidy cowboy suit.…
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8 pages Autobiography
Richard W. Obarski
1918– · AMA 560
Career: Obtained a non-commercial glider pilot’s license at age 16 and helped build a primary glider A member of the Purdue University Glider Club A charter member of the Chicago Aeronuts; served as secretary from 1935 to 1937 1937-1938: helped organize the Purdue Aeromodelers club 1937-1938: Various plans published in Zaic Yearbooks 1938: Won…
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6 pages
Irwin G. Ohlsson
1913–1996 · AMA 4
Career: 1934: Built his first two little engines 1934 or 1937: Won the California state modeling contest flying his Pacemaker model 1943-1946: Served as fourth president of the AMA 1953: Manufactured his own engines, first with partner Frank Bertelli, then with partner Harry Rice and finally on his own starting 1953: Developed glow plugs and model…
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6 pages
Alan Heiberg Olson
1927–2018 · AMA 312437
Career: Built his first gas model airplane at age 11 in August and September 1939 Served in the U.S. Army Paratroopers during World War II Earned a Master Aviation Mechanic license and then a private pilot’s license after World War II between 1947 and 1948 Attended Cal Aero Technical Institute from 1947 to 1948 and frequently flew Control Line…
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3 pages Autobiography
Bob Oslan
1929– · AMA 56691
Career: Early 1970s: Served as vice president then president of the Southern California Antique Model Plane Society 1971-1978: Manufactured Free Flight and Radio Controlled kits A member of the Society of Antique Modelers Had articles published in American Modeler, Junior American Modeler, Model Aviation and Model Builder magazines Honors: 2002…
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1 page Autobiography
Joe Ott
1900–1986
From an early age, Joe was interested in designing and building model airplanes. He began in the early 1910s. Around age eleven, he joined the Illinois Model Aero Club (IMAC) as their fifth member. He enjoyed designing rubber-powered scale models. He took aviation-related correspondence courses throughout his high school years, as his school did…