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"Flying for Fun" columnist D.B. "Doc"
Mathews retired from MA after his
February 2008 column. He spent approximately
30 years as a contributing editor for the
magazine but had to step down from the post
to focus on improving his health.
Born Dee B. Mathews, Doc was raised in Kansas. He
received a Bachelor of Arts in General
Science from Fort Hays Kansas State
University. He attended the University of
Missouri at Kansas City for his Doctor of
Dental Surgery degree.
Doc graduated from dental school in 1957 and served as
a dental officer (Captain) in the US Air
Force. He spent 25 years in a private
practice in Greensburg, Kansas, and then
moved to Wichita in 1985, where he has
practiced dentistry since.
He is an avid modeler and has been so almost
continually for more than 60 years. Doc has
built and flown hand-launched gliders, FF
models, and RC aircraft. At age 7, he was
building and flying the classic Comet, Megow,
and Ace Wittman dime-store models.
For Doc's 13th birthday, he received a Vivell .35 gas
engine. He flew his first CL model when he
was 14.
"The first time I ever saw a Control Line model in
flight, I had the handle in my hand!" wrote
Doc in his AMA History Program
autobiography.
He tried RC in 1953 but went back to FF and CL until
1973. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Doc and
his two sons competed regionally and
nationally. They won more than 100 trophies,
including national firsts in events
including CL Scale, rubber-powered Scale,
gas-powered Scale, and Towline Gliders. At
one time, they held three national records.
Doc designed and had published more than 69
construction articles, ranging from tiny
CO2-powered sport FF airplanes to
80-inch-wingspan, 15-pound sport RC models.
He wrote more than 17 product reviews and
how-to articles. Eight of DocΥs designs are
kitted on royalty by Ace R/C, and two more
are kitted by other manufacturers.
Doc wrote for MA for approximately 30 years. He
authored the bimonthly "Old Timers" column
from February 1978 until December 1990. In
January 1991, the column was changed to a
broader format and named "Flying for Fun."
Doc wrote it until his retirement.
"Flying for Fun" generated approximately 20 letters
each month, containing questions or
requests, all of which he made sure to
answer.
In e-mail correspondence with MA Editor Michael
Ramsey, Doc wrote:
"It's only fair to point out to you that I've outlived
an awful lot of editors through the years! I
go back to volume one, issue one with
Model Aviation and Bill Winter. Even
more freaky: I did a lot of stuff for Don
McGovern, Art Schroeder, and Dick Kid. Now
that is frightening!"
In his autobiography Doc wrote:
"I could go on and on with soupy stuff about my
lifetime fascination with building and
flying model airplanes, but the best way I
can express it is my desired epitaph: 'He
brought some moments of good fun to a lot of
modelers.'"
In honor of Doc's service to MA, the "Flying for
Fun" column was retired along with him. AMA
and Model Aviation thank Doc for
everything he has done throughout the years.
He will be missed as a columnist, but his
articles will continue to be read and
remembered. MA
Ashley Rauen
AMA Communications Specialist
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