Hello from Marianas

[Dleg]

Hi everyone - I just built my first card model two nights ago - the free mercury/redstone rocket from Delta-7. It was promptly destroyed by my 4 year old son, who I built it for. Oh well. Next up will be a larger mercury capsule only. I hope it lasts a little longer.

I am 40 years old, but when I was much younger (teenager-college grad) I was very much into plastic models. I worked for a small company producing resin armor kits and accessories for a few years, and won a few pretty big awards at national IPMS and related competitions. But ever since I got a "real" job and moved out on my own, I have never been in a situation that would allow me the time, space, and materials necessary to start up plastic modeling again.

I just discovered card modeling this week, quite by accident, and it looks like just the ticket for me. I will probably concentrate on "real space" for now, because that's what my son likes. But I might give aircraft a go, eventually. Armor looks way too tedious for me; I'd give in right away and buy a plastic kit.

By the way, I am located in the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands.

Dleg

[logicman]

Hello from the UK, Dleg, and welcome.

There's a lot of space modellers on these forums.

I find this is an odd time (approx 4.30 am UK time) with not many people posting. I'm only up and about because I couldn't sleep.

With a four-year-old about, you need to build strength into your models -
can you weld?

[cdavenport]

Which island is it? I have been to Guam, Tinian and Saipan. Welcome to the group and have a good time.

[Dleg]

I'm on Saipan. When were you out here?

thanks for the welcome.

[Patty]

Warm Welcomes, sorry, i am a little late to the party.

[cdavenport]

Originally Posted by Dleg

I'm on Saipan. When were you out here?

thanks for the welcome.

Waaaay back in the late 70's. Just a fly-by, really. My crew and I wanted to see what was left of the WWII B-29 staging areas and runway. At that time, the runway was still visible, but most everything else was gone.

What do you do on Saipan if you don't mind me asking?

[Dleg]

Originally Posted by cdavenport

Waaaay back in the late 70's. Just a fly-by, really. My crew and I wanted to see what was left of the WWII B-29 staging areas and runway. At that time, the runway was still visible, but most everything else was gone.

What do you do on Saipan if you don't mind me asking?

Not a problem. I am an environmental engineer, working for the island government.

There's not much left of the old airstrips on Saipan, although a lot of the old taxiways and pads are still around in the airport area. The main airport is now a fully modernized international airport that receives (or, received) several 747s a day. The other airstrips have been developed since your time, and are no longer recognizable.

Tinian's north field, on the other hand, is still mostly untouched. Although, that may change with the Marines from Okinawa re-locating to Guam a few years from now. They are thinking about opening up a training base on Tinian, which I am guessing would mean that they would reconstruct at least one of the old runways, and cover up the others with base development.

You would probably not recognize this place if you had only seen it in the 1970s. It went through a major tourism and real estate boom in the 1980s and 90s, after it became a US Commonwealth.